Ohio State offers area QB; another commits to Big Ten school

Credit: David Jablonski

Credit: David Jablonski

Before the summer recruiting season kicks off for high school football prospects, let’s take a look at some of the biggest developments of the last couple of weeks in May.

They include a Big Ten commitment and an Ohio State offer:

1. Trotwood-Madison quarterback Tim Carpenter Jr. committed to Indiana

A 6-foot-4 senior-to-be, Carpenter is the No. 1 quarterback in Ohio according to 247Sports Composite rankings. He is a three-star prospect and the No. 22 player in the state regardless of position.

Carpenter has been on college radars for multiple years already and chose the Hoosiers from an offer list that also included Miami University, Akron, Arkansas State, Central Michigan, Kent State, Marshall, Temple, Toledo, Massachusetts, Western Michigan, Eastern Kentucky and Yale.

He told 247Sports he was drawn to Bloomington by IU head coach Tom Allen and offensive coordinator Walt Bell.

“They’re building something special there,” Carpenter said. “I can’t wait to win lots of games and Big Ten championships.”

The Rams have endured some leaner times since winning the 2019 state championship, but coach Jeff Graham has a big group of players receiving significant recruiting interest in the senior, junior and sophomore classes.

That includes rising seniors Mike Smith, Quinten Johnson and Delamarr Blanton, juniors Jermiel Atkins and Jahmale Clark and sophomores Armani Rogers and Jamarcus Whyce.

2. Centerville safety Reggie Powers III narrowed his list.

A three-star prospect, Powers piled up offers over the winter and spring, but he is down to five schools: Ohio State, Cincinnati, Pitt, Northwestern, Michigan State.

Powers previously told this news organization he plans to take an official visit to Pittsburgh this weekend and Ohio State on June 23.

247Sports reports he plans to go to Michigan State next week then follow that with a trip to UC.

3. Ohio State offered Bellefontaine quarterback Tavien St. Clair.

“Being a kid from Ohio and getting an offer, it was surreal,” he told 247Sports.

The 6-3, 190-pound member of the 2025 class is up to 20 offers, but he said he has had a relationship with Ohio State the longest from a group that also includes Florida, Illinois, Iowa State, Louisville and Tennessee.

Ohio State has not signed an in-state quarterback prospect since Joe Burrow of Athens in 2015.

Could St. Clair break the streak?

The junior-to-be has plenty of time to make his decision, and he has competition as one of two QBs in the 2025 class from Ohio with OSU offers. Ryan Montgomery of Findlay has been mulling one for quite some time and remains on the radar for the Buckeyes.

St. Clair is the No. 10 prospect in Ohio and No. 10 quarterback in the country per 247Sports Composite rankings while Montgomery is No. 8 in both of those categories.

St. Clair completed 208 of 294 passes for 2,453 yards and 25 touchdowns with four interceptions last season as the Chieftans went 8-3.

Also of note: Lakota East quarterback Jamison Kitna (2025) announced he plans to camp at West Virginia, Houston, UAB, Alabama, Vanderbilt, Georgia, South Carolina and Notre Dame… Jamil Miller, a 2025 receiver who transferred to Springfield after playing at Kenton Ridge last season, plans to visit Purdue, West Virginia, Ohio State, Cincinnati and Penn State this summer. Recently he picked up offers from Akron and Charlotte... Charlotte also handed out scholarship offers to several other area players, including Jussiah Williams and Kamaurri Smith of Wayne, Dalin Wilkins of Northmont and Daniel Kamara of Centerville… Wittenberg offered Dontae Martin and Kenaz Smith of Trotwood and Jayvin Martin of Springfield… Another young player to keep an eye on could be Jackson Smith of Arcanum. Although he is only about to enter his freshman year, the Trojans QB has been invited to camps at Penn State and Texas A&M this summer.

About the Author