Tag: ohio state recruiting

Where Ohio State football 2022 commits rank in updated Rivals recruiting rankings

How many Ohio State football 2022 recruits are in the Rivals top 250, and where are they after the latest update?

The Ohio State football recruiting efforts started out white-hot with the 2022 class, quickly jumping way out in front of all other schools for the clear No. 1 ranking according to multiple recruiting service websites. Things have cooled off a bit though with decommitments from 5-star cornerback Jaheim Singletary and 4-star tight end Benji Gosnell.

Add that to the reclassification of 5-star quarterback Quinn Ewers to the 2021 class, and all of a sudden, the Buckeyes sit at No. 3 in the 2022 class according to the 247Sports Team Composite Rankings, and No. 4 per Rivals. That’s still pretty darn good, but OSU could use some more momentum to polish off a class that was once looking like a historical one.

We’re constantly sniffing around, finding nuggets in recruiting, and the latest is the update to the Rivals top 250 rankings for each prospect. Here is how the ten verbal commitments to the 2022 Ohio State football recruiting class included in the top 250 stack up after the update.

BOOM! Ohio State gets first football commitment for 2023 class

Ohio State football gets its first commitment of the 2023 class. BOOM!

The seal has been broken on the 2023 recruiting class for the Ohio State football program.

That’s because 4-star tight end prospect, Ty Lockwood, announced his decision to commit to the Buckeyes on Thursday. The 6-foot, 5-inch, 225-pounder is out of Independence High School in Thompson’s Station, TN, and ranked as the No. 8 tight end and 142nd overall prospect in the class according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings.

The commitment ends a bit of a drought for Ryan Day and company and will hopefully give the program some momentum now moving forward to finish up the 2022 class and begin putting some more prospects in the 2023 class.

For Lockwood, it came down to the feel he got when he visited in July according to comments he made to Eleven Warriors.

“It was one of my best visits, easily,” Lockwood told Eleven Warriors. “I loved the coaches there and obviously the facilities are great. I could just tell there was a brotherhood feel to it. All the coaches were talking to each other, knew each other, and were like best friends. It was good to see that because I didn’t see that out of a lot of other schools, for sure.”

Another prospect or player singing the praises of the “brotherhood” that seems to permeate the OSU program is just what the doctor ordered. Lockwood chose Ohio State over a final four of the Buckeyes, Penn State, Florida State, and South Carolina.

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Ohio State 4-star 2023 tight end priority target sets commitment date

Ohio State has a good shot to land its first commitment to the 2023 class on Thursday!

Ohio State could be nearing its first commitment of the 2023 class. That’s because priority 4-star 2021 tight end target Ty Lockwood announced Tuesday that he’ll be announcing his commitment this Thursday.

At 6-foot, 5-inches, and 225-pounds, Lockwood is ranked as the No. 8 tight end and 142nd overall prospect in the 2023 class according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings. He is out of Independence High School in Thompson’s Station, Tennessee, and has Ohio State as the Crystal Ball leader to land his services.

He announced a final four of the Buckeyes, Florida State, Penn State, and South Carolina. The announcement is set for 12 p.m. Central time, which is 1 p.m Eastern Daylight Time, so stay tuned.

If Lockwood does choose OSU, it’ll be the Buckeyes’ first commitment to the 2023 class and some much-needed momentum that has been lost a wee bit because of a couple of more recent decommitments for the 2022 class.

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Gabe Powers has the determination and drive to be a star according to one former international track star

Former world record holder Butch Reynolds had some positive things to say about #Buckeyes recruit Gabe Powers

We recently had the honor of sitting down with former world record holder in the 40-meters, former Ohio State and international track star Butch Reynolds. The interview was wide-ranging and extremely interesting, but we were keenly interested in his work with OSU 2022 linebacker commit Gabe Powers. Reynolds has been working with the Marysville product, and he had some pretty lofty praise about the Rivals 5-star prospect..

So what does Reynolds see in Powers? How fast is he, and what kind of work ethic is present?

“What is different about Gabe is his focus to train, his focus to be the best,” Reynolds told Buckeyes Wire. “He’ll drive 45 minutes to see me two to three times a week because he wants to train. Shoot for the moon and if you miss you will be among the stars and that’s who Gabe is. He’ll be there one way or another.”

That’s high praise for a guy that has a history of working with historic and legendary Buckeye greats like Bobby Carpenter, A.J. Hawk, and Anthony Schlegel. With a resume like that, it certainly means something when Reynolds calls you a special athlete with the worklike mentality Powers possesses.

Reynolds also went on to say that Powers can run a 40-yard dash in the 4.5 range which is flat out getting it done for a linebacker that’s 230-pounds on a 6-foot, 4-inch frame.

 

After this interview, I feel confident that Powers is destined to be a star for Ohio State. It may not happen immediately, but there’s a lot to like about the athlete and person Gabe Powers is and can still become. He already has a believer in a guy that knows a thing or two about special athletes.

You can catch the rest of our interview with Butch Reynolds below.

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Top 2023 running back puts Ohio State in top ten

Could Ohio State snag the No. 1 running back in the country two out of the last three years?

The top-rated running back in the 2023 class has decided to announce his list of potential schools to a top ten and Ohio State has made the cut. Richard Young has offers from just about every major program in the country but has decided to trim that list going into his junior year of high school.

Young is a speedster with good size and room to add more. As a sophomore at Lehigh Senior in Florida, he ran an 11.09 in the hundred meters.

Young’s final ten are a who’s who of college football royalty, so it seems Tony Alford will have his work cut out. Joining OSU on his list are Alabama, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Miami, Oklahoma, Oregon, and USC.

Signing Young would be the second time in three years that Ohio State would land the No. 1 rated running back in the country joining TreVeyon Henderson from the 2021 class. However, there is a long way to go on this one.

Ohio State football 2022 recruiting commitment tracker

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Top 10 Big Ten 247Sports composite recruiting classes over last 20 years

How dominant has Ohio State been when comparing its Big Ten counterparts in recruiting? Here are the top ten 247Sports Composite classes over the last 20 years.

Big Ten football has had ups and downs over the last couple of decades, but there has been no inconsistency at Ohio State. The Buckeyes are the only squad to win a national title twice in that time frame. No other team has really come close.

And it all starts with getting the players. Sure, there has to be a high level of development as well, but when you have more to work with at the beginning, it makes winning games and molding a championship team much easier.

To illustrate how dominant Ohio State has been over the last couple of decades in recruiting within the conference, we went back over the last 20 years to see which programs have brought in the top recruiting classes. We must keep in mind things are a lot different in 2021 versus measuring the classes back in 2001, but there’s still a very, very distinct divide between OSU and every other program in the conference.

Here is a look at the top 10 recruiting classes in the Big Ten over the last 20 years according to the 247Sports team composite rankings.

Ohio State in final five for 5-star 2023 corner from Florida

Still waiting for that first commitment to the 2023 class …

The Ohio State football program has made the cut for one of the best cornerbacks in the 2023 class. At 6-foot, 1-inches, and 165-pounds, Cormani McClain out of Lakeland, Florida, is ranked as the No. 3 cornerback and 20th overall prospect in the recruiting cycle according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings.

His final five schools were released through popular recruiting edit guru Hayes Fawcett, and OSU is among Alabama, Florida, Miami, and Florida State. There’s no mention of a decision looming soon, but if it were to go the Buckeyes’ way, it would be the first commitment for the 2023 class.

Good news would also stem the recent trend of bad news for Ohio State recruiting. Though Ryan Day still has OSU among the top five for the 2022 class, the Buckeyes have lost a couple of commitments over the past week and a half.

As of right now, the crystal ball predictions have McClain leaning heavily towards the Seminoles, but we all know how that can change so early in a prospect’s recruitment.

We’ll continue to keep an eye on any further developments with McClain’s recruitment and where things are headed.

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Quinn Ewers releases statement on decision to enroll at Ohio State a year early

This is a pretty solid statement from Ewers on his decision to enroll at Ohio State a year early. Do you like where this whole thing is going?

In case you missed the news this morning, Ohio State 5-star quarterback commit Quinn Ewers made the decision to forgo his senior year of high school and enroll at OSU a year early. He’ll be on campus and eligible to play this fall, but it also means that he’ll be able to take advantage of endorsements and other financial benefits of the new opportunities name, image, and likeness provide.

It was a quickly developing story that started to get some legs during the last week, but came to fruition today as a done deal on Monday. There are obviously some near-term and long-term ramifications not only at Ohio State but across the college football landscape on this one, but Ewers himself provided a statement on his Twitter account about his decision, and we have it for you.

He was gracious to his high school teammates but looked forward to the next chapter in his future with Ohio State.

“Over the past few weeks, following Texas’ UIL informing I would be prohibited from profiting off my own name, image and likeness, I’ve taken time to think about what lies ahead of me, both in the short- and long-term,” wrote Ewers. “It’s unfortunate I’ve found myself in this situation, as my presence would have been to complete my senior season at Southlake Carroll along with the teammates and friends I’ve taken the field alongside for the past three years. However, following conversations with my family and those I know have best interests in mind, I’ve decided it’s time for me to enroll at Ohio State and begin my career as a Buckeye.

“This is not just a financial decision; this is about what is best for my football career. At 18, and with one final class about to be completed to earn my high-school degree, I feel it’s time to get the jump on my college career that is available to me. I am eager to start learning from Coach Day and the rest of the coaching staff. I understand many will have their opinions on the matter. But only my loved ones and I know what’s truly best for me and my future. This is not a decision I have made without a lot of thought.

“To my fellow Carroll Dragons: I will cherish the memories we made together. Although I won’t be there on the field with you this year, I will be rooting for you. You’re my teammates now and forever. Go get that state championship!

“To my family, friends and everyone that has provided their unconditional support, I will strive to make you all proud in the future.

“See you soon, Columbus.”

It’s a classy statement from a kid that seems to have it all together. Now we’ll have to see when, and if, the Quinn Ewers era begins at Ohio State. It probably won’t be this fall, but things are going to get real interesting next year and beyond if Ewers lives up to the expectations already heaped upon him.

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Ohio State loses out on four-star lineman to Tennessee

Ohio State is in the top four of one of the highest-rated defensive ends in the 2022 recruiting cycle.

On Monday, Ohio State lost out on the No. 3 rated offensive lineman in the country, Addison Nichols. There had been some thought that a late push by the Buckeyes could sway the Georgia native to land in Columbus, but ultimately the close family ties kept him close to home.

Nichols announced his decision to attend the University of Tennessee and play for the Vols. Nichols grew up visiting his grandparents in Knoxville and his mother attended Tennessee as well. In his younger days, Nichols made it known he didn’t want to go where mom went, but eventually warmed up to the idea.

Nichols picked the Volunteers over Ohio State and North Carolina live on CBSHQ.

The Buckeyes still have their eyes set on several highly touted offensive lineman in the 2022 class including, Kam Dewberry and the No. 1 overall tackle in the country Zach Rice.

Ohio State football 2022 recruiting commitment tracker

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2022 cornerback Jaheim Singletary decommits from Ohio State

Lost a big one here.

For the second time in a week, an Ohio State commitment to the 2022 football recruiting class has decommitted. Tight end Benji Gosnell made the call to reopen his commitment a few days ago, and today it is 5-star cornerback Jaheim Singletary out of Jacksonville’s Robert E. Lee High School.

Rumors were swirling prior to the announcement Sunday with Singletary visiting other schools while being supposedly firmly committed to OSU. And with a second visit to Miami this past weekend and some sharing of graphics from the Hurricanes and Gators, the writing seemed to be on the wall. Singletary didn’t commit to any other school at the moment but simply reopened things.

It’s a big loss for Ohio State no doubt. Singletary was ranked as the No. 14 prospect in the entire class and fifth rated cornerback according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings.

There’s still a chance that Singletary could find his way back into the class, but it’s not usually a good thing when a kid decommits after visiting a couple of other schools without a coaching change in the mix.

We’ll continue to follow this, but for now, Ohio State’s No. 1 ranked recruiting class has come back to the field just a little and is just barely ahead of Penn State.

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