With Ohio high school football teams opening practice Aug. 1, it’s time for The Dispatch to reveal the top 25 juniors 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 list the top 10 players at each position in central Ohio.
Here is The Dispatch’s list of the area’s best juniors, in alphabetical order:
Best central Ohio high school football juniors in 2024
Caleb Anthony, Africentric
A standout in the secondary, Anthony was the Division V district Defensive Player of the Year and a first-team all-state selection last fall. He had 53 tackles, eight interceptions, a fumble recovery and a blocked field goal in helping the Nubians to a program-record seven wins.
Austin Buescher, West Jefferson
The quarterback passed for 3,747 yards and 38 touchdowns and rushed for 320 yards and three scores in leading the Roughriders to the Division VI, Region 23 final. Buescher was district Offensive Player of the Year and first team all-state.
Levi Davis, Olentangy Orange
Entering his third year as a starter, Davis threw for 1,751 yards, ran for more than 700 and accounted for 20 touchdowns as a sophomore. The special mention all-district selection in Division I also is a point guard for the regional runner-up boys basketball team.
2023 Dispatch All-Metro: Who are the best high school football players in central Ohio?
Gabe Davis-Ray, Columbus Academy
A free safety and versatile athlete who holds three Division I offers, Davis-Ray had 75 tackles, including 43 solo and four for loss, three interceptions and nine pass breakups on defense along with 700 all-purpose yards and six touchdowns on offense. He was first-team all-district and third-team all-state in Division V.
Pete Eglitis, Watterson
The 6-foot-7, 280-pound left tackle started as a sophomore and was one of several underclassman starters for the Division III state runner-up Eagles. Eglitis holds Division I offers from Akron and Toledo.
Kaden Gebhardt, Olentangy
A four-star recruit at defensive back with 15 Division I offers, Gebhardt had 129 tackles, three interceptions, four pass breakups, two forced fumbles and a sack in helping the Braves to a Division I, Region 2 semifinal last fall.
Nequan Harris, Independence
A first-team all-district and honorable mention all-state selection in Division II, Harris rushed for 751 yards, caught 26 passes for 215 yards and accounted for 11 all-purpose touchdowns. He also returned an interception for a score and had five two-point conversions.
Rusty Hutchinson, Fairfield Christian
A first-team all-district and third-team all-state wide receiver in Division VII, Hutchinson had 28 catches for 816 yards and 13 touchdowns as a sophomore to complement 1,400-yard running back Danny Blair.
Javion Jones-Cunningham, South
The 6-1, 225-pound two-way lineman earned first-team all-district and second-team all-state in Division III, making 15 tackles for loss with eight sacks, two forced fumbles and a defensive score in the regular season.
Kyle Kirby, Granville
The inside linebacker, running back and wide receiver made more than 100 tackles on defense and scored 15 touchdowns on offense. He was named first-team all-district and second-team all-state in Division III at linebacker.
Robert Lathon, Hartley
A running back, Lathon rushed for 1,543 yards and 17 touchdowns on 192 carries and was named first-team all-district and second-team all-state in Division IV. Lathon holds eight Division I offers, including Purdue and four Mid-American Conference schools.
Marquis Lucas, Walnut Ridge
The quarterback accounted for 2,000 all-purpose yards (1,100 rushing and 900 passing) with 11 rushing touchdowns and 10 passing scores. Lucas was first-team all-district and honorable mention all-state in Division II.
The Columbus Dispatch
