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Joseph Hastings' Report
Catching up with Tristan Leigh’s mom
With Derrick Davis now off the board, I wanted to get some info on one of Ohio State’s few remaining 2021 targets: Tristan Leigh.
As you all know, Leigh was unable to attend the Buckeye Bash less than a month ago, though this is not an indication of his interest in the program. I did not reveal it at the time out of respect for the family’s privacy but, since it is public knowledge and some time has passed, I wanted to note that this was due to his mother’s multiple sclerosis causing flare-ups for her.
Along with Buckeye Nation and the Ohio State commits who attended, the family was very disappointed that they could not be in attendance for the event. According to Laura Rigney, Leigh’s mom, they do intend on scheduling a trip to Columbus.
She says no date has been scheduled yet, and the rising COVID-19 cases has caused them to be very cautious about when/where they decide to visit. Rigney told me “we really want to go,” but her being at-risk is definitely a factor here.
Switching gears in the conversation, I tried getting Rigney to give a specific spot as to where Ohio State stands in her son’s recruitment, but she did not say where exactly they fit into the mix. Instead, Rigney said the Buckeyes have several aspects about the school that are appealing to her son.
“He loves OSU… he has really spent a lot of time getting to know the coaches,” Rigney said. “We love the fact that it’s so close to home as well. They have a great program and a really talented 2021 class. Tristan has enjoyed getting to know them all.”
I’m still hearing that LSU and Oklahoma are out in front for Leigh. I think Ohio State can enter that conversation with another visit, but he’ll need to get on campus at least one more time for that to happen.
We’ll hopefully have more on Leigh in the coming days, so stayed tuned…
Recent conversation with five-star DB Jaheim Singletary
After not getting in touch with Singletary for several days following Ohio State’s offer to him, I decided to drive up to Jacksonville on Friday to speak with him in person.
During our conversation, Singletary was all smiles when talking about the Buckeyes, specifically the question about his reaction to the offer. Singletary actually noted that he had been in touch with Ryan Day’s staff since the summer, and the primary coaches he speaks with are Kerry Coombs and Tony Alford.
With Singletary slated to committed on New Year’s Day of 2021, it’s important that Ohio State had started building this relationship with the five-star DB well before he was given the green light.
Singletary did drop a top eight a month ago, but he told me the Buckeyes are a part of that group now. The No. 5 overall junior on Rivals is interested in how well the Buckeyes have recruited in Jacksonville, and is also intrigued by the number of defensive backs they put in the NFL.
"Everything," Singletary said when asked what he likes about the Buckeyes. "That's 'DBU,' in reality. They put DBs in the league. So if I go there, I know my chances won't be slight at all."
This conversation was not enough to change my prediction, which is in favor of Florida, but I certainly believe Ohio State has a legitimate shot here. They’re probably in the top three or top four for Singletary, and will have to make up ground on the Gators and LSU as well.
Corey Bender, publisher of the Florida site GatorsTerritory for Rivals, believes UF will come out on top here. He says familiarity with the coaching staff should help them win out, along with the coronavirus having shut down the dead period.
If Singletary can get up to Columbus on a self-guided visit– something he told me he intends to do, however, then I believe this one can get interesting. He’ll be a player to monitor over this next month and a half.
Five-star OT breaks down his top eight
Zach Rice, the third-ranked offensive tackle in the 2022 cycle, unveiled his top eight on Saturday afternoon.
It goes without saying that Ohio State was one of the schools that made the cut for Rice. Joining the Buckeyes were Florida, LSU, Miami, Notre Dame, North Carolina, Oklahoma and Virginia.
Luckily for us, Rivals recruiting analyst Adam Friedman was able to conduct an in-depth conversation with Rice, which lasted over 18 minutes. You all do not need to watch it all, however, as I will highlight the key parts talked about as it pertains to Ohio State.
Rice, who netted an offer from Ryan Day’s program back in late April, tweeted that he was “speechless and beyond blessed” to see Ohio State dip into his recruitment at that time. The 6-foot-6, 305-pounder said to Friedman that the offer meant so much not only to him, but to his mother as well.
