High school football 2024: Who are the top college recruits in the Toledo area?

High school football season is just around the corner with practices set to begin Thursday.

The Toledo area has a wide range of talented football players who are attracting interest on the college football recruiting trail. Here is a look at some of the top recruits in the area in the 2025, 2026, and 2027 classes.

CLASS OF 2025

OL Carter Lowe, Whitmer

■ College commitment status: Committed to Ohio State

■ Rating: 4 stars (0.9724 composite)

■ What to know: Lowe is the sixth-ranked offensive tackle nationally in his class, according to 247Sports, and is the third-ranked prospect in all of Ohio and 49th nationally.

■ Quote: “He’s one of the best linemen in the Midwest. He’s athletic for a big guy and he’s well-coached. He’s kind of a powerhouse-type offensive lineman. I think he could wind up playing tackle or guard.” — national college football recruiting analyst Tom Lemming

QB Ryan Montgomery, Findlay

■ College commitment status: Committed to Georgia

■ Rating: 4 stars (0.9496 composite)

■ What to know: Montgomery is the No. 6 overall player in his class in Ohio according to 247Sports and ranks 10th nationally at the quarterback position. He recently competed in the Elite11 Finals in Los Angeles.

■ Quote: “He’s got all the tools to be a real big-time player. If Georgia does it right by not trying to play a Georgia kid over him, I think he’ll become an instant star. He’s got the arm, the smarts, the bloodlines, everything.” — Tom Lemming

QB Mason Heintschel, Clay

■ College commitment status: Committed to the University of Pittsburgh

■ Rating: 3 stars (0.8647 composite)

■ What to know: Heintschel is the 58th ranked quarterback in the country in his class according to 247Sports and is the 41st ranked player in Ohio. He competed in the Elite11 Regionals at Upper Arlington in April.

■ Quote: “He’s another guy on the rise. Pitt does a good job of developing quarterbacks, and I think he’s going to the right school. It’s a big-time program and he’s got a big-time arm with very good athletic ability. It’s smart for quarterbacks to make good choices, and PItt is a school that usually develops these guys. I think you’ll be reading about him in a couple of years.” — Tom Lemming

OL Baylor Wilkin, Findlay

■ College commitment status: Committed to Indiana University

■ Rating: 3 stars (0.8356 composite)

■ What to know: Wilkin transferred to Findlay from Van Buren and played only five games last season for Findlay. He is the 76th-ranked player in Ohio in his class, according to 247Sports.

■ Quote: “I thought he is very good when you watch him and he has excellent potential. I think he as much potential as Carter Lowe. He would be more of a guard/center. He is very technically sound and I just think he’s probably a bit underrated. Going to Indiana, I think he’ll have a chance to play within two years right away and start.” — Tom Lemming

LB Trey Rubinstein, Napoleon

■ College commitment status: Committed to Kent State

■ Rating: 3 stars

■ What to know: Rubinstein was an all-state defensive back at Napoleon but projects as a linebacker in college. He’s also a very talented baseball player.

■ Quote: “He’s a good linebacker — needs to get bigger and stronger. He’s more safety-size right now. He’s a guy that can play. I like the way Kent State recruits. They do a real good job evaluating. He’s another guy who has some real good potential. He’s not there yet, but I think he can be.” — Tom Lemming

OL Kaden Mayle, Fremont Ross

■ College commitment status: Committed to Kent State

■ Rating: 3 stars

■ What to know: Mayle, a 6-foot-6, 315-pound tackle, was first-team All-Ohio last year in Division II.

■ Quote: “He's big, physical and has experience up and down the line of scrimmage. In college, I think he's likely a right tackle, which is where he has the most experience, or guard. But his body type is hard to come by and I think this is the kind of player Kent State needs to keep in-state in order to build their program.” — 247Sports Midwest recruiting analyst Allen Trieu

QB Grant Kinnee, Anthony Wayne

■ College commitment status: Committed to Colgate

■ Rating: 3 stars

■ What to know: Kinnee competed in the Elite11 Regionals at Upper Arlington in April.

■ Quote: “Grant has a great set of tools. I honestly thought Big Ten schools would give him a closer look. He has size, he can throw it and he's an effective runner. He found a great situation for himself with football and academics at Colgate, and I think he will wind up as a starter there.” — Allen Trieu

QB Brady Ford, Whitmer

■ College commitment status: Committed to Eastern Illinois

■ Rating: No. 132 in Ohio Prep Red Zone 2025 rankings

■ What to know: Ford competed in the Elite11 Regionals at Upper Arlington in April.

■ Quote: “Measurables may have kept him from a MAC offer, but he's a really good player. He's tough, athletic, can make plays on the move and has that improvisational aspect that quarterbacks need to have now. I think he has good pure arm talent, as well.” — Allen Trieu

DE Napoleon Jemison, Whitmer

■ College commitment status: Offers from Toledo, Kent State, Eastern Michigan, Central Michigan, Duke, Kentucky, Marshall, West Virginia

■ Rating: No. 69 in Ohio Prep Red Zone 2025 rankings

■ What to know: Jemison was Division I district defensive co-player of the year last year.

■ Quote: “Getting to the quarterback is a sought-after asset, and Jemison can do it. He's the new age hybrid pass rusher. He plays with such tenacity, it's hard to slow him down. He just looks like he's always moving at a different speed on film.” — Allen Trieu

TE Reece Little, Findlay

■ College commitment status: Offers from Akron, Buffalo, Eastern Michigan

■ Rating: No. 124 in Ohio Prep Red Zone 2025 rankings

■ What to know: Ranked No. 9 in the state of Ohio at his position, according to Ohio Prep Red Zone.

