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@ClydeBuck: With all the recent movement in the 2022 class, what do u c the individual position group numbers looking like? Also, how many recruits total? Thanks!
Hastings: There have certainly been a lot of moving pieces over the past couple of weeks.
Four-star tight end Benji Gosnell started things off by backing off his pledge on July 27, followed by Jaheim Singletary’s decommitment five days later. And, a day after Singletary made his announcement, Quinn Ewers revealed he’ll be reclassifying to the 2021 class and enrolling this month.
We’ve been told that Ohio State will explore adding a signal caller to their 2022 class. I have been told that Notre Dame pledge Steve Angeli – who received an offer a couple of years ago – has not been contacted by the staff as of Friday night. The same goes with Texas commit Maalik Murphy, which isn’t surprising as the Buckeyes are unlikely to land a QB of his caliber in this class, if they get one at all.
Also, Penn State commit Drew Allar, who is from Medina (Ohio), has told Rivals.com’s Ryan Snyder and others he’s not interested in Ohio State. He also said he hadn’t heard from the staff as of Thursday night, and that he’s “totally locked in” with the Nittany Lions.
To answer the QB portion of your question, Clyde, I have a hard time seeing the Buckeyes adding a scholarship quarterback to this class, but Allar would seemingly be the one they’d have the best chance of landing.
The program is done with running backs and wide receivers, but that’s not necessarily the case with tight ends. I heard from a source close to the situation that it has not yet been decided what Ohio State wants to do with the position.
They’re entertaining the idea of taking two, as was originally planned, but it’s not an absolute necessity with Gee Scott Jr. moving to tight end and Kevin Wilson already eyeing a pair of TEs for the 2023 class. At this time, I’m leaning toward saying Bennett Christian is their only signee at the position come December.
The trenches is where things get really, really interesting. On the offensive line, I was initially inclined to go with Earnest Greene and Kam Dewberry as the remaining commitments, but the departures of Ewers and Gosnell potentially opens up an extra spot.
Aamil Wagner is not as likely of an option as he was back in March, but he’s still one to pay attention to. The Rivals250 OT did receive an official offer from the Buckeyes last week (this is essentially means they’re still pursuing him), and he told me recently that they’ll always be a contender in his recruitment.
The big fish outside of Dewberry and Greene, however, is absolutely Kentucky commit Kiyaunta Goodwin. Goodwin is still being recruited by the staff, and told me a couple of weeks ago that he will visit Ohio State during the season.
Given how confident the Buckeyes are with Dewberry and Greene, coupled with their pursuit of Goodwin and Wagner, I’d say they end up with three more o-linemen in this class.
Along the d-line, I am hearing that the goal is to get in that 4-6 range, with the likeliest number being five. No surprise here but Caden Curry is the one I feel most confident about, with fellow Indiana-based prospect Kenneth Grant being a close second.
I also think Ohio State is on track to land California-based target Hero Kanu, though a decision for him is not expected until January. Rivals100 DE Kenyatta Jackson, whose father openly admitted to me this week that he wants his son in Columbus so he can learn under the tutelage of Larry Johnson, is one I’d give the Buckeyes the edge with right now.
I’m giving the slight edge to Georgia for Enai White at this juncture, but I think it’s way too close to call. The Buckeyes should be considered a very close second as White is intrigued by the possibility of playing as a true defensive end and learning from Johnson.
I also have another SEC program – Alabama – winning out for fellow Rivals100 DE target Omari Abor; once again, I think it’s close. This is a recruitment where I’ve been told that Ohio State would prefer to hold off on adding too many DEs in order for it to not hinder their chances with Abor.
They’re also in the top three, from what I’ve been told, with Gabe Dindy and Shemar Stewart, but I have Oklahoma winning out for Dindy and Miami landing Stewart.
