Pads won’t officially clash on Southwest Ohio high school football fields for four more months, but warmer weather is here and a loaded offseason is just around the corner.
Beginning on May 15, schools can have up to 13 days of practice without pads during the summer.
Plus, there are several Cincinnati high school football combines on tap as the calendar shifts to May.
There will be several highly ranked recruits trying to improve their stock this summer and fall. Here are the top players from Southwest Ohio who have yet to commit to a college.
Chris Bradley, Lakota West, DB
Bradley was a third-team All-Ohio selection last season in the Firebirds’ secondary.
Bradley led the Greater Miami Conference in interceptions (6) to go with 32 tackles. Bradley also had a kickoff return touchdown last season. A 5-foot-10, unranked athlete, Bradley holds offers from Wake Forest and several MAC programs.
Roman Combs, Lakota West, DB
Another member of the Lakota West defensive backfield, Combs is a three-star recruit and the No. 36 player in the state in the 2027 class.
Combs, a 6-foot-4 corner, had 21 tackles and a pair of interceptions last season. He holds over a dozen Division I offers, including from Iowa State, Penn State, Indiana, Iowa and Purdue.
Jaiden Davis, Middletown, DL
A top 40 player in Ohio for the Class of 2027, Davis is a three-star defensive lineman. Last season for the Middies, Davis posted 50 tackles, 8.5 sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss.
He holds over a dozen college offers, including from Wisconsin, Pittsburgh, Iowa, Kentucky and Boston College.
Jordan Davis, Anderson, RB
Over the last two seasons at Milford (2024) and Anderson (2025), Davis has run for 1,345 yards, caught 98 passes for 920 yards and combined for 30 touchdowns. He was a first-team All-Ohio selection last season for the Raptors.
An unranked running back, Davis has offers from Kent State, Miami (Ohio), Toledo and UMass.
Josh Fasbender, St. Xavier, DL
A top 35 player in Ohio in the Class of 2027, Fasbender is a 6-foot-3, 260-pound defensive lineman who had 41 tackles, a forced fumble and one recovery last season.
A three-star prospect, Fasbender holds offers from Pittsburgh and Virginia Tech, among others.
Derrick Jeffries, Princeton, LB
Jeffries, a first-team all-league selection, tallied 100 tackles, 11 tackles for a loss, one sack and an interception for the Vikings last season.
The unranked linebacker has offers from North Texas, Eastern Michigan and Western Michigan.
Terrence Jones, Princeton, DL
Jones earned second-team all-district honors after ranking second in the GMC in sacks (9) last season.
The 6-foot-1, 210-pound defensive lineman has offers from Miami (Ohio), Massachusetts and Western Michigan.
Kal’El Johnson, Moeller, OT
Johnson is a top 10 prospect in Ohio for the Class of 2027 and a top 25 tackle in the nation, per 247Sports’ Composite Rankings.
Johnson holds over 30 Division I offers, including from Ohio State, Indiana, UCLA, Auburn, LSU, Texas and North Carolina.
Hezikiah Kelly, Northwest, S
Kelly is a three-star safety and a top 25 player in Ohio in the Class of 2027. Kelly had 36 tackles, a forced fumble, one recovery and an interception for Northwest last season.
He holds nine offers, including from Kentucky, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and UConn.
Jaylen Mercer, Winton Woods, EDGE
Mercer posted 26 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 2.5 tackles for a loss and recovered a pair of fumbles for the Warriors last season.
A top 20 player in Ohio in the Class of 2027, Mercer is a three-star edge rusher with nearly 30 Division I offers, including from Indiana, Louisville, Kentucky, Georgia Tech, Michigan, Oregon and Cincinnati.
Carter Napier, Springboro, DL
A top 50 player in the Class of 2027, Napier has 19 offers, including from Pittsburgh, Michigan State, Iowa State, Iowa and West Virginia.
Last season, the three-star defensive lineman had 40 tackles and four sacks.
Kenyon Norman, Lakota West, RB
Norman is a top 25 player in Ohio in the Class of 2027 who was honorable mention All-Ohio last season. Norman ranked third in the GMC in rushing yards (915) and second in rushing touchdowns (13) last season.
A three-star running back, Norman holds 19 offers, including from Indiana, Maryland, Cincinnati, Iowa, Michigan State and Wisconsin.
Patrick O’Brien, Moeller, OT
O’Brien was a first-team All-Ohio selection up front for the Crusaders last season.
A 6-foot-6, 275-pound tackle, O’Brien is a three-star prospect with two dozen offers, including from Northwestern, Purdue, North Carolina, UCLA, Michigan State and Kentucky.
Axsel Rogers, Fairfield, LB
Rogers has posted back-to-back 80-tackle seasons for Fairfield. In 2025, he was a second-team all-district selection after posting 84 tackles, one sack, 4.5 tackles for a loss, a forced fumble and three interceptions.
He has offers from Eastern Michigan, Miami Ohio and Ohio University.
Jackson Smith, Lakota West, QB
In his first full season as a starter in 2025, Smith threw for 1,959 yards and 20 touchdowns. He added 154 yards and three scores on the ground. Smith earned first-team all-league and honorable mention all-district honors.
An unranked quarterback in the Class of 2028, Smith holds eight offers, including from Kentucky, Maryland and Marshall.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Southwest Ohio’s top uncommitted football players from Class of 2027
Reporting by Shelby Dermer, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
