A future Buckeye linebacker just won the state’s highest honor for a high school football player.
Cade Stover of Lexington High School was named Ohio’s 2018 Mister Football.
Stover starred on both sides of the ball for Lexington. As a running back, he carried the ball 205 times for 1,497 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns. He added 21 catches for 238 receiving yards and a score.
However, he was even better on defense. Stover recorded 175 tackles, 11 for loss, one sack, two forced fumbles, four interceptions and nine pass breakups.
He’s projected as a linebacker with the Buckeyes.
It’s actually somewhat unusual for an Ohio Mister Football to end up playing at OSU.
Quarterback Joe Burrow was the last player to do so, winning it in 2014 and playing three seasons with the Buckeyes before transferring to LSU.
Linebacker Dante Booker was 2013’s Mister Football and just played his last home game as a Buckeye.
Before them, you have to go back to Piqua running back Brandon Saine in 2006 to find a future OSU player.
The award was introduced in 1987.
Other past Ohio Mister Football award winners of note include quarterback Mitchell Trubisky (2012), running back Maurice Clarett (2001), linebacker Andy Katzenmoyer (1995), cornerback Charles Woodson (1994), running back Curtis Enis (1993), and running back Robert Smith (1988 and 1989).
You can find a full list of Mister Ohio winners below, along with where they played their college football. Players who went to OSU are in bold.
Ohio Mr. Football Winners:
1987: Buster Howe, RB-DB-K-P, Zanesville, Ohio State
1988: Robert Smith, RB, Euclid, Ohio State
1989: Robert Smith, RB, Euclid, Ohio State
1990: Bobby Hoying, QB, St. Henry, Ohio State
1991: Derek Kidwell, QB-DE, Fostoria, Bowling Green
1992: Marc Edwards, RB-LB, Norwood, Notre Dame
1993: Curtis Enis, RB-LB, Mississinawa Valley, Penn State
1994: Charles Woodson, DB-RB, Fremont Ross, Michigan
1995: Andy Katzenmoyer, LB, Westerville South, Ohio State
1996: Derek Combs, RB-DB-KR, Grove City, Ohio State
1997: Tony Fisher, RB, Euclid, Notre Dame
1998: Ryan Brewer, RB, Troy, South Carolina
1999: Bam Childress, DB-WR-KR, Bedford St. Peter Chanel, Ohio State
2000: Jeff Backes, RB-DB, Upper Arlington, Northwestern
2001: Maurice Clarett, RB, Warren G. Harding, Ohio State
2002: Ben Mauk, QB, Kenton, Wake Forest/Cincinnati
2003: Ray Williams, RB, Cleveland Benedictine, West Virginia
2004: Tyrell Sutton, RB, Archbishop Hoban, Northwestern
2005: Delone Carter, RB, Copley, Syracuse
2006: Brandon Saine, RB, Piqua, Ohio State
2007: Bart Tanski, QB, Mentor, Bowling Green
2008: Erick Howard, RB, North Canton Hoover, Akron
2009: Erick Howard, RB, North Canton Hoover, Akron
2010: Akise Teague, RB-DB-KR, Youngstown Ursuline, Cincinnati
2011: Maty Mauk, QB, Kenton, Missouri/Eastern Kentucky
2012: Mitch Trubisky, QB, Mentor, North Carolina
2013: Dante Booker Jr., LB, Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary, Ohio State
2014: Joe Burrow, QB, Athens, Ohio State
2015: Keishaun Sims, RB-DB, Massillon Perry, Ashland
2016: Michael Warren, RB, Toledo Central Catholic, University of Cincinnati
2017: Joey Baughman, QB, Wadsworth, Virginia (Wrestling)
2018: Cade Stover, SS-RB, Lexington, Ohio State
