National Signing Day: Area recruits sign, colleges add top players

12/20/2017
BLADE STAFF
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    Cole Ragan (54) of Anthony Wayne, Dallas Gant (24) of St. John's Jesuit, Austin Beier (74) of St. John's Jesuit, Tyler Long (60) of Springfield, Dylan O'Quinn (15) of Lake, Dallas Fields (19) of Central Catholic, and Mike Haney (53) of Maumee, pose for a portrait before the season. All signed with Division I schools today.

    THE BLADE/KURT STEISS
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    • Wednesday was a huge day in college football as the sport’s inaugural early signing period allows the best high school players from the area and nation to put pen to paper to confirm where they’ll be playing next fall.

    Ohio State and Michigan are in on nationally competitive classes — OSU’s was ranked No. 1 in the country for most of Wednesday, while Michigan’s was just outside the top 10 — while Toledo and Bowling Green have put together two of the best classes in the MAC.

    Locally, St. John’s Jesuit four-star recruit Dallas Gant was one of the first players to sign with Ohio State Wednesday, and The Blade player of the year will begin his college journey next month after finishing classes at the high school yesterday.

    The University of Toledo putting together a class ranked No. 2 in the MAC by 247Sports, a group that includes Springfield offensive lineman Tyler Long.

    Two local players signed with Eastern Michigan — offensive lineman Brian Dooley of St. John’s and defensive lineman Mikey Haney of Maumee. 

    St. John’s also has a third Division I signee in lineman Austin Beier, who signed with Minnesota.

    Central Catholic boasts two signees in linebacker Dallas Fields, who signed with Miami (Ohio), and lineman De’Marko Craig, who signed with Youngstown State.

    In addition, Anthony Wayne defensive lineman Cole Ragan has signed to join the Air Force Academy, while Lake tight end Dylan O’Quinn has signed with Cincinnati.

    Recruits can sign through Friday as part of the early signing period, then a second period opens Feb. 7 for those who don’t put pen to paper today. That has resulted in a hectic month of December for most programs, and what happens next, meanwhile, becomes anyone’s guess.

    A list of players confirmed by the schools that have signed national letters of intent to join the Toledo, Bowling Green, Ohio State, and Michigan football teams.

    Toledo signees

    ■ Toledo adds 18 in talented 2018 class

    ■ Springfield’s Long signs with UT

    QB Carter Bradley, 6-3, 208, Jacksonville (Fla.) Providence

    QB Cross Wilkinson, 6-3, 205, Wheeling (W.Va.) Wheeling Park

    WR Jalin Cooper, 6-4, 180, Medina, N.Y.

    TE Alex Morgan, 6-5, 245, Pickerington (Ohio) Central

    OL Sam Baker, 6-3, 285, St. Petersburg (Fla.) Admiral Farragut

    OL Nick Carey, 6-7, 290, Detroit Catholic Central

    OL Lavel Dumont, 6-4, 270, Tampa (Fla.) Wharton

    OL Conor Head, 6-3, 261, Richfield (Ohio) Revere

    OL Tyler Long, 6-4, 295, Holland (Ohio) Springfield

    DE Jamal Hines, 6-2, 216, Cincinnati Princeton

    DE Jake Hudson, 6-4, 240, Mission Viejo (Calif.) Saddleback Community College

    DE Desjuan Johnson, 6-3, 240, Detroit East English Village Prep

    DE Terrance Taylor, 6-4, 214, Chicago Phillips Academy

    DT Devan Rogers, 6-2, 285, Sidney, Ohio

    LB Dan Bolden, 6-1, 230, Cincinnati Colerain

    LB Dyontae Johnson, 6-2, 210, Detroit Cass Tech

    DB Nate Bauer, 6-0, 190, Akron Hoban

    DB Caleb Sutherland, 6-0, 180, Seffner (Fla.) Armwood

    Bowling Green signees 

    ■ Bowling Green signs class of 18

    ■ Read bios of the newest Falcons here

    QB Bryce Veasley, 6-4, 230, West Bloomfield, Mich.

    RB Rico Frye, 5-9, 210, Cartersville, Ga.

    WR Noah Massey, 6-3, 215, Houston (Texas) Westfield

    WR Julian Ortega-Jones, 6-2, 195, Fort Worth (Texas) North Crowley

    WR Onyx Smith, 6-0, 196, Cibolo (Texas) Steele

    TE James Lachey, 6-4, 230, Grandview Heights, Ohio

    TE Jake Papez, 6-5, 230, Wentzville (Mo.) Timberland

    OL Joe Maxwell, 6-5, 290, Florence, Ala.

