Dave Thurman (1:23 pm)

Earlier this week we talked about the best players to wear the Scarlet and Gray who came from states other than Ohio.  Now, let's do a flip-flop and consider the best Ohio high school players to go out of state.  Obviously there have been so many that it is impossible to chronicle all of them, so I am listing the very best by school. Of course this is subjective, but my intent is to look at players who had excellent, not merely good, careers, limited to the past three decades. (For example: When I considered Michigan guys like Vada Murray, B.J.Askew and Prescott Burgess didn't make the cut even though they were nice players).

Michigan: Too many to count.  The ones that hurt the most: Charles Woodson, Desmond Howard, Elvis Grbac, Trent Zenkewicz, Ricky Powers, Mario Manningham, John Kolesar, Pierre Woods and Shawn Crable.

Penn State: Another big time thief of Ohio talent, inculding: KiJana Carter, Curtis Ennis, Jeff Hartings, Kim Herring, Sean McHugh, and Joe Jurevicius.

Notre Dame: Used to be Cincinnati north under Faust but most didn't live up to their press clippings (e.g. the Francisco brothers).  A few who excelled: Bob Crable, Marc Edwards, Rocky Boiman, Brady Quinn, Tony Fisher, Tom Lopienski, Chinedum Ndukwe, and Kyle Rudolph (maybe) (pictured).

Michigan State: Percy Snow, Ike Reese, Paul Harker and Javon Ringer.

Wisconsin: Chris Chambers and Lee Evans.

Pittsburgh: Nick Goings (though he started out at OSU)

Illinois: Ty Douthard and Jeff Cumberland (maybe)

Florida: DeShawn Wynn and Keiwan Ratliff

Tennessee: Chuck Webb, Michael Munoz and Ben Martin (maybe)

Minnesota: Anthony Montgomery, Thomas Hamner, Gary Russell and Ernie Wheelwright

USC: Fred Davis

UCLA: Carlton Gray

Miami (Florida): Bernie Kosar

Indiana: Thomas Lewis

Northwestern: Tyrell Sutton, Zach Strief and Barry Cofield

Purdue: Ray Edwards

Kentucky: Antonio Hall

Boston College: Mark Kamphaus and Ricky Brown

Louisville: Dave Ragone, Anthony Floyd and Josh Chichester (maybe)

Missouri: Brad Smith

Oklahoma: Brandon Braxton

Special Mention: Ben Roethlisberger, who didn't leave the state but did spurn some late love from the Bucks to choose Miami (Ohio)

That's a lot of talent and I've made a bunch of cuts, especially at places like Michigan and Notre Dame.  Of course OSU didn't go after many of the guys on this list, who peaked after they left high school. 

So who do you think I missed?  Drop me a note and let me know.

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