With Ohio high school football teams opening practice Aug. 1, it’s time for The Dispatch to reveal the top 25 seniors in the Columbus area for the 2024 OHSAA season.
Players were selected based on 2023 statistics, postseason honors and rankings from various recruiting services, including 247sports.com, On3.com and Rivals.com.
Don’t see a player you are looking for? Give it time. They might make an appearance in our positional breakdowns in August, when we reveal the top 10 players at each position in central Ohio.
Here is The Dispatch’s list of the area’s best seniors, in alphabetical order:
Best central Ohio high school football seniors in 2024
Danny Blair, Fairfield Christian
Last year’s Division VII district Offensive Player of the Year and a first-team all-state honoree, Blair rushed for 1,431 yards and 19 touchdowns on 200 carries in leading the Knights to a Region 27 semifinal.
Preston Bowman, Pickerington North
The wide receiver and Kentucky commit caught 43 passes for 713 yards and nine touchdowns, earning second-team all-district and honorable mention all-state in Division I. He also averaged 36.3 yards per punt.
Taizaun Burns, East
A running back/wide receiver as a sophomore and quarterback as a junior, Burns amassed 4,329 all-purpose yards and 61 touchdowns the past two years. He also had 74 tackles and seven interceptions during that time as a defensive back. He holds 18 Division I offers.
Jake Cook, Westerville North
The 6-foot-5, 300-pound offensive lineman and four-star recruit fielded more than 20 Division I offers and committed to Ohio State on June 23 after previously being committed to Louisville. He was third-team all-state and first-team all-district in Division I last year.
2023 Dispatch All-Metro: Who are the best high school football players in central Ohio?
Conlan Dent, Ready
The 6-2, 200-pound linebacker had a team-leading 115 tackles, three forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries to earn first-team all-district and honorable mention all-state in Division IV.
Terris Dudley, Hilliard Bradley
Listed as an all-around athlete for recruiting purposes, the Toledo commit racked up 41 tackles, three interceptions, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery as the Jaguars reached their first Division I state semifinal. Dudley was honorable mention all-district.
Blake Elliott, East Knox
The Division VI district Defensive Player of the Year and first-team all-state honoree at linebacker led the Knox-Morrow Athletic Conference in tackles with 134, including 10 for loss, and again is expected to anchor the Bulldogs’ ground game.
Dawayne Galloway Jr., Marion-Franklin
A defensive back who committed to Purdue on July 5, Galloway had five interceptions and returned one for a touchdown in 2023 to earn first-team all-district and all-state in Division IV. Galloway earned more than two dozen Division I offers. In track, he was Division II state runner-up in the 100 meters this spring.
Jaystin Gwinn, Westerville Central
A three-star recruit and second-team all-district and honorable mention all-state selection in Division I, Gwinn accounted for 3,156 yards (1,869 passing and 1,287 rushing) with 17 passing touchdowns and 13 rushing scores last year.
Malakai Hammond, Northland
Vikings coach Ryan Sayers expects Hammond to anchor both lines coming off a junior season in which he had 33 pancake blocks offensively and 15 tackles, including five for loss, and a sack on defense.
J.J. Jah, Olentangy
Jah, who holds 12 Division I offers and plays running back, receiver and defensive back, is a three-star recruit at cornerback. He had 49 tackles and three interceptions and broke up seven passes as a junior.
2023 All-Central District: Who earned honors last fall?
Jalen Joyce, Groveport
The 6-0, 260-pound defensive tackle had 72 tackles, including 30 for loss and 11 sacks, last year. Joyce was OCC-Buckeye Defensive Player of the Year, first-team all-district and third-team all-state in Division I.
Wyatt Keyt, West Jefferson
The first-team all-district and third-team all-state honoree makes the most of his 5-7, 150-pound frame, having led the Roughriders in total (90), solo (61) and assisted (29) tackles at linebacker during a run to the Division VI, Region 23 final. He also accounted for 932 yards and 15 touchdowns on offense.
Beckett Long, Granville
