Latest news with #OhioGatoradePlayeroftheYear
USA Today
5 days ago
- General
- USA Today
Oregon Football QB target Matt Ponatoski joins Randy Moss with rare accomplishment
Oregon Football QB target Matt Ponatoski joins Randy Moss with rare accomplishment Dan Lanning has demonstrated a trend of recruiting dual-sport athletes over the past few years and utilizing players who specialize in sports other than football for the Oregon Ducks. We've seen this most notably with linebacker Bryce Boettcher, who was drafted by the Houston Astros last year, and 5-star tight end commit Kendre Harrison is another example, excelling in both football and basketball. It appears that the Ducks are after another elite dual-sport athlete in 4-star QB Matt Ponatoski. On Tuesday, it was announced that Ponatoski accomplished a rare feat, winning the Ohio Gatorade Player of the Year for both football and baseball. According to WCPO's Mike Dyer, Ponatoski is one of only three players to ever accomplish this in the 40 years that Gatorade has been giving out the awards, joining Randy Moss (football and basketball) and Matt Bauer (football and baseball). Last week it was announced that Ponatoski — the No. 293 player and No. 22 QB in the class — will take an official visit to Oregon on June 20. That will be a massive weekend for the Ducks, with 5-star OT Immanuel Iheanacho, 5-star TE Mark Bowman, 5-star TE Kendre Harrison, and 5-star ATH Jalen Lott all in town as well. Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
USA Today
21-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Ohio State commit Marcus Johnson named Mr. Basketball and Ohio Gatorade Player of the Year
Ohio State commit Marcus Johnson named Mr. Basketball and Ohio Gatorade Player of the Year Ohio State basketball commit, Marcus Johnson was named Mr. Basketball in Ohio and Gatorade Player of the Year in the state on Thursday. Out of Garfield Heights in Cleveland, Johnson is rated as the No. 29 player and 6th point guard in the class of 2026 according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings. He committed to the Buckeyes last April over teams like Alabama, Villanova, and Illinois. Johnson's Garfield Heights team made it all the way to the Division III State Final Four this past season but lost to Louisville in heartbreaking fashion, 49-48 in the state semifinal. He averaged 23 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 2 steals per game during the 2024-2025 campaign for the Bulldogs. Johnson is the cousin of current Ohio State guard, Meechie Johnson Jr., but the older Johnson left the team in the midst of the season for personal reasons. His return and future is still unknown, so it's still up in the air if there will be a family connection on the court in the near future. Johnson is in the class of 2026 but contemplating a reclassification to graduate in the class of 2025 and join the OSU program a year early. We'll stay on top of that situation as information is made available.