Chris McClellan is a player I’d give the Buckeyes the advantage for if he decided to commit today, but I’ve heard that both Florida and the in-state Oklahoma Sooners are high on his radar. Him releasing a top six and not being committed by now, however, gives me some reservations when evaluating Ohio State’s chances of signing McClellan.
Overall, I’m going with five along the d-line and o-line each.
The Buckeyes are pursuing Utah-based prospect Carson Tabaracci, who would be their likeliest third linebacker option in the 2022 class. If not, they’re perfectly contempt with five-stars CJ Hicks and Gabe Powers, as well as potentially Xavier Nwankpa, who would play that hybrid linebacker/safety “Bullet” position.
Speaking of Nwankpa, he’s one of two primary targets at safety, along with Zion Branch. Matt Barnes and Co. seem to be putting all of their eggs in the basket for these two, but they may also explore recruiting five-star Jacoby Matthews if Branch starts to trend elsewhere. The plan is to add another safety who they’d use in those single-high coverages, and then get Nwankpa to fill the “Bullet” role that was previously designated for former commit Dasan McCullough.
The cornerback situation is a little tricky as it’s been hinted to me multiple times another decommitment may transpire. It’s based on both speculation and some truth, with the overall message being that another corner leaving the class is a possibility.
Even so, I’m leaning toward saying this will be a four-cornerback class, which was the case just two weeks ago. The Buckeyes will continue pursuing California product Ephesians Prysock, and will continue kicking the tires with Florida Gators pledge Julian Humphrey, so I think they’re likely to end up with one of those two.
This was a long response to a very relevant question, but I believe Ohio State ends up with 26 players in their 2022 class; three more offensive linemen, five more defensive linemen, a couple of more safeties and one more corner.
A source in Columbus told me today that this is a “very fluid” situation, so the Buckeyes are going to be flexible with their recruiting efforts from here on out.
@Highlands Buckeye: Who will be RB1 this year?
Hastings: I think game one it will still be Master Teague with Miyan Williams backing him up. What will it look like in game four, however, is an unknown as we imagine the running back situation would be fluid throughout the year.
It could be different by the middle of the season but, at this point, it is going to take someone to beat out the incumbent by a good margin to unseat him. Plus, Teague’s ball security and understanding of blocking schemes make him more valuable versus Minnesota and Oregon.
With a brand-new quarterback at the helm who’s never thrown a pass in college, you want to have a savvy veteran in the backfield to help them in this transition. That, in my opinion, makes Teague the logical choice to start the season, but that could absolutely change a couple of months from now.
You all know that I am very high on TreVeyon Henderson and the homerun threat he is on any given play. He’s the type of guy who, if the run game isn’t operating on all cylinders, can come in and jumpstart it with his electric playmaking abilities and his knack for taking it to the house.
I think Teague likely keeps the job as long as he’s healthy, but a running back by committee approach could be what they end up opting for.
@EdS1028: Who do you expect OSU to finish their OL and DL classes with as of today?
Hastings: This is a good question as there are only two commits combined along the o-line and d-line in the class right now.
The decommitment of Gosnell and reclassification of Ewers opens up the possibility of an additional player on each side of the trenches being added to the class if they can’t get another QB and TE on board.
For the o-line, I see the Buckeyes winding up with Earnest Greene and Kam Dewberry. Both have major Power 5 programs in play for each of them, but Ohio State set themselves up in a great spot with how well their June visits to the school went.
I am inclined to say they’ll add a third, though I’m not sure who it will be. Could they circle back to prospects committed elsewhere, such as Carter Smith or Ryan Baer? Will Kiyaunta Goodwin actually follow through with his intentions of visiting in the fall and, if so, is that enough to sway him away from a Wildcats program in which he is the star commit of the class? Does Ohio State turn up the heat with Wagner after adding Dewberry (from what I’ve heard, it seems they’re holding off on doing so in order to not impact their chances with Dewberry)?
I never like to leave a question unanswered, so I’m going to go out on a limb and say the three additional o-linemen are Dewberry, Greene and Goodwin.