■ Quote: “He's played a couple of positions, but I think he's probably a move tight end, H-Back kind of player in college. The position-ambiguous pass-catcher is more common than ever, and Reece fits that mold where he can line up anywhere and catch balls and block from those spots.” — Allen Trieu

DL Ashton Yeager, Findlay

■ College commitment status: Offers from Toledo and Bowling Green

■ Rating: No. 78 in Ohio Prep Red Zone 2025 rankings

■ What to know: Ranked No. 15 at his position, according to Ohio Prep Red Zone.

■ Quote: “I'm interested to see where he ends up recruiting-wise. Defensive tackles are hard to find, and he has some explosiveness and multi-sport athleticism with his track background. He will be a good in-season take for someone. He plays hard, works hard, and is at a premium position.” — Allen Trieu

LB Mike Besteda, Central Catholic

■ College commitment status: Offer from Toledo

■ Rating: N/A

■ What to know: Besteda is a two-time state champion at Central Catholic.

■ Quote: “He's a physically strong classic MIKE backer. He's been productive for a great team and played big on big stages. True MIKEs sometimes get recruited later now as schools look to convert other positions to linebacker, but I think it's players like Besteda who end up still being productive in college because of their experience and instincts for the position.” — Allen Trieu

FS/WR Tylin Davis, Whitmer

■ College commitment status: Offer from Bowling Green

■ Rating: N/A

■ What to know: Davis was first-team all-district last season at defensive back.

■ Quote: “Davis looks the part and plays it, too. He's long and can play either side of the ball in college. My educated guess is schools will see him as more of an asset on defense. He can play in the deep part of the secondary but also can come into the box and may grow into a hybrid backer.” — Allen Trieu

WR Raheem Brown, St. Francis

■ College commitment status: Offers from Adrian College, Siena Heights, and Ohio Dominican

■ Rating: N/A

■ What to know: Brown was second-team all-district last season.

■ Quote: “He's an offensive weapon who can fill multiple roles for a team and be a return man. He has open-field ability and can be a threat from the slot or backfield.” — Allen Trieu

CLASS OF 2026

DB Victor Singleton, Central Catholic

■ College commitment status: Offers from Ohio State, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan State, Tennessee, Missouri, Penn State, Purdue, and Wisconsin, among others

■ Rating: 4 stars (0.9509 composite)

■ What to know: Singleton is the 10th-ranked cornerback in his class, according to 247Sports, and the No. 3 overall prospect in Ohio and 112th nationally.

■ Quote: “He’s a big-time guy. He’s an outstanding cover corner with the length and the quick feet. I watched him on film and he’s an outstanding all-around athlete. He’ll be a national recruit. They are tough to get away from Ohio State, but I think he will be a national recruit because of his height and his athletic ability.” — Tom Lemming

WR Seth Elchert, Liberty-Benton

■ College commitment status: Offers from Toledo, Bowling Green, Kent State, Miami (Ohio), Akron, Central Michigan, Marshall

■ Rating: No. 38 in Ohio Prep Red Zone 2026 rankings

■ What to know: Elchert is the No. 5 wide receiver in his class, according to Ohio Prep Red Zone.

TE Preston Fryzel, Central Catholic

■ College commitment status: Offers from Toledo, Cincinnati, Kentucky, Louisville, Marshall, Miami (Ohio), Minnesota, and Pittsburgh, among others

■ Rating: 3 stars

■ What to know: Fryzel is the No. 35 tight end nationally in his class, according to 247Sports, and is the No. 34 overall player in Ohio.

WR Isaiah Hayward, Whitmer

■ College commitment status: Offers from Toledo, Miami (Ohio), Central Michigan

■ Rating: No. 80 in Ohio Prep Red Zone 2026 rankings

■ What to know: Hayward is ranked No. 11 at his wide receiver in Ohio, according to Ohio Prep Red Zone.

WR/DB Sharard Vaughn, Central Catholic

■ College commitment status: Offers from Toledo, Miami (Ohio), Kent State, Marshall, Massachusetts

■ Rating: No. 112 in Ohio Prep Red Zone 2026 rankings

■ What to know: Ranked as the No. 16 wide receiver in Ohio, according to Ohio Prep Red Zone.

OL/DL Jermaine Polk, St. Francis

■ College commitment status: Offers from Kent State, Miami (Ohio), Eastern Michigan

■ Rating: No. 92 in Ohio Prep Red Zone 2026 rankings

■ What to know: Polk is ranked as the No. 15 offensive lineman in Ohio, according to Ohio Prep Red Zone.

OL Zachary Rahm, Clay

■ College commitment status: Offer from Central Michigan

■ Rating: No. 226 in Ohio Prep Red Zone 2026 rankings

■ What to know: Rahm is the No. 35 offensive lineman in Ohio, according to Ohio Prep Red Zone.

CLASS OF 2027

OL Reed Gerken, Perrysburg

■ College commitment status: Offers from Toledo, Bowling Green, Miami (Ohio), Kent State, Central Michigan

■ Rating: No. 3 in Ohio Prep Red Zone 2027 rankings

■ What to know: Gerken is the top-ranked offensive lineman in Ohio in 2027, according to Ohio Prep Red Zone.