Ohio State Class Of 2013 Verbal Commits: How They Performed In High School Football Week Five

Another week, another "interesting" game played by Ohio State. This weekend again, the Buckeyes continued to struggle against inferior opponents, this time coming against UAB. Eking out a hard-fought 29-15 win didn't soothe fans across Ohio about the lack of play makers on the defensive (and offensive, for that matter) sides of the football.

The more we watch the offense sputter to a disappointing stop on every drive where Braxton doesn't carry the ball five or more times, the more we start to wonder who can step up on offense besides Miller. While there is still plenty of time to figure that out before the end of the season, that doesn't mean we can't look forward to the class of '13 and who will be joining the Buckeye team next year as freshmen.

Much like Ohio State getting ready for conference play, high school teams across the country prepared for their own league play last week and on Friday had to earn their stripes against regional foes alike. Leagues can determine who goes where when it comes time for the state playoffs so it's vital for teams to start off on the right foot.

Let's take a look at how future Buckeye players helped their teams on the field over the weekend.

ATH Jalin Marshall - Middletown lost to Lakota East 34-20 on Friday. Quarterback Jalin Marshall rushed for 155 yards on 23 carries with two touchdowns. He completed 7 of 17 passes for 80 yards with a touchdown and one interception. Overall it was a good day for Marshall, despite his team not being able to pull out the win.

RB Ezekiel Elliott - St. Louis Burroughs defeated St. Louis MICDS 55-7 as running back Ezekiel Elliott had another big performance with six touchdowns. Elliott can't get here soon enough, as the Buckeyes themselves need more threats on the offensive side of the football.

DE Tracy Sprinkle - Elyria lost to North Royalton 62-55 on Friday night, but defensive end Tracy Sprinkle showed out for his team once more. That night Sprinkle made 14 tackles, including two sacks. If that wasn't enough, he added three tackles for loss and five quarterback hurries. Sprinkle has been very solid this season.

ATH Taivon Jacobs - District Heights Suitland defeated Laurel 42-6 on Saturday. Wide receiver Taivon Jacobscontinued his dominance with another huge game. He caught eight passes for 200 yards and had 314 all-purpose yards. The kid is right up there with Ezekiel Elliott with being labeled as a potential game-changer.

S Jayme Thompson - Toledo Central Catholic defeated Findlay 56-27. Defensive back Jayme Thompson made six tackles and had a fumble recovery to help maintain the lead and win.

OL Evan Lisle - Centerville and offensive lineman Evan Lisle led Greenville 44-0 at halftime on Friday night when the game was stopped because of bad weather. Eventually, it was completed on Saturday with Centerville cruising to a 64-7 victory. Lisle played pretty well as he helped open wide holes for the running game.

ATH Darron Lee - New Albany defeated Franklin Heights 66-14. Darron Lee accounted for 194 yards of total offense while also throwing four touchdown passes at quarterback.

DL Michael Hill - Pendleton, with the help of defensive lineman Michael Hill, defeated Blacksburg 17-14 to move to 3-2 on the season. Hill was active much of the night, causing pressure on the quarterback and helped his team secure the victory.

OL Tim Gardner - Lawrence Central defeated Bloomington South 42-7 with offensive lineman Tim Gardner leading the way. Gardner had a fantastic night, accounting for 20 pancakes or "knockdown" blocks (this is an abnormally high amount of pancakes).