Ohio Players Who Stood Out At Cincinnati's Skill Camp

On Monday the men in the trenches came to show their stuff and be coached up and evaluated by the Cincinnati Bearcats coaches and staff. On Tuesday it was the skill players turn, and again I found some Ohio players that I thought really good days and impressed me. Yes, it's tee shirt and shorts football but there are things to be gleaned from camps. Which is exactly why they're held. In the following article I break down some of the players who showed me something.   2026 QB [player_tooltip player_id='1084960' first='Matthew' last='Ponatoski'] (Moeller) 6'2 190- The varsity signal caller from Moeller put on a show for the Cincinnati coaches that would ultimately end in him picking up an offer from the Bearcats after the camp. Ponatoski (pictured above) currently holds offers from Kent State and Miami (OH), and recent offers from Vandy and now Cincinnati. Whether on platform or on the run he made all of the throws. He showed the ability to throw with velocity and touch over a defender on the out route. Matt's timing passes were on time and on point and his deep passes were thrown deep and in spots where only his guy could get it. He threw the ball like he was not only one of the top QB's in Ohio, but in the country. I've seen Matt play for the Crusaders live in the last two postseasons as a Freshman and Sophomore and I love his moxy and leadership. Ponatoski is also a nationally ranked baseball prospect and being recruited as such. He's told me several times that he wants to play college football. Well, if he continues performing like he has, it won't be long before he's going to be a nationally ranked football player. I know what elite national Quarterbacks look like, and I don't make that statement flippantly. All of the top P4's around the country should be taking a long hard look at Ponatoski.   <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-medium is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/user-uploads/D2CC358B-B655-464C-A392-6CF3612BDB56-rotated-crop-3024x1986-1718284188.jpeg?w=300" alt="" class="wp-image-1301796" style="width:340px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='1301725' first='Dennis' last='Clark']</figcaption></figure>   2026 DB [player_tooltip player_id='1301725' first='Dennis' last='Clark'] (Cardinal Mooney) 6'0 180- In my opinion, Clark came away with the top DB performer on the day. The long cornerback from Cardinal Mooney showed he's a fluid athlete with loose hips. He was consistently in the hip pocket and mirroring man. When the ball was in the air, he showed a good break and used his length well to make plays on the ball batting down passes. Clark is a player who should start to pick up a good deal of recruiting momentum this offseason. He's definitely a D1 prospect in my eyes. With a strong summer camp season and good film this fall I expect his recruitment to take off.   2025 WR [player_tooltip player_id='1132867' first='Jaelen' last='Griffin'] (Cincinnati College Prep Academy) 5'11 170- In the drill work, Griffin showed impressive short space explosiveness. He did a great job of getting in and out of his breaks and getting to spots. In 1v1's he was able to use that explosiveness to create separation from defenders. With Griffin's size and skillset, I like him as a slot receiver at the college level. He needs to continue to get stronger and add weight. If he can do that, he'll really solidify his ability to play that slot and winning in contested situations. I'm excited to see what Griffin can do in his senior season!   <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-medium is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/user-uploads/739F5120-6659-4DF4-A6E2-3C2AA9B3C2A8-rotated-crop-2873x1886-1718284289.jpeg?w=300" alt="" class="wp-image-1301798" style="width:344px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='1220542' first='Javien' last='Jackson']</figcaption></figure>   2025 DB [player_tooltip player_id='1220542' first='Javien' last='Jackson'] (Princeton) 6'1 185- Coming off a strong junior season where he was a playmaking DB for Walnut Hills, Jackson has transferred to Princeton HS. As a junior Jackson picked off 4 passes on defense and added 422 yards on 17 kickoff returns for a 24.8 yard average on special teams. Though I'd seen film, this was my first-time seeing Jackson in person. I really like what he had to show at the camp. Physically, he's well put together for a defensive back so there won't have to be a ton of development from a size standpoint. In 1v1's Jackson showed off fluid hips and good ability to stop and go with his man. He was patient and rarely if ever overcommitted putting himself in bad positions. I expect Jackson to have a big senior season on a Vikings defense that is going to excel at getting pressure on opposing QB's. Javien currently holds 1 D1 FCS offer from Illinois State, and I expect that interest to continue to grow this summer and into his senior season.   2025 QB [player_tooltip player_id='1301728' first='Levi' last='Simpson'] (Sycamore) 6'3 190- The was my first-time seeing Simpson throw the football. Simpson has had to wait for his turn to start for the Ave's, but this fall looks to be his time. From a stature standpoint, Levi possesses a long and athletic frame. He as the requisite height to see downfield from the pocket and shows the mobility and athleticism to avoid the rush. As a thrower he has a compact and fluid throwing motion that will allow him to get the ball out quickly. He was precise in his shorter throws and threw some nice deep balls as well. If Simpson can take hold of the starting position this fall, he'll have a chance to put up good film versus a strong GMC schedule.

On Monday the men in the trenches came to show their stuff and be coached up and evaluated by the Cincinnati Bearcats coaches and staff. On Tuesday it was the skill players turn, and again I found some Ohio players that I thought really good days and impressed me. Yes, it's tee shirt and shorts football but there are things to be gleaned from camps. Which is exactly why they're held. In the following article I break down some of the players who showed me something.