Pickerington North got the kind of reset it needed Friday night, and Geo McKnight was right in the middle of it.
After a regular season that ended with two losses by a combined three points, the Panthers answered with a 37-0 win over Groveport Madison in the opening round of the Ohio Division I, Region 3 playoffs at home.
"It felt great to get back on track," McKnight told Bucknuts after the game. "We're coming off two really close losses, it felt great to get back on track and get ready for the next week."
McKnight, a four-star 2028 defensive back, nearly put his stamp on the game with a third-quarter interception return for a touchdown. The score was wiped out because of an illegal block in the back, but the play showed exactly how quickly he can change a game.
"I dropped back in zone and knew the QB was trying to launch it into my zone," McKnight said of the pick. "I saw it, made a cut and took it to the end zone."
The in-state prospect has been drawing major attention on the recruiting trail since last spring, and he’s now ranked among the country’s top-100 players in the 2028 class by 247Sports’ individual rankings. Ohio State has been pushing hard for McKnight, offering him this summer after he competed at the Buckeyes’ seven-on-seven tournament and also camped with the program.
McKnight said he’s hearing from Ohio State weekly and plans to visit next month.
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