Ohio State fans claim elite recruits as their own before they even set foot in Columbus. In the case of Jamier Brown, that feeling is more than justified. The 5-star WR has been committed to Ohio State since November 2023. In May, he shut down his recruitment and fully locked in with the Buckeyes. So when he took center stage at the OHSAA state track championships this weekend, fans couldn’t help but feel excited for the future. 

Participating in the state meet for Big Walnut, Jamier Brown walked away with three Division II state championships, dominating in the 100-meter dash, the 200-meter dash, and the 4×100 relay. According to Eleven Warriors, the future Ohio State WR captured the Division II 100-meter state title with a blazing 10.42-second finish. That time came after he ran a 10.47 in the preliminaries.

That 10.42 isn’t just a track number. In college football, that’s the kind of speed that separates wide receivers from the rest. When Brown hits Ohio State’s practice field, he’ll bring a clocking that most NFL scouts chase for years, which is the same blast that already left high school defenders in Ohio scrolling for catch-up.

For a player already ranked as the No. 4 WR and No. 21 overall prospect in the 2027 class, it was another reminder that some athletes simply operate at a different speed. The comments section got it right. “So he is fast, fast,” one wrote while another said, “You can’t coach natural speed.”

What’s even more impressive is that Jamier Brown had already announced himself before reaching the state championships. At the Lexington Regional, he set a Division II state record in the 100 meters with a 10.35-second run to qualify for the event.

After winning that 100-meter race, he followed it up with more history. Jamier Brown also captured the Division II 200-meter title in 20.91 seconds, breaking the division record he had set just a week earlier with a 20.94. It was the fastest 200-meter time recorded by any Ohio athlete this season. But he wasn’t finished. Brown later helped Big Walnut’s 4×100 relay team capture another state championship, crossing the line in 41.53 seconds.

Later, when Jamier Brown went to accept his medal, he raised his arms and flashed the familiar “O-H” toward the stands, drawing an even louder response from Ohio fans. But what stood out throughout his final state track appearance was his mindset.

“I just love to compete,” he said. “I mean, honestly, I wouldn’t have nothing else to do if I didn’t run track. … I know I had another chance to win state, so why not?”

That mentality is why Ohio State has remained so invested in him despite coaching changes. When longtime WR coach Brian Hartline left Columbus for USF, there was understandable anxiety about how the Buckeyes would maintain their gold-standard reputation at the position. So when new WRs coach Cortez Hankton arrived, one of his priorities was reaching out to Jamier Brown.

“He wanted me when he was at LSU,” he told Cleveland.com. “I kind of knew that I was important and that he wanted to coach me when he reached out so fast, the day after he got the job, or after it was announced he got the job. But the relationship’s been good. We connect on a lot of different things. We see a lot of things similar, the same. So it’s been good.”

Hartline’s departure left Buckeye fans wondering if Brown would follow. But Hankton’s quick outreach, reaching out within a day, told Brown something deeper: Ohio State wasn’t just holding a commit. They were building a relationship. For a kid who’s been locked in since 2023, that kind of continuity matters more than any flashy promise from another school.

That relationship helped reinforce Jamier Brown’s commitment. And after watching him stack state titles, it’s easy to understand why. But for all the attention he receives as a football recruit, his influence in Ohio extends beyond touchdowns and track medals. 

Jamier Brown is already a game-changer for Ohio

Jamier Brown has already helped change the landscape of high school athletics in the state. Earlier this school year, the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) voted to allow NIL opportunities for high school athletes, becoming the 45th state to permit athletes to profit from NIL.

The rule change came because of a lawsuit filed by Brown’s mother, Jasmine. She argued that her son had missed out on more than $100,000 in NIL opportunities because of Ohio’s previous restrictions. But the pushback was not just for himself, as Brown stated. 

“A lot of athletes deserve to be rewarded for the work they put in,” he said. “A lot of people thought it was only just for me, but I’m not a selfish type, and I did it for everybody. … It’s changing a lot of people’s lives.”

That’s a big statement from someone who hasn’t even started his senior year of high school. Jamier Brown also revealed he received advice to leave Ohio and finish his high school career elsewhere, where NIL opportunities already existed. Instead, he stayed home.

“Mainly, they were like, ‘You’re not getting paid. So why stay in Ohio?'” he recalled. “I was like, ‘I don’t want to move to a different state just for some money when I’m about to be in college in less than two years.’ But that’s part of why I really didn’t want to leave just to get money. And I kind of just wanted to show everybody in Ohio that you shouldn’t have to leave to get something that you want.”

As you can see from his story, Ohio State is getting an elite WR with verified track speed and game-breaking athleticism. But they’re also getting someone who has already shown leadership and a willingness to challenge the status quo.