5-star 2027 Ohio State receiver recruit Jamier Brown was suspended for two high school games in 2026. Brown transferred from Wayne in Huber Heights to Big Walnut in Sunbury to be closer to the Buckeyes. Brown is already back at Wayne, though, after spending the second half of the 2025-26 academic calendar at Big Walnut.
The five-foot-11, 192-pound receiver missed the Warriors' opener against Fairfield. Wayne lost 35-25 to the Indians without Brown. He'll also miss the Warriors' second game, a home matchup against St. Xavier.
Brown would've missed time had he stayed at Big Walnut due to the slow process of receiving an OHSAA transfer exception. He received one for running track, but he could've missed time at Big Walnut. Probably even more time than he's missing at Wayne right now.
Ohio State must stand by Jamier Brown
It's unclear how much influence OSU and Ryan Day had in Brown switching schools in the middle of the school year. It doesn't seem likely that Day and his staff would advise Brown to make a switch if they knew it would take football opportunities away from Brown during his senior year. Day runs too clean an operation to have a sloppy mistake like this occur.
Two games during your senior year are a big deal. Brown could be cashing out right now on NIL earnings with the OHSAA allowing it for high school students last November. Missing any action for non-field administrative issues could be threatening that, at least to some degree.
If the Buckeyes advised Brown to transfer in any way, they must stand by him. After all, Brown has stuck with Ohio State after Brian Hartline's departure. Brown is the last 5-star the Buckeyes have from the Hartline era making his way to the program.
Cortez Hankton must prepare for a Jamier Brown flip
It'd be hard to knock Brown if he decides not to deal with any governing body in the state of Ohio after his high school senior year was altered by the OHSAA. Considering a flip from the Buckeyes after all of this would be understandable, though it'd hurt. Right now, there are no other 4- or 5-stars in the 2027 class's corps, with Oviedo 3-star Jordan Donahoo being the only other receiver.
If that happens, WR coach Cortez Hankton will be working with a very clean slate and can build the room in his image. That'd require Hankton to kick things into overdrive and start adding recruits in 2027. So far, Hankton has mostly added to later classes. There cannot be a lapse in 2027, especially with guys like Jeremiah Smith and Brandon Inniss potentially departing for the NFL after this coming campaign. Cortez won't last long if that ends up being the case.
There haven't been any whispers of Brown looking elsewhere, to be clear. Not yet, at least. Hankton should be prepared to pivot at any moment, though. There's been enough internal politics in the Buckeye State to have Brown looking at states that make it easier to collect paychecks drama-free.
Add us as a preferred source on Google