CINCINNATI, Ohio — Three Greater Cincinnati offensive linemen are in the running for a new statewide honor bearing a famous local name. The Paris Johnson Jr. Foundation announced Nov. 12 the nine semifinalists for its inaugural Ohio High School Offensive Lineman of the Year Award, and three of them play in southwest Ohio, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported.
The local semifinalists are Winton Woods’ Lual Aleu, Taylor’s Ryan Massie-Cable and Moeller’s Patrick O’Brien, according to the Enquirer. The other six semifinalists are Andrew Davalla of St. Ignatius, Jack Marquad of St. Edward, Davis Seaman of Bishop Watterson, Zay’vion Smith of Harding, David Tarawallie of Riverside and Kellen Wymer of Liberty Center.
Each of the Cincinnati-area nominees already has a college future lined up. Aleu, a 6-foot-5, 300-pound lineman ranked as the 47th-best player in Ohio, is a University of Missouri commit who works the right side of the Winton Woods line, the Enquirer reported. Massie-Cable, a 6-foot-5, 300-pound Taylor senior, is ranked 38th in Ohio by 247Sports and is committed to the University of Cincinnati. O’Brien, a 6-foot-6, 290-pound Moeller lineman, is rated 34th in the state and is committed to Purdue.
The award’s namesake knows the position’s spotlight well. Johnson Jr. was a standout at St. Xavier and Princeton, where he won the Anthony Muñoz Award as the nation’s best high school lineman, became an All-American at Ohio State, and was taken with the No. 6 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals, where he has started 47 games, according to the Enquirer.
Offensive linemen rarely get award seasons of their own — the position produces no touchdowns, carries and completions to count — which is precisely the gap a lineman-of-the-year honor is built to close. That three of the nine semifinalists come from Greater Cincinnati underlines the region’s reputation for producing college-ready size and technique up front.
What happens next: finalists for the award will be invited to an Ohio state championship game, where the winner will be announced, the Enquirer reported. For Aleu, Massie-Cable and O’Brien, the announcement could cap playoff runs that are still going — and add one more line to three already impressive résumés.