As for the d-line, it could be a number of combinations. Here are 10 players Ohio State either really wants or is in a strong position to get if they put on the full-court press for them: Caden Curry, Chris McClellan, Enai White, Gabe Dindy, Hero Kanu, Kenneth Grant, Kenyatta Jackson, Nick James, Omari Abor and Shemar Stewart.
With no d-linemen committed, it’s difficult to say what the exact number will be.
Multiple sources have indicated to me that the Buckeyes are not set on a particular number, but I’ve heard that the top four at d-end would be Abor, Curry, Dindy and Stewart. Now, we know they are not getting all of them, but I do believe Curry will end up in this class at some point.
As I mentioned in the first response above, I also have Grant, Jackson and Kanu ending up in Ohio State’s 2022 class. But that fifth one is where I have trouble identifying who the last one will be.
Abor’s public apprehension with the depth chart, McClellan holding off on a commitment, and the potential effects of slow-playing White if Jackson commits has me on the fence about each of them.
I’m going to stick by my guns, however, and say that McClellan – who is versatile enough to play inside and outside – ends up in this class. So, to answer the second part of your question, Ed, my response would be Curry, Grant, Jackson, Kanu and McClellan for the defensive line.
@TampaBuck1: Give me your best guess OL classes for 2022 and 2023. While at it, let’s do DL too!
Hastings: I put my 2022 OL and DL classes above, but I’ll put them down below again.
O-line: Earnest Greene, George Fitzpatrick, Kam Dewberry, Kiyaunta Goodwin and Tegra Tshabola
D-line: Caden Curry, Chris McClellan, Hero Kanu, Kenneth Grant and Kenyatta Jackson
For 2023, that is certainly a difficult couple of groups to come up with. The main reason is that Ohio State has not yet filled out their board with offers, and the results of the prior class will influence how their they each position group in this cycle.
At this time, only 21 rising juniors in the trenches have been offered by the Buckeyes; in the 2022 class, that number is nearly 50. There is still well over a year left for the program to dish out even more offers but, since this seems to be a fun question with no expectation that I will be faulted when I eventually guess wrong, I’m game for it.
With the offensive line, the two I immediately put in without any hesitation were Josh Padilla and Luke Montgomery. People who I’ve talked to that cover other schools all get the sense that Montgomery is a Buckeye lean, while the program is on the right track for Padilla. From what I’ve been told, Montgomery is likelier to commit before Padilla does, though I expect both in the class.
I still think Rivals100 prospect Payton Kirkland has a lot of time left to go in his recruitment, but he’d be my third pick along the o-line for this response. He’s from the Midwest, grew up rooting for the Buckeyes, his mom is on board with the program, and last month’s visit went really well.
I’d wager the fourth would be from a player who has yet to be offered, but my o-line response to this question would be Kirkland, Montgomery and Padilla.
Switching over to the d-line, the only one I feel really confident about would be Derrick LeBlanc.
The Buckeyes lead, he visited three times in two months on his own dime, and Larry Johnson is who I believe will be the determining factor here. My only question is if Ohio State wants him right now as they don’t want to end up in a Jaheim Singletary situation where LeBlanc commits early, but opens his recruitment up so he can take visits.
Gabe Harris, who decommitted from Florida State just hours before being offered by the Buckeyes, as well as Rivals100 prospects David Hicks Jr. and Matayo Uiagalelei are additional players I’m paying attention to.
This is a tough one TampaBuck, but I’m rolling with Harris, LeBlanc, Keith Sampson and two unoffered prospects for the 2023 d-line class.
Once again, with how early 2023 recruiting still is, don’t hold me to my word for either of these two predictions.
MacRae: 2023 OL predictions:
1. Luke Montgomery
2. Joshua Padilla
3. Payton Kirkland
Here’s where things get interesting. Today, TJ Shanahan Jr. announced he was transferring from Timber Creek in Orlando (Florida) to Westlake High School in Texas. With that happening, I think the whole dynamic of this recruitment just changed.
