Ohio State football: Wayne speedster commits to Buckeyes

The 6-foot, 165-pound Averette-Brown, who finished his sophomore season with five catches for 76 yards and a touchdown in a 23-14 loss to Centerville in the regional finals Friday night, is the first player to commit to Ohio State for the class of 2027.

He already had a dozen offers before receiving one from Ohio State after working out for receivers coach Brian Hartline last summer.

“It’s good because they push me to be the best I can be, especially if I mess up they tell me to correct myself, but I’m probably the best in my receiver group — in my opinion,” he said with a smile that day.

Averette-Brown is the No. 1 player in Ohio and sixth nationally in 247Sports Composite rankings for the class of 2027.

He went over 1,000 yards receiving for the season Friday night and finished his sophomore year with 63 catches for 1,053 yards and 13 touchdowns.

He also ran for 167 yards and a touchdown and had a 76-yard punt return for a touchdown.

From 2000-2019, at least one Wayne graduate was on the Ohio State roster, a streak that started with Will Allen and John Hollins and continued with Marcus Freeman, Donnie Evege, Braxton Miller, Robert “BB” Landers and L’Christian “Blue” Smith.

Offensive lineman Joshua Padilla started a new streak when he enrolled prior to last season, and Averette-Brown could extend it if he follows through with his commitment and signs with the Buckeyes in two years.