Ohio Players Who Shined At The Rise Camp
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Severe storms rolled through Cincinnati Sunday morning, but those storms gave way for a beautiful day of sun and 70 degree temperatures. For the second straight year some of the top coaches in the Cincinnati area gathered to help some…
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Continue ReadingSevere storms rolled through Cincinnati Sunday morning, but those storms gave way for a beautiful day of sun and 70 degree temperatures. For the second straight year some of the top coaches in the Cincinnati area gathered to help some of the top talent in the southwest Ohio get coached up and get some good work in. There were a lot of players who caught my eye on the day, but the five I’m writing about really stood out to me. These 2025’s are on the verge of breaking out. The 2026 and 2027 are right behind them. So here we go!
2026 Hybrid LB/SS
Adam Kirtley
Adam
Kirtley
6'0" | 190 lbs | LB
Princeton | 2026
OH
(Princeton) 5’11 180- Kirtley (pictured above) caught my eye right away in Indy drills. He’s long, he has loose hips, and he’s twitchy. He has the frame to continue to fill out. In 1v1 run drills, he got downhill quickly and had the lateral movement skill to move laterally and shadow the ball carrier. As he continues to develop in his coverage skills in the pass game his athleticism and ability to run will allow him to run with running backs or receivers. Adam is hungry to be the best he can be. He’s a quick learner as you could him take coaching and then apply it in following reps. With the strong work ethic, the hunger to be great, and the talent he possesses, the sky is the limit for Kirtley!
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2025 CB
Jahvion Jarmon
Jahvion
Jarmon
6'0" | 170 lbs | DB
Taft | 2025
State
OH
(Taft) 6’0 170- Jarmon is the kind of CB’s that coaches covet in 2023. He has excellent length and athleticism. It doesn’t stop there, however, he’s a technician. He has good hands, and he’s patient. He trusts his athleticism and technique to win reps. On the rare occasion when a receiver did get position or behind him, he closes in a hurry. When the ball is in the air Jahvion does a great job of playing the ball and not the man as he uses his length and timing to make PBU’s. Jarmon won the camp MVP for the defensive backs. After playing his first two high school seasons at Colerain high school, Jarmon has transferred to Taft where he’ll add to the embarrassment of riches of the Senators. Jarmon needs to continue to add good weight and strength but as he does there’s no doubt in my mind, he’s a Power 5 cornerback.
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2027 QB Antwoine Higgins Jr Antwoine Higgins Jr 6'4" | 215 lbs | LB Anderson | 2027 State OH . (Anderson) 6’4 190- First of all, I had to do a double take when I saw this young man was a 2027. At 6’4, and I’m guessing 190 pounds this young man looks more like a senior to be, than a freshman to be. Size is only one piece of the scouting puzzle though. It was the other equally impressive traits that had me very excited about Antwoine’s future. He showed a great deal of confidence and composure as he stood and delivered a bevy of impressive throws. The arm talent is all there. He made throws to all levels of the field as he showed the ability to drive the ball, but also the ability to throw with touch. Athletically he’ll be able to maneuver the pocket and get out and move the chains with this legs, but he’s definitely a Pro-Style QB. As with any young QB, there’s a lot that goes along with playing QB at the high school level that he’s going to have to learn, and it will take time and reps for him to get there. That being said the traits are there for him to be a P5 QB. Twitter
2025 WR
Tyler George
Tyler
George
5'8" | 180 lbs | RB
Fairfield | 2025
OH
(Fairfield) 5’8 170- George was menace from the slot position all day long and he came away with a Camp MVP to show for it. He boasts great short space quickness and footwork that he used to create separation all afternoon long. George is a skilled route runner who uses good tempo and hesitation to set up his explosive breaks. He has the hands to finish once the ball is in the air. I don’t remember seeing him with a drop on the day. Tyler is going to be one of those receivers that you go to when you need to move the chains as you’ll be able to depend on him to get open and make the necessary yardage. George should turn a lot of heads at camps this summer.
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2025 WR Robert Kelly Robert Kelly 5'8" | 160 lbs | WR Dohn Prep | 2025 State OH (Dohn) 5’8 150- Kelly is a dynamic receiver who’s a blur on the field. He’s extremely explosive in short spaces and has the backend speed to stretch the field vertically as well. He’s an extremely confident player who expects to win every rep and wants every rep. He wants all the fire, as the kids like to say. He can work all levels of the field. He’s also a player that I think will be able to be used on reverses and gadget plays. Because of his elusiveness he’d also be a good candidate to work in the special team’s game as a returner. The main area I see for growth for Kelly is in his route running. He uses too much hesitation and lateral movement which makes it easy to defend him at times. As he begins to learn how to read and leverage defenders he will be a real weapon. If he can continue to develop in his technique, Kelly is a D1 type of athlete.
2025 Hybrid LB/SS
Aaron Dowdell
Aaron
Dowdell
6'0" | 205 lbs | LB
Taft | 2025
State
OH
(Taft) 6’0 205- Dowdell is a thick, physical, athlete. He has an extreme comfort in working in the box and in the run game. He showed off his quick feet and fluid hips in the position drills. He transitions his lateral movement to straight line downhill speed easily. In coverage he’s comfortable in space. He had no issues coverage running backs and receivers on the day without having to put hands on them downfield. He’s another player who plays with some edge to his game. It’s pretty easy to see he loves to compete. I think Dowdell has D1 potential, the question more so is what level of D1. This summer and fall will go a long way to determining that future.
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2026 DE Mike Branch (Taylor) 6’3 215- Branch was one of the most impressive defensive linemen at the camp. He shows a good burst off the ball. He has plus athleticism for a young big man. I he has a really nice swipe move that he uses to stay disengaged and transitions it to speed nicely. For a freshman he has an excellent frame to build on for his size and should easily fill out to 230-240 in high school. As he gets bigger and stronger, he’ll add a good bull rush that will make take his game to another level. Branch is definitely a future D1 scholarship player in my opinion.
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