Last week, I mentioned I thought with Shanahan being in Florida and having so much pressure from schools like FSU, UF, and Miami, I truly believed the Buckeyes would get caught in another home state struggle. Shanahan has not kept a tight seal on the fact he watched the Buckeyes growing up and the only college jersey in his closet at home is an Ohio State one.
With this transfer happening and the Buckeyes success in Texas as of late, I am officially now also adding TJ Shanahan Jr. to end up with the Buckeyes. There’s some major players also here but I like this way more now. Keep in mind Sam Spiegelman has had a FutureCast in for Shanahan for over two months now.
2023 DL predictions:
1. Derrick LeBlanc
I don’t feel necessarily that good about any of these players after that. I think the Buckeyes have a shot with Malik Bryant but not enough to add him in class predictions. David Hicks I feel decent about but, again, not so sure as I’m hearing Aggies. James Smith is too early to tell. Lebbeus Overton looks like Oklahoma or Bama but Ohio State has somewhat of a shot here.
After that, there is still way too much up in the air and I don’t feel as confident about that side of the ball yet.
However, I’ll continue to keep adding to my class predictions as time goes on.
@Highlands Buckeye: Which of our 4 QBs will transfer?
Hastings: I want to answer this question, but I just don’t believe it is fair to each of the quarterbacks that are on this roster.
First of all, we don’t even have a starting quarterback named for this 2021 campaign. That absolutely would influence my prediction, so not knowing who will be the signal caller against Minnesota makes this guess even less substantiated.
Secondly, Quinn Ewers has yet to arrive on campus and begin practicing with the team. We know what type of talent he is, but I still want to see him out on the field and practicing with the team before leaping to any conclusions.
This is the question on everyone’s mind, but it would not be responsible to throw out names without even a sliver of evidence. I do believe, however, that two of the four will not be on the roster come next season (2022), but predicting who that would be is simply anyone’s guess at this point.
@Mike11: Who are your 10 most likeliest, as of today, recruits to commit in the ‘23 class?
Hastings: Good question, Mike.
Down below, we’re each going to list our most likeliest additions for the 2023 class, along with a small blurb on why we chose each prospect. Would love to hear your list as well!
1) Luke Montgomery: In-state prospect at a position of need who is being shown that he’s a priority for the staff. Has the attention of several national and nearby suitors, but the Buckeyes are who most, including myself, expect Montgomery to sign with.
2) Derrick LeBlanc: You don’t take three unofficial visits (especially ones of that distance) in the span of eight weeks unless you have serious interest in a program. With the presence of Johnson on the staff, LeBlanc still having tOSU as his leader, and him saying there’s no school close to the Buckeyes, I believe there’s a good chance he commits soon.
3) Ty Lockwood: The loss of Benji Gosnell ups the urgency to add two tight ends in the 2023 class, with Lockwood becoming the main focus for Kevin Wilson and Co. Lockwood, who has Ohio State in his top four and is eyeing a trip to the Oregon game, is a player I feel very good about the Buckeyes’ chances with, especially with his other top contenders being Florida State, Penn State and South Carolina.
4) Braylon James: James has been hearing a lot of great things about the program from his former high school teammate Caleb Burton, and even labeled them as his leader last month. At this point, it’s hard to argue against the notion that Brian Hartline will get who he wants based on how well he’s been recruiting, so I think he strikes gold in Texas again with James.
5) Josh Padilla: While I think he takes it a little further out than Montgomery, I envision the end result being the same: A commitment to Ohio State. Programs like Notre Dame, Miami (Florida) and Indiana are also high in the mix, but the Buckeyes are in the best position to land the Wayne High School target.
