Starting Friday morning in Tampa, the top 7-on-7 teams will compete in Overtime’s annual OT7 Finals.
Five-star safety Trey McNutt, a top-30 prospect in the 2025 recruiting class, will not be competing in the event. Instead, he’s spending the weekend in Gainesville for his official visit to Florida. But playing in OT7 has always been a dream of the No. 2 safety in the 2025 cycle.
“So, 7-on-7 for me, like I grew up watching like OT7 and all that,” he recently told On3 at the On3 Elite Series. “I’ve always wanted to do that.”
That’s why he played in OT’s 7-on-7 tournaments this spring with the Fast Houston team. At the time, the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) limited athletes from playing 7-on-7 outside the window of May 15 to July 31. The Shaker Heights (Ohio) High product’s decision had him facing a suspension from games this fall.
Going against the OHSAA and facing a suspension had McNutt looking at playing his final season of high school football out of state, as On3’s Steve Wiltfong previously reported. Partially spurred by McNutt’s decision to play 7-on-7 this spring, the OHSAA overturned its rule.
“I definitely just had to stay confident through it,” McNutt said. “Believe what I believe in. And just know what’s right, and that’s what I stood on. And really, I knew what I had to do. God told me to just stay focused, and keep a straight line and that’s what I did. I was never really stressed out about knowing if I was going to play or not because, at the end of the day, I was ready to not be able to play for that rule to get changed.
“… Even before I got suspended, there were people out there saying, ‘I wish I could do that.’ And so when I did get suspended, it was like, ‘I’m going to keep playing because how are you going to stop somebody from playing football?'”
Trey McNutt changed future for Ohio football stars
Trey McNutt’s decision to stand against the OHSAA changes the future landscape for top Ohio recruits. Many of the nation’s top-skill prospects play 7-on-7, making for some of the more talent-rich events of the recruiting cycle.
With the OHSAA’s rule overturned, future Ohio athletes will have the opportunity to participate and possibly be in the spotlight some more.
“That was huge for us,” said five-star Ohio State quarterback commit Tavien St. Clair, who is from Bellefontaine, Ohio. “I don’t think people realize what he did. But me and him have been in contact for a long time about changing that rule and wanting it to be changed because we feel like Ohio’s behind. Everybody else gets to play year-round. With him standing up for what he believed in gave everyone the opportunity.”
McNutt focused on finding right fit
Trey McNutt’s focus this June and summer is on finding the best school to play his college football. He visited USC last weekend and is with the Gators this weekend. Oregon and Texas A&M are considered top contenders to land him and are expected to land official visits this summer.
In-state Ohio State is in the mix, and Georgia is starting to become a factor. McNutt finished the 2023 season with 61 tackles, three tackles for loss, 12 pass breakups and two forced fumbles. On the offensive side of the ball, McNutt finished with 611 yards and 12 touchdowns.
The five-star safety told On3 that NIL won’t make or break his commitment decision.
“NIL, it could play a part in telling who’s the most interested or not, but I don’t try and look at NIL too much because I know I’m going to get paid anywhere I go,” he said. “It’s not about the money, it’s just about going to play for them.”
McNutt: Understanding NIL contracts is important
McNutt attended the On3 Elite Series, a seminar educating the top 2025 high school football recruits on NIL, entrepreneurship, and planning for life after football, in Nashville last week. As part of the event, On3 anonymously surveyed the top 2025 recruits to gain a better understanding of the NIL marketplace.
As part of the survey, On3 also asked top recruits what their biggest worry was when navigating NIL deals. Prospects repeatedly alluded to broken promises and being lied to, citing the Jaden Rashada saga as an example.
“That’s all about building trust with people and knowing you’re around the right people,” McNutt said. “I know myself, I can see through people when I’m talking to them, whether they’re real or fake. Situations do happen like that and it’s unfortunate. But they just got to move on from it and build back up. I would hope it doesn’t happen to me, but you also have to read the contract right and know what you’re signing.
“And it’s super important to have it on paper, have it written down, and be able to read it over.”
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