Gahanna Lincoln athlete Ayden Dunlap was a standout during the team’s 35-3 opening win against Pickerington Central, scoring two touchdowns on both sides of the ball. Dunlap displays great adjustment to the ball as a receiver, snatching out of the air with his hands, and flashed the speed to take it to the house on a fumble recovery for a touchdown. He currently holds six Division I offers, including a Power 4 offer from Purdue.

Ayden is one of many premier defensive backs in the 2028 class. He’s able to match up in any coverage system, showing he ability to play up on a man, or sit back in zone and attack the ball when its in the air. His football IQ is a step above and you can see it through his performances.

Ayden will be the highest-ranked DB from any class at the event. I want him to prove early in the day that he is athletically superior to his competition and ball out in the 1v1 aspect later in the event. With the amount of wide receiver talent coming to compete, a big day from Ayden will open my eyes even wider on him.

Ayden has gotten a lot of attention in the area as one of Central Ohio’s biggest risers this season. He’s sticky in coverage and hard to shake away from. He’s not afraid to be physical and is an excellent tackler against the run. Great skills to attack the ball, and can get rewarded interceptions at times. With the amount of young talent in Central Ohio at defensive back, Ayden unfortunately falls to second team, but I see him as one of Central Ohio’s best underclassmen.

Quarterbacks have tried to target Ayden this season, but have not found much success. He’s sticky in man coverage. He has excellent hand placement and great athleticism to superglue himself onto his matchup. He’s great at attacking the ball when it does come his way. Ayden will be a defensive back prospect to watch in the coming years in the Central Ohio area.