6) Richard Young: We heard several months back that Young’s recruitment is going to come down to Alabama and Ohio State, and that’s how I still see it playing out. With the Buckeyes clearly separating themselves from the pack this summer and receiving two visits from him in the summer, I think they should be viewed as the long-term favorite for Young’s services.
7) Zachariah Branch: I do have to admit, Mike, that this one is somewhat dependent on what happens with his brother, Zion. I am assuming that Zion will ultimately end up in Columbus at the next level, edging out USC to land him. Zachariah told me that he wants to play with his brother at the next level and this, combined with Hartline’s stellar work on the trail, leads me to believe he’ll don the Scarlet and Gray in college.
8) Kayin Lee: I wanted to go with Ethan Nation here, but I ultimately went with the safe pick of Kayin Lee. Their production in the secondary, the smooth transition to their defensive scheme because of his style of play, and the way Ohio State has recruited in Georgia are a few of the reasons why Lee made my list.
9) Keith Sampson: This is just another situation in which I see Larry Johnson being the catalyst in the Buckeyes landing a target along the d-line. That, coupled with Kevin Wilson’s connections in North Carolina and him assisting in the pursuit of Sampson, is why I see Ohio State coming out on top here.
10) Alex “Sonny” Styles: Simply put, Ohio State cannot miss out on two of the top three targets in Ohio, especially if both go to Notre Dame. This will be a wire-to-wire finish, in my opinion, and the staff is going to go all in on Styles and put all of their resources into recruiting him. I definitely don’t feel extremely confident in this prediction, so that’s why he’s all the way at the bottom of my list.
MacRae: I’ll put this in order of my confidence level with one being the guy I expect most as of right now and 10 being the least confident but still ends in the class.
- Derrick LeBlanc: Dad loves the family and LeBlanc is absolutely considering committing soon.
- Luke Montgomery- As a long-time fan of the Buckeye, I think this one only goes one way and I think it happens sooner rather than later.
- Richard Young- released his top 10 today, but I definitely believe Ohio State is in charge here. Wouldn’t surprise me to see him commit by September time.
- Braylon James- Former teammate of Caleb Burton and one of their other high school teammates told me last week, “We all know that dude is ending up a Buckeye,” which runs in line to the way I see it now.
- Carnell Tate- This guy is another dude who absolutely bled Scarlet and Gray growing up. Would be shocked to see him not pick the Buckeyes.
- Joshua Padilla- Again, an in-state prospect who grew up a Buckeye fan and would be off the wall shocked if he didn’t pick the Buckeyes
- Payton Kirkland- I have him at 7 here because he’s a Florida prospect and they always concern me in recruiting as seen by a recent Ohio State decommit; but, as a kid whose mom wants him to be a Buckeye and for a kid who grew up as a major fan of the program, it’s tough to see him landing elsewhere. The Florida part always makes me more and more cautious every time it happens.
- Ty Lockwood- Got the scoop from another insider in his top four, and his words have me feeling pretty good here. “Kid loves the Buckeyes. Would be committed already if mom and dad didn’t make him go through the whole recruiting process.”
- Sonny Styles- I’m sure many people are wondering why I have this guy so low but it’s because the threat is real. Notre Dame is getting hot and Marcus Freeman is a tough customer to recruit against. Brother Lorenzo is getting involved but I still think dad pushes for at least one of his kids to carry on his legacy.
- This one is hard I had to debate between all DBs. AJ Harris and Cormani McClain, I really like the position the Buckeyes are in but need to see more there still. Same goes for Ethan Nation, who the Buckeyes staff seems to be in love with as a prospect.
But I feel most confident Kayin Lee. This guy means business when he talks about Ohio State and I’ll say this: Hardest. Hitting. DB. In. The. Nation. Reminds me a ton of Denzel Ward when watching him play. Last time we touched base, he said that “you don’t go to Ohio State for the hype. You go there to be a first-round draft pick if you’re in their DB room it’s simple, not much more to it.” That comment alone is why I’m putting more stock in him than any other of the names I listed at the CB position.