    OL John O’Brian, 6-5, 240, Charlotte, Mich.

    OL Brad Papez, 6-6, 265, Wentzville (Mo.) Timberland

    DL Jevon Henderson, 6-4, 265, Centerville, Ohio

    LB Deandre Fitz-Henley, 5-11, 230, Clearwater (Fla.) Central Catholic

    LB Antwuan Johnson, 6-1, 230, Huber Heights (Ohio) Wayne

    LB Brandon Perce, 5-11, 220, Rochester (Minn.) Community College

    LB Devin Ruffin, Jr., 6-1, 225, St. Louis (Mo.) Lutheran North

    DB Caleb Biggers, 5-11, 184, Baltimore (Md.) Calvert Hall

    DB James Harris, Jr., 6-1, 165, Pompano Beach (Fla.) Blanche Ely

    P Cooper Lee, 6-1, 195, Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College

    Ohio State signees

    ■ OSU finishes happy with QB signee

    ■ Buckeyes near in No. 1 class, sign 21

    QB Matthew Baldwin, 6-3, 195, Austin (Texas) Lake Travis

    RB Master Teague, 5-11, 210, Murfreesboro (Tenn.) Blackman

    RB Brian Snead, 5-11, 200, Seffner (Fla.) Armwood

    WR Kamryn Babb, 6-1, 189, St. Louis (Mo.) Christian Brothers

    WR Cameron Brown, 6-1, 175, St. Louis (Mo.) Christian Brothers

    WR Jaelen Gill, 6-1, 182, Westerville (Ohio) South

    WR L’Christian “Blue” Smith, 6-6, 205, Huber Heights (Ohio) Wayne

    TE Jeremy Ruckert, 6-6, 240, Lindenhurst, N.Y.

    OL Matthew Jones, 6-4, 315, Brooklyn (N.Y.) Erasmus Hall

    OL Max Wray, 6-6, 289, Franklin, Tenn.

    DL Antwuan Johnson, 6-2, 305, Brenham (Texas) Blinn College

    DL Tommy Togiai, 6-3, 290, Pocatello (Idaho) Highland

    DL Taron Vincent, 6-2, 285, Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy

    DL Alex Williams, 6-7, 250, Pickerington (Ohio) North

    LB K’Vaughan Pope, 6-2, 210, Dinwiddie, Va.

    LB Dallas Gant, 6-3, 225, Toledo St. John’s Jesuit

    LB Teradja Mitchell, 6-2, 243, Virginia Beach (Va.) Bishop Sullivan

    CB Sevyn Banks, 6-1, 180, Orlando (Fla.) Jones

    CB Tyreke Johnson, 6-1, 191, Jacksonville (Fla.) Trinity

    S Marcus Hooker, 6-0, 185, New Castle, Pa.

    S Josh Proctor, 6-2, 190, Owasso, Okla.

    Michigan signees

    ■ Michigan inks 11th-ranked recruiting class — for now

     

    ■ Transfer QB Patterson adds leadership

    QB Joe Milton, 6-5, 220, Orlando (Fla.) Olympia

    RB Hassan Haskins, 6-1, 207, Eureka, Mo.

    RB Christian Turner, 5-11, 185, Buford, Ga.

    FB Ben VanSumeren, 6-3, 232, Essexville (Mich.) Garber

    TE Ryan Hayes, 6-7, 262, Traverse City (Mich.) West

    TE Mustapha Muhammad, 6-4, 244, Missouri City (Texas) Ridge Point

    TE Luke Schoonmaker, 6-6, 229, Hamden (Conn.) Hamden Hall

    OL Jalen Mayfield, 6-5, 275, Grand Rapids (Mich.) Catholic Central

    DL Aidan Hutchinson, 6-6, 258, Dearborn (Mich.) Divine Child

    DL Taylor Upshaw, 6-4, 240, Bradenton Fla.

    DL Julius Welschof, 6-6, 253, Miesbach, Germany

    LB Cameron McGrone, 6-1, 225, Indianapolis Lawrence Central

    DB Sammy Faustin, 6-2, 190, Naples, Fla.

    DB Gemon Green, 6-2, 175, DeSoto, Texas

    DB German Green, 6-2, 178, DeSoto, Texas

    DB Myles Sims, 6-3, 173, Atlanta (Ga.) Westlake