Jamier Brown won’t shy away from high expectations at Ohio State

Welcome to the Inside Stuff, the semi-regular Ohio State recruiting notebook exclusive to Buckeye Huddle. The latest news, notes and analysis of Buckeyes football recruiting from Marc Givler and Birm.

Jamier Brown not shying away from Ohio State hype

Ohio State has had a wide receiver’s name called in the first round of the NFL Draft in each of the last four years. Carnell Tate is already seeing his name showing up on way-too-early draft boards as a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Jeremiah Smith is going to be a first-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.

And even though he has two years of high school football left ahead of him, the expectations for Jamier Brown are clear: as a five-star receiver going to Ohio State, it’s first round or bust.

For the 6-foot, 185-pound athlete at Wayne (Huber Heights, Ohio) High School, those expectations are just a sign that he’s doing the right things. The Buckeyes commitment talked with Buckeye Huddle on Monday at the conclusion of Wayne’s college football showcase.

“It doesn’t really put any pressure on me,” Brown said. “I don’t worry about pressure. I’ve been through a lot of adversity. It just means I’m doing something right and gives me something to reach for, to live up to those expectations.”

In the year since Brown became a nationally known recruit, he’s grown exponentially on and off the field. Last spring, he was struggling to catch the football in camps, workouts, etc. but that’s not a problem know. He’s put in a ton of time to get better at that part of his game and he runs routes like a three-year Ohio State veteran. Off the field, Brown has become much more comfortable in his own skin and isn’t shying away from talk about his future. He’s locked in with the Buckeyes and all he wants to do is keep getting better as a receiver and keep growing into the young person he wants to be.

“He doesn’t talk my head off about football that much,” Brown said of Hartline. “The message, when he does, is just to keep working and improving. I like that he doesn’t just talk to me about football. I want people to know how I am as a person. How my character is and to see how great my support system is.

“On the field, it’s just the little things. My routes can always be better, it’s everything. The details are what make the difference. When I watch Jeremiah Smith, Carnell Tate and Brandon Inniss, they all have great skills but they all do different things that matter. That’s what I pay attention to. JJ is so physical, Carnell—I call him sweet feet—no one really touches him. Brandon has the quicks and his route running is special.”

On Monday, there were dozens of college coaches on hand to watch Brown and his Wayne teammates. The Ohio State commitment was as advertised, showcasing his blazing speed and quickness, catching everything thrown his way and emerging as a leader for the young Warriors team. Brown has two years left of high school but the pieces are all there for him to be next out of Columbus.

“I always want to put the work in,” Brown said. “That’s what every coach out here has seen. It just makes me want to keep working harder. I’ve definitely grown a lot as a player and a leader and I want to keep being a great teammate for the guys out here.”

Springfield athlete one to watch

May, as mentioned above, brings college recruiting showcases to Ohio and those events generally lead directly to the Buckeyes one-day recruiting camps in June. One local player that has caught the attention of Ohio State linebackers coach James Laurinaitis is Springfield (Ohio) athlete Jahmiere Daniels. Daniels, a 6-foot-1, 205-pound hybrid defender, is an explosive athlete with a lot of physical upside. Despite being limited by back soreness, Daniels added offers from Maryland, Bowling Green and Miami (Ohio) on Monday and caught the attention of many other coaches in attendance.

The Buckeyes aren’t close to offering at this point but Daniels is certainly a name to know heading into the summer. Daniels says he’ll camp at Ohio State this summer. The exact date of that camp appearance isn’t finalized at this time.

New Buckeyes offers on Monday

Ohio State coaches are on the road and that means new offers are being extended by the national champions.

On Monday, Larry Johnson added a pair of prospects to the Buckeyes wishlist: Zane Rowe and Emanuel Ruffin.

“It means so much to me,” Rowe told BH. “I think the coaches are great and they know how to develop and prepare players for the next level.”

Rowe, the country’s No. 9-ranked edge rusher, hails from Guyer (Denton, Texas) High School. The offer from Ohio State is the 34th scholarship opportunity for the 6-foot-4, 235-pound athlete. A 2027 prospect, Rowe was committed to Oklahoma at one time but reopened his recruitment in January. He’s now exploring all his options and the Buckeyes are one of him.

Emanuel Ruffin is a Class of 2026 prospect with offers from just about 30 schools now that Ohio State is involved. He’s a 6-foot-4, 290-pound defensive tackle prospect at Bessemer City (Bessemer, Ala.) High School and currently is ranked as the No. 55 overall defensive lineman in the country. Alabama, LSU, Florida and Miami are among the schools that have offered which belies his ranking a bit. The Buckeyes are going to be playing catch up here as Ruffin has June official visits scheduled with LSU, Tennessee, Florida and Alabama. He says Ohio State will get one but, with the relationship just getting started, that date is to be determined.