SUNBURY — Jamier Brown’s stay at Big Walnut was brief.
The five-star football recruit, and No. 1 high school player in Ohio, has returned and is practicing with his former team at Huber Heights Wayne, according to multiple published reports.
Brown, a 5-foot-11, 192-pound wide receiver, is rated the No. 25 overall player in the nation, according to 247 Sports’ composite rankings, which combines the evaluations of numerous high school recruiting services.
The Ohio State football verbal commitment transferred from Wayne to Big Walnut in January, and received an exception from the Ohio High School Athletic Association to compete last spring in track.
Brown promptly led the Golden Eagles to a Division II state co-championship with New Philadelphia by claiming three crowns. He won the 100-meter dash in 10.42 seconds, and claimed the 200-meter dash in 20.91 seconds, the fastest time in the state this year. He then anchored the school’s 4×100-relay to a winning time of 41.53.
Originally, Brown told Delaware Source he transferred to Big Walnut to be closer to the Ohio State campus. However, his eligibility is now in question after numerous reports stated he would need to apply for the same exception to be eligible in football.
The Dayton Daily News had photos of Brown practicing at Wayne with the football team in a story Wednesday. Also on Wednesday, the Columbus Dispatch reported that Big Walnut officials confirmed Brown was no longer in school at Sunbury, and declined further comment.
Brown was second in the Greater Western Ohio Conference with 1,009 receiving yards last year at Wayne. He caught 73 passes for 10 touchdowns, and also scored on kick and punt returns. In his career, Brown has 2,556 receiving yards and 3,875 all-purpose yards with 36 total touchdowns at Wayne.
He verbally pledged to Ohio State in November 2024 and has remained a steadfast commitment ever since.
In October of 2025, Brown and his mother sued the OHSAA in his quest to benefit from his Name, Image and Likeness.
“What pushed me was knowing that allowing NIL for high school athletes in Ohio could be a game changer for a lot of kids like me,” Brown told ESPN.
“My family is getting by, but being able to use NIL would take some weight off my mom and me by helping cover things like tutoring, training and travel, which help me grow as both a student and a football player.”
A month later, the OHSAA voted to allow students to strike NIL deals.