Outside the Huddle recruiting guru DC Hendrix has compiled his list of the top 20 area football prospects in the Class of 2027.
This list will be updated throughout the year as new info becomes available, as well as risers and fallers emerge on the local recruiting scene.
Our list of the top area Class of 2027 prospects is HERE.
1. Maddox Weil, WR, Northrop
- Offers: Alabama, Auburn, Bowling Green, Cincinnati, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Indiana, Kentucky, Miami (FL), Miami (OH), Michigan, Missouri, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Tennessee, Toledo
Weil is entering his junior season coming off an impressive sophomore year. Even with former teammate Jerquaden Guilford accumulating 1,000-plus yards and 14 touchdowns, Weil was still able to finish with 968 yards and eight receiving scores. The 5-foot-10, 180-pound wideout has hit the off-season circuit by winning offensive MVPs at multiple showcases and has impressed at camps all summer. He already has a plethora of offers and now, as the top target for the Bruins, should have an even better season and clearly emerge as the best in the area of his class.
2. Javontae Eldridge, EDGE, Wayne
- Offers: Austin Peay, Boston College, Bowling Green, Florida Atlantic, Iowa State, Kent State, Miami (OH), Missouri, Purdue, Rutgers, Toledo, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech, Tennessee, Western Michigan
I remember watching Javontae compete at the Indiana Preps Winter Showcase and thinking to myself, “Who is this big kid?”
Eldridge is around 6’5, 240 pounds and has some solid quickness off the edge. He only had three sacks last season, but this fall that total will likely double (at least) as he has been putting in the work all winter and spring. He has mentioned on social media that he is done with hoops and is 100% locked in on his future in football, which should scare some opposing offensive lines and QBs. Edridge continues to climb as a top recruit in not only the area, but also the state.
3. TJ Epperson Jr., RB, Bishop Luers
- Offers: Kent State, Miami (OH)
Epperson Jr. led the Class 3A state runner-up Knights in rushing last season with 1,400 yards and 15 TDs. Much like Weil and Eldridge, Epperson Jr. has had a busy winter and spring hitting showcases and camps. He has impressed me at a couple of camps and has all of the tools you want in a running back. At 5-8, 170, he may be looked at as undersized to some recruiters, but his 4.38 40-yard dash speaks loudly enough for them. His speed and athleticism make him a dangerous threat coming out of the backfield. With another successful campaign, more offers will come.
4. Luke Hayworth, EDGE, Carroll
- Offers: None
The Concordia Cadets lost their leading tackler from last season (50 total tackles, 3 sacks) to Carroll via transfer. Luke Hayworth takes his talents to Huntertown and will play his junior season for the Chargers. The EDGE/OLB has been busy hitting multiple invite-only camps, including Eastern Michigan, Indiana, Miami (OH), U of Indy, Western Michigan and Indiana State, with one upcoming at Ball State. The 6’2, 220-pound EDGE/LB has been putting in work at TractionAP and has hopes of improving his chances at garnering recruiting exposure for the Chargers.
5. Brandon Gaither II, RB, North Side
- Offers: Kent State
Even though he split with Epperson Jr. at Bishop Luers last fall, Gaither II still finished with 1,200 yards and nine touchdowns. At 5’7, 170, Gaither II also possesses great speed out of the backfield with his 4.44 40-yard dash time that should translate to the next level. He now enters a new era with a hungry North Side Legends team. Another scary tandem on the way with Kiengele and Gaither II? We will see! Either way, Gaither II is amongst the best in the area in his class.
6. Matthew Wiginton, OL, Carroll
- Offers: Akron, Miami (OH)
One of the busiest offensive linemen in the area this offseason has been Matthew Wiginton. He attended camp at Notre Dame and surprised scouts. He picked up an Akron offer on the spot at the U of Indy Mega Camp, and showed solid footwork and strength in the lineman camp at Ohio State. At 6’3, 270 as a junior, he is just scratching the surface of his potential, and more offers will likely be coming his way.
7. Que Hunter, DB, Snider
- Offers: None
Hunter has tremendous size as a safety at 6’2 and 192 pounds, and adds a 4.53 40-yard dash to go along with it. As a three-sport athlete (football, wrestling, and track), Hunter continues to improve his athleticism and strength, which has translated to impressing scouts at multiple showcases and camps this spring. He was a top performer on the skills tests at the Prep Redzone Camp last month as well. He is a scary one to watch for this season.
8. Henry Sholl, DB, Carroll
- Offers: Kent St., Miami (OH), Toledo, Eastern Michigan
Alongside teammate and Indiana State commit Linkoln Grabner, Sholl should have a big junior season learning from his teammate in the secondary. The 6’2, 180-pound defensive back has competed at the Ohio State, Kent State, Western Michigan, U of Indy and Indiana State camps this summer. He impressed many scouts and recruiters with his 4.5 40-yard dash and 37-inch vertical at the Kent State camp. The work he has put in should translate beginning with this season and beyond, with tons of guys graduating from last season for the Chargers.
9. Kolyn Campbell, RB, Bishop Dwenger
- Offers: None
Speaking of programs being hit by graduation, Bishop Dwenger will have a whole new look in 2026, particularly offensively. One of the few returning contributors from last season’s state championship team is running back Kolyn Campbell. The 5’10, 205-pounder has been seen putting in work at OPS in the winter and spring. Last season, he split time between four other running backs and still finished with 511 rushing yards and five touchdowns. All four of the other guys he split time with last season have graduated, so Campbell should step in as the top back on the depth chart. We all know how Dwenger plays, ground and pound, which means in an increased role, Campbell should be in for a huge year and begin receiving more offers.
10. Brandon Sanders, QB, North Side
- Offers: None
To round out the Top 10, let’s go to the SAC to a QB that could be in for a huge year. Brandon Sanders steps in and takes over under center for the Legends after Jaydin Rivers’ graduation. Sanders has impressed scouts and recruiters in the area with his poise in the pocket and his touch with the football, both at the Tae Tae Johnson Camp and the OPS 7×7 Summit City Shootout. He has a ton of weapons around him as well with Maalik Moore, Sebastian Moore, along with a solid running back core. Much like Rivers last season, Sanders could be in for a huge first season as QB1.
Rest of the Top 20
11. Cooper Bunn, TE/WR, Norwell
12. Noah Dove, RB, Eastside (1,000-yard rusher, 14 TDs)
13. Kason Tomlinson, OL/DL, North Side
14. John O’Leary-Freeman, OL, Bluffton
15. Lathen Janes, QB, Huntington North
16. Robert Rembert IV, RB, Northrop
17. Cole Baumgartner, LB, Snider
18. Jaxton Litchfield, DL, Heritage
19. Brogan Parks, RB/LB, West Noble
20. Braylon Burton, RB, Snider
On DC’s radar
Braylen Cowans, K, Adams Central
Ryker Bal, K, DeKalb
Xy’mire Barnes-Bridges, RB, West Noble
Quinn Blake, LB, Churubusco
Grayson Crowder, OL, Bluffton
Isaiah Detmers, LB/SS, Leo
Gage Fogle, LB, Eastside
Michael Henley Jr., WR, Snider
Nicholas Holley, DL, North Side
Nate Javins, WR, Bishop Luers
Cooper Jenkins, DL, Bluffton
Landon Kindschy, WR, Leo
Jacob Langford, OLB/SS, New Haven
Freddie Lingo, OL, Jay County
Adriel Milton-White, OL/DL, Snider
EJ Morgan, LB, Norwell
Jordan Parrett, QB, Columbia City
Tommy Reichert, QB, Bishop Luers
Xavier Vice, QB, DeKalb
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