@DUKENYC: If coaches get shut out of a position group like say OL - do they go back to committed kids and try to pry them away - espec those that showed interest but weren’t top tier for us?
MacRae: This a pretty deeply rooted question but I’ll break it down as much as possible. There are a lot of factors that go into recruiting, especially when it comes to the Buckeyes. As many Buckeye fans are aware, Ryan Day and his staff look for not only the best of the best at each position, but they look for high character players who can fit the mold they’re looking to build.
So, when Ohio State zeros in on a player who they happen to miss on, it all depends who the targets left on the board are. In the case of in-state linemen for the 2022 cycle with Ryan Baer and Carter Smith, the Buckeyes could have gone back to those guys as things seem to be trending away with Aamil Wagner and them most likely only adding Kam Dewberry at the OT position.
However, they did not choose to pursue two guys who, more than likely, would be Buckeyes if the program pursued them heavily. Baer committed to Pitt yesterday and Carter Smith committed to Indiana last month. The staff felt the two players would not be able to fit into what they’re looking to do as a OL unit, so they moved on.
In situations like this, it all depends who’s left on the board and if they believe the player will be able to fit what they’re trying to do as a team.
@Sew: Will this class be set by the first signing date like last year?
Hastings: The 2021 class was mostly set by December, but they did add a couple of more players this summer. Those, of course, were J.T. Tuimoloau and Quinn Ewers, with the latter prospect expected to arrive on campus at the end of this upcoming week.
To answer your question, I would lean toward saying there is at least one more addition after December, so I don’t think it will be set by the first signing date in December. Hero Kanu is expected to commit at the All-American Bowl in January and a couple of other prospects, including Omari Abor and Xavier Nwankpa, may do the same thing as well.
The only question would be if they previously signed during the Early Signing Period and kept their decisions silent until they play in their respective bowl games. Plus, there may be a commit or two who is unable to sign early due to their school’s graduation rules.
Since there is likely going to be at least one player who signs in February, I’m not expecting the 2022 class to be officially set in stone by the turn of the new year.
@buckeyebri1: Who takes Singletary’s spot? Is it another cb?
Hastings: I have been told that Ohio State is going to push for another cornerback, but to be wary about saying this will definitively be a four-CB class. The reason for this is that there is a belief that another player at the position could decommit before it’s all said and done, though I will not say who that pledge is.
As for who will take Singletary’s spot in this class, I absolutely envision the Buckeyes replacing him with another cornerback. As for who that prospect will be, Carson and I do believe it’s going to be Ephesians Prysock.
The reason why is that while some schools may have cut off contact once they reached four cornerback commits in late June, Kerry Coombs and Matt Barnes have been continuing to stay in touch with Prysock.
In fact, coincidentally or not, Prysock posted photos of him from his Ohio State official visit on his Instagram story the day or day after Singletary decommitted. Prysock is a Rivals250 cornerback who stands at 6-foot-3 and has the type of length and athleticism the Buckeyes covet in the secondary.
I’ll also throw out Julian Humphrey’s name as he camped in early June, and was told by the staff that they want him to officially visit in the fall. An offer has not been delivered to the Florida commit just yet, but he’s a top-50 overall player who would somewhat make up for the loss of Singletary.
So, to answer your question, I would say that Singletary’s replacement is a corner, and that that player would be Prysock.
@Monabeth86: Are you ready to watch the cowboys not make the playoffs?
Hastings: This actually caught me off guard and gave me a chuckle.
I laughed because the Cowboys are definitely a shoo-in to not only make the playoffs, but contend for a Super Bowl. They’re the second-best team in the NFC, and a preview of the NFC Championship will be seen on Sept. 9 when they play Tampa Bay.
I’ve waited a long time to see this team live up to their lofty expectations, but that will finally come to an end when Dak hosts that Lombardi Trophy in February.