“I got the offer and my mom came in the room. Coach Stud told my mom that I got the offer and her knees buckled,” Rice said. “I already knew that was a special offer. Honestly, just building a relationship with Coach Cook and Coach Stud has been a good time; I can honestly say I can be myself around them. With that being said, I know all of these other recruits in my class that are confident; I honestly believe they will be the best recruiting class in ’22.”
The Buckeyes are well on their way to securing the No. 1 class in next year’s cycle as they’ve jumped out to an impressive start this early on. Most recruiting pundits, including myself, and the program’s commits believe Ohio State is going to go on a special run soon as well.
Rice went on to agree with the notion that the Buckeyes are going to do recruit at a high level in the 2022 class, and also noted that a visit to Columbus could be in the works.
“I see a lot of potential coming,” Rice said. “I see them flipping a lot of guys. I would just say it’s going to be a special place. I don’t really believe in blind faith, but I believe I can go in blind faith with them, like right now, you know? It’s going to be really tough and fun to see us plan a trip together and actually get down there together.”
I will be getting a chance to talk with Rice about Ohio State specifically very soon, so stay tuned…
Andy Anders' Report
Ohio State targets in playoffs
While you can view Joseph and I’s full rundown of how Ohio State commits performed in their respective state playoffs -- those that are still playing, at least -- here, I wanted to give an update on which targets are advancing in their brackets as well.
No major 2021 targets are in playoff competition right now for the Buckeyes, but there’s a number for the Class of 2022.
Four-star safety Xavier Nwankpa will play for Iowa’s Class 4A state championship Friday, taking on Ankeny after his Southeast Polk squad smothered Pleasant Valley 50-10. Southeast Polk is heavily favored to take the crown, considered the No. 1 team in Iowa regardless of class by MaxPreps.
Nwankpa picked up an eight-yard touchdown run and played stout back-end defense in the win.
Four-star cornerback Toriano Pride may have as good a shot to grab a state championship as Nwankpa, rolling to a district title and Missouri’s Class 3 state final four with Lutheran North after a 45-10 drubbing of St. Francis Borgia. Pride reeled in two touchdown receptions of 50 and 52 yards and helped shut down Borgia’s offense to guide the Crusaders forward.
If Lutheran North can grab two more wins, it’ll mean back-to-back state titles -- in two different classes.
Another potential state title name to watch is four-star defensive end Caden Curry, who captured a regional title in Indiana with Center Grove this past weekend and is slated for a Class 6A state final four matchup with Ben Davis Friday. MaxPreps currently grades Curry’s team as No. 1 in the Hoosier State.
Curry had some fun in a 27-21 win over Carmel, recording his first career rush with a four-yard touchdown rumble.
Yet another 2022 target moving on to his state’s semifinals is four-star running back Nicholas Singleton. Governor Mifflin smoked Mechanicsburg 68-14 in the first round two weeks ago, then picked up a forfeit in the Class 5A quarterfinals/district championships after Warwick had multiple students in its district test positive for COVID-19. The Mustangs will take on Pine-Richland, a team fresh off a shutout victory, in the semis.
Five-star cornerback Jaheim Singletary, a recent Ohio State offer, skipped his way through to Florida’s Class 6A regional quarterfinals as his Robert E. Lee squad beat Fort Walton Beach 41-6. Singletary, who had a pick-six, and the defense dominated, keeping Walton Beach at bay most of the night.
Speaking of Florida’s high school football playoffs, four-star defensive end Kenyatta Jackson and Chaminade Madonna eviscerated Somerset Academy 52-0 to advance to the regional semifinals in Class 3A. It goes without saying Jackson led a stout defense Friday.
Commits in Action:
By Andy Anders and Joseph Hastings
Playoffs:
Jayden Ballard: 14-10 (W). Stats: One catch for five yards on three targets.
Jaylen Johnson: 10-14 (L). Stats: One sack on the night.
Reid Carrico: 22-19 (W). Stats: 30 carries for 206 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns as well.
Jakailin Johnson: 28-7 (W). Stats: N/A
Dasan McCullough: 33-21 (W). Stats: Had an interception on the night.
CJ Hicks: 13-23 (L). Stats: Dominated the first half with five tackles and an extra point block. He also had a 40-yard touchdown pass that was negated by a holding penalty.
Regular Season:
Bennett Christian: 44-9 (W). Stats: N/A
Sam Hart: 34-0 (W). Stats: N/A
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