To finish things off, we’ll stay in the Great State of Ohio and head back to the QB position, where young guns are observed, evaluated, and recruited earlier than arguably any other spot on the gridiron. Jackson Smith, who will play his high school ball at Lakota West, another Ohio big-school competitor, has good size at 6’3, 170 lbs. and a lot more room to grow, and is fresh off his first college offer three days ago from Kentucky out of the SEC. He’s got a ton more schools looking at him as well, including Notre Dame, Ohio State, Tennessee, and Florida, all of whom he visited unofficially this spring & summer. Another decorated youth football standout, Smith’s 8th grade highlights display a tall, poised gunslinger with a big arm for his age that can stretch the ball vertically as well as put some zip on his underneath passes, accuracy both in and outside of the pocket, and a ton of juice as a ball carrier, where he shows off splash-play speed and the ability to step & slip through tackle attempts on his lower body. He’s also one of the biggest players on the field in his 8th grade highlights, and seeing how his 170 lb. frame is still very lean, he’ll be able to hold a ton more good weight at the high school level. The physical attributes and arm talent were too hard to resist for the Wildcats, and he’ll be seeing a ton more offers roll in once he develops further.

Another member of this group who really stood out to me is Jackson Smith Jackson Smith 6'4" | 205 lbs | QB Lakota West | 2027 State OH . As another quarterback coming out of the Buckeye State, his performance at the Prep Redzone Next Midwest Camp truly turned some heads. Jackson is a dual-threat caliber quarterback who can get the job done on the run or through the air. On the run, Jackson is a smooth and controlled thrower who has no problem finding his landmark and releasing a nice and easy ball to his targets. In the pocket, Jackson displayed a nice and easy release as he spun the ball out to his targets in quick game as well as medium to long range throws. Along with all of that, our quarterback coaches could not say enough about Jackson’s timing and footpace in the pocket. For as controlled as he is, it is clear that he was able to translate his ability in the pocket in strong clean passes. Jackson was another impressive member of this quarterback group. As he stacks more performances like this up, it won’t be long until you see his name on the top of almost every quarterback board in the country.

I recently wrote about impressive class of 2027 Offensive Lineman Connor Rogers Connor Rogers 6'2" | 240 lbs | OL Arcanum | 2027 OH out of Ohio. I found Rogers while watching film on his teammate and fellow 2027 prospect, Quarterback, Jackson Smith Jackson Smith 6'4" | 205 lbs | QB Lakota West | 2027 State OH . Depending on where you look, Smith is listed between 6-foot and 6-foot-2 and is the 150-pound range right now. A right-handed Quarterback who throws a nice ball with a soft touch. Does a nice job of laying the ball out there for his playmakers to make something happen with. Certainly more of a pocket-passer but isn’t afraid to call his own number and pick up yards with his legs. In a recent three-game winning stretch, Smith has been at the helm of an offense that outscored the competition 134-14. In those three games he went 26-of-32 through the air for 346 and five touchdowns. He also ran for 251 and four touchdowns. Impressive numbers.