Pair of Ohio State commits named MaxPreps HS Football Player of the Year in their state

Ohio State’s recruiting classes under Ryan Day are bringing in some of the top talent from all around the country, and the many accolades these individuals continue to earn are just proof of concept. These honors don't come to an end once a player commits to the Buckeyes, however, as a pair of current OSU commits in two separate classes find themselves making headlines this week.

Since 2006, MaxPreps has been keeping track of the best prospects in high school football nationwide. On Tuesday, they released their full list for the High School Football Player of the Year in each state, with all 34 states that played a season this fall being represented over the past two weeks. Among these selections, which are based on team success and individual excellence, Ohio State can lay claim to the top player in two states.

Starting in Philly, 2021 QB commit Kyle McCord was named Pennsylvania High School Football Player of the Year. Leading St. Joseph’s Prep to its third-straight state championship, McCord finished his career with the Hawks completing 21-of-28 passes for 336 yards and four TDs in the Class 6A championship against Central York. Overall, the 6-foot-3, 215-pound quarterback broke the Philadelphia Catholic League career records in passing yards (6,887) and TD passes (88).

McCord, who is already on campus as an early enrollee and will be part of a three-man QB competition this fall, was the No. 3 pro-style QB and the No. 25 player overall in the 2021 class. He is one of five five-star prospects in Ohio State’s incoming freshman class as of right now, but there is a chance they add one more to the group before the cycle comes to an end.

We then move to the 2022 class, where Dasan McCullough was named the Kansas High School Football Player of the Year. Listed as an athlete, McCullough plays both sides of the ball, but really excels on defense as a linebacker/DB. The 6-foot-5, 225-pound stud helped lead Blue Valley North to the Class 6A championship game, finishing the season with 75 tackles, six tackles for loss, four picks and four forced fumbles. He is the son of Kansas City Chiefs RB coach Deland McCullough.

A four-star prospect, McCullough is the top-rated player in the state of Kansas in the junior cycle, coming in as the No. 6 athlete and No. 54 prospect in the 2022 class overall. He is one of 10 early commits in the group, and part of a trio of highly-regarded recruits who project as linebackers at the next level. He, alongside C.J. Hicks, have been one of the more vocal members of the class when it comes to recruiting additional talent to join them in Columbus.

Another update on top 2021 linebacker target

There has been lots of talk about four-star 2021 linebacker Raesjon Davis these past few days following his visit to Ohio State’s campus this past weekend, but we got a little better glimpse into his recruitment on Tuesday morning.

Speaking with Bill Kurelic of Bucknuts, Davis had the following to say about the trip:

“I loved it there,” Davis said. “I would definitely say the trip moved them up my list, not just because I liked it but my parents really liked it there too. The best part for me was being around all the players. All the early enrollees were with me the whole time and showed us around the campus and the city itself.”

Davis’ father, Rashad Davis, also really liked what he saw in Columbus:

“It really couldn’t have gone any better,” Rashad Davis said. “From a football standpoint, it’s really a no-brainer out there. As a parent, I know Raesjon will get developed, he’ll learn, he’ll get better, he’ll be able to play in big games and have a great chance to get drafted. We like the coaching staff a lot and we’re very comfortable with Al Washington, the LB coach. The thing with Ohio State is they’re the one school who hasn’t promised Raesjon a starting spot or even told him how much he’ll play. They said come in ready to work hard and compete and you’ll earn your minutes and that’s all we’re asking for.”

While USC has been seen as the frontrunner for Davis, Ohio State is clearly still near the top of his list. The nation’s No. 4 OLB and No. 47 player overall, this will be one to follow closely as we inch closer and closer to National Signing Day, with Davis planning to sign to the school of his choice on Feb. 3.