Vote: Who Was The Top Freshman Football Player In Ohio Of 2024?

We’ve picked out 11 freshmen football players in Ohio that stood out this past 2024 season

Cyren Wallace can't slip this tackle by Hillsdale's Brock Bower in the second half. / Joshua McWilliams / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The 2024 high school football season is complete and we are going around the Midwest, reflecting on the last few months. 

One of the big questions is what newcomers on the scene made the biggest impact to a football program or state even? That’s where freshmen that saw extensive playing time come into the mix. 

That’s why we ask the question: Who was the top freshman football player of 2024? 

We will go state-by-state on the Midwest and once that voting is done, do a final poll including all the freshmen that won going head-to-head. 

We’ve selected 11 worthy candidates and ask you the fan to vote for who you think topped them all.

SBLive voting polls are intended to be a fun way to create fan engagement and express support for your favorite high school athletes and teams. Unless expressly noted, there are no awards for winning the voting. Our primary focus is to highlight the abilities and accomplishments of all the athletes and teams included in our poll. You can vote as often as you wish and are encouraged to share our polls with others. - SBLive Sports

Voting closes on January 19th, 11:59pm

Here are the nominees:

Jackson Szabo, QB, Worthington Kilbourne

The freshman quarterback ended the season as the top passer of the 2028 class, completing 129-of-241 passes for 1,452 yards and 16 touchdowns. Also rushed for 669 yards and scored four times. 

Davell Brock, QB, Linden McKinley 

Brock was another quarterback that put up some solid numbers in his first year on varsity, throwing for 1,182 yards and 12 touchdowns. The freshman rushed for 589 yards and 14 touchdowns. 

Cyren Wallace, RB/LB, Danville 

Not many running backs broke on to the scene like Wallace did this past fall. The running back rushed for 1,008 yards on 84 carries and scored 14 touchdowns. On defense, Wallace tallied 81 tackles for Danville. 

Abraham Castellano, RB/LB, Harding 

Another tailback that had himself a solid campaign was Castellano, who ended up carrying the ball 102 times for 770 yards and scored 10 touchdowns. Also racked up 80 tackles at linebacker. 

Xavier Hendon, RB, Columbia 

Hendon this past season was terrific out of the backfield for Columbia as the running back rushed for 681 yards on 99 carries and scored eight touchdowns. 

Wade Reave, RB, West Jefferson 

Well rounded coming out of the backfield was like Reave. The freshman carried the ball 98 times for 457 yards and scored six touchdowns. Reave caught 64 passes for 486 yards and three touchdowns. 

Xavier Kelly, ATH, Van Wert 

The two-way player came onto the scene as a contributor for Van Wert, with Kelly offensively totaling 520 all-purpose yards and eight touchdowns. On defense, Kelly notched 12 tackles and an interception. 

Luke Phillis, WR, Fort Frye

Phillis was among one of the freshmen leaders all season long in receiving for Fort Frye, with the receiver catching 22 passes for 358 yards and four touchdowns. 

Aaron Rapp, DL, Indian Lake 

The defensive lineman was arguably the biggest freshman difference maker in any front seven in the state, with Rapp totaling 112 tackles, six for loss and 8.5 sacks. A tremendous first season for Rapp. 

Britton Pottkotter, LB, Ridgedale 

Playing primarily on defense, Pottkotter was a tackling machine for Ridgedale and totaled 86 tackles and four going for a loss. 

Beckham Waginger, K, Ironton

The place kicker was solid in his freshman season for Ironton, knocking down 43-of-46 extra point attempts. 

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-- Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @highschoolonsi