Quote Of The Day: "Ladies and Gentlemen, The Weeknd" - Daniel Craig
Recruiting Updates
With Spring Football now coming to a close, we will begin to shift our focus for the next couple months to the recruiting trail. While many story lines from this spring were focused on the revamp of Ohio State's defense, the coaching staff was busy on the recruiting trail as well as the practice field. The spring is one of the busiest times of the years for prospects to make their visits, and the Buckeyes had plenty stop into Columbus this spring. This is where they stand with some of their biggest targets.
Carnell Tate (2023 5-Star WR): While Ohio State has long been considered the leader in this recruitment, things are certainly tighter than they once were. The competition had mostly been Notre Dame and Georgia, but a recent surge by Tennessee has made things interesting. About a month ago Tennessee landed a commitment from 5-Star 2023 QB Nicholaus Iamaleava, and the reports for an $8 Million NIL deal have all but been confirmed. With this type of money being thrown around, and this type of caliber of offensive recruit on his way to Knoxville, there is no wonder why the Volunteers have made a huge jump recently. I think the further Tate gets away from his visit to Knoxville, the better the news is for Ohio State. This one will go down to the wire, but I still have the Buckeyes earning his signature on NSD.
Brandon Inniss (2023 5-Star WR): A few months ago, this is a recruitment that felt like it was all but over, then Lincoln Riley decided to jump ship from Oklahoma and go to USC. Since the Ohio State has put itself in a great position with Inniss, and his recent visit to Columbus couldn't have gone much better. USC is viewed as the leader here, and Miami is definitely a threat, but Brian Hartline has definitely given him something to think about. If Inniss isn't sure what to make of Ohio State, I think tuning into the NFL Draft next Thursday should put his mind at ease. Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave are about to get PAID.
Matayo Uiagalelei (2023 5-Star DE): If you want to talk about Ohio State surging in a recruitment, look no further than Mateo Uiagalelei. Fresh of a visit to Columbus, there is one thing that the Uiagalelei family has emphasized, and that is Ryan Day is exactly as advertised. The honest, family oriented program has been paying off for Ohio State greatly on the recruiting trail since Day took over the program 3 and a half years ago. USC is considered the leader here, but I think locking in an official for Uiagalelei can go a long way for the Buckeyes chances here, and I think they win out. Uiagalelei will be a Buckeye, book it (please don't be mad at me if he goes somewhere else).
Richard Young (2023 5-Star RB): While I felt very optimistic about Ohio State's chances in this recruitment, today I am a little more concerned than I was before. Now, before I explain that, just know that Mark Fletcher's commitment has no bearing on Richard Young's status with Ohio State. This class is being approached the same way the 2021 class was with Pryor and Henderson, and Young has known this from the beginning. The biggest challenge here is that Ohio State is fighting with Georgia and Alabama to earn Young's pledge, and he is coming off of a fantastic visit to Tuscaloosa this past weekend. This visit went well enough to earn the Crimson Tide a crystal ball from Steve Wiltfong in their favor. This one is obviously far from over, but Ohio State needs to get him back on campus soon.
Dylan Raiola (2024 5-Star QB): I have already touched on Raiola in The Morning Bell on Wednesday, but this is one that Ohio State wants badly, and it appears they are going to get. Landing Raiola this early in his cycle could immediately pay dividends since Ohio State is in on about a dozen 5-Star prospects in the class of 2024. We will do a more in depth breakdown of the prospects for this class next week, but Raiola is likely to be the first domino to fall. QB prospects don't get better than this, and getting Raiola into this class ASAP will give them a powerful recruiter within the class.
There are obviously more players to get into outside of these five guys, and we will dive into that next week, but Ohio State has put themselves in a great position with almost everyone on their board, and a strong summer and results on the field in the fall should keep the Buckeyes right near the top of the recruiting rankings.
Thanks for stopping in and enjoy your weekend. Gonna be 80 degrees in Columbus, so enjoy it before winter eventually returns for the 75th time this year.