Ohio’s Top 2026 Wide Receivers: Part II

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Today begins part two of our series looking at some of Ohio's top-rising junior receivers. This list is in no particular order and features prospects with varying levels of recruitment. Every prospect featured was a varsity contributor last season and stood out on tape.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As always, If you have someone you think I need to see, please DM them to me on Twitter at @hsfbscout!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>[player_tooltip player_id='402344' first='Justen' last='Hodge'] Mentor</em></strong> </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hodge has hands like glue to go along with elite concentration. He's a filthy route runner that can generate substantial separation, he accelerates through contact and is quite slippery through opposing tackle attempts. He's productive and shines in the game's biggest moments.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='837020' first='Milan' last='Parris'] Walsh Jesuit</strong></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A smooth long strider that goes up and plucks the football out of the air on 50/50 throws. He's got a 6'8" wing span, shows excellent body control on underthrows and is a tough blocker on the outside. Would love to see more tape on him for a proper eval.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>[player_tooltip player_id='1163182' first='Devonte' last='Taylor'], Ursuline</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A major vertical threat with fiery change of direction and top-tier ball skills. He can adjust midflight to back shoulder throws, he uses violent hands to help avoid reroutes, and can make something happen after the catch. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>[player_tooltip player_id='212413' first='Payton' last='Cook'] Hoban</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cook is quite explosive with the football in his hands and can go from zero to sixty in the blink of an eye. He's fearless going over the middle and knows how to lean on a defender before breaking the opposite way to create adequate separation. He's also a quality linebacker on the defensive side of the football.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>[player_tooltip player_id='1313832' first='Zachary' last='Hackleman'], St. Edward</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This young man knows how to stem a defender, he's got great build-up speed and can run right underneath the deep ball. He's slippery after the catch, he can stop &amp; drop his hips with no wasted steps and consistently sells a vertical threat on every route. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Aaron McFarland, Taylor</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A ferocious blocker that can displace cornerbacks on the perimeter. Aaron has the confidence &amp; poise to defeat double coverage, he can adjust to poor throws, and has a deep bag of route manipulation abilities. He has shown the ability to take over a game at times as well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em><strong>Quincy Caponga, Centerville</strong></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A good-sized prospect that can find the holes in zone coverage and exploit them. He works back to the football at the top of his route, shows a big catch radius, and is a brute runner after the catch. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->