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Ohio State recruiting: State Secrets, 8/1 - Thomas Holley, Nick Wilson latest

The latest on Thomas Holley, we catch up with Nick Wilson, plus a new Ohio State basketball offeree.

The Buