Tag: Willtrell Hartson

Ohio State freshman walk-on Willtrell Hartson sheds black stripe

Welcome Willtrell Hartson to the Brotherhood. #GoBucks

Black stripe alert! Ohio State freshman running back Willtrell Hartson has lost his black stripe and become the newest member of “Tote Nation.” Hartson was a three-star prospect out of Massillon Washington High School and was the 77th-ranked running back according to 247Sports.

The Ohio native was the lone running back the Buckeyes snagged in the 2023 class after missing on Justice Haynes and Richard Young, two top-10 backs who landed at Alabama. The No. 6 running back in the land, Mark Fletcher, was committed to OSU but flipped his commitment to Miami (Florida).

It remains to be seen if Tony Alford can work his magic and mold the walk-on into a viable option for the future.

Hartson becomes the 31st Buckeye to shed his black stripe this season.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion. Follow Mark Russell on X.

Tennessee 2024 athlete has Ohio State in his top 5

The Buckeyes made up a lot of ground in the last few months #GoBucks

The Buckeyes missed on a scholarship running back during the 2023 recruiting cycle though they took a preferred walk-on, [autotag]Willtrell Hartson[/autotag]).

They have not yet focused their efforts on the 2024 class of prospects either. As an example, when Tennessee’s [autotag]Boo Carter[/autotag] announced his initial top list of 12 schools in October, [autotag]Ohio State[/autotag] was nowhere to be found.

Fast forward about two months and [autotag]Ryan Day[/autotag] has made a positive enough impression on Carter to be included in his top five along with Oregon, Colorado, Michigan and home state Tennessee. It’s a very good development for Day and running backs coach [autotag]Tony Alford[/autotag]. The need to add another quality back in the next cycle is very important.

What’s interesting about Carter is there is potential for him to play on the defensive side of the ball if playing on offense doesn’t work out. In short, he’s a football player we would love to see suit up in scarlet and gray at the next level.

[listicle id=102913]

[lawrence-related id=102937]

[lawrence-related id=102871]

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbz0qtnjg5x7tc8 player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=]

Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. Follow Michael Chen on Twitter.

Let us know your thoughts, and comment on this story below. Join the conversation today

Ohio State gets commitment from three-star running back

Massillon Washington record-setting back accepts preferred walk-on spot with Ohio State. #GoBucks

It’s been an up-and-down recruiting year for Ohio State football. Between commitments, decommitments and flips, it has been a roller coaster for Buckeye fans’ emotions.

Despite the drama leading to the early signing period, OSU still landed a top-10 class. That may be a down year by Ohio State standards, but it’s not a bad haul. However, there were some glaring omissions that needed to be addressed.

After Mark Fletcher backed off his commitment and signed with the Miami Hurricanes, the Buckeyes had no running backs in the 2023 class. That was until Christmas Eve when Ryan Day received an early Christmas gift when Massillon Washington High School running back Willtrell Hartson accepted a preferred walk-on spot with the Buckeyes.

A three-star prospect, Hartson had offers from mid-majors such as Army, Buffalo and Central Michigan and one Power Five school, Boston College.

Coming from one of the most recognizable high school programs in the state, Hartson has had a decorated career. He holds the single-game rushing record with 324 yards, the single-season rushing record with over 2,000 yards and others.

The kid seems like a hard worker and may just be that gritty kind of back that Ohio State fans love to root for. Remember, Miyan Williams was a three-star guy and almost an afterthought when he signed with the Buckeyes in 2020. Hartson could be that same kind of diamond in the rough.

[mm-video type=video id=01gkw31z4jxv6xpc3h4p playlist_id=01eqbz0qtnjg5x7tc8 player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gkw31z4jxv6xpc3h4p/01gkw31z4jxv6xpc3h4p-4bbee38146f76172b045f5ac095d1231.jpg]

[listicle id=102060]

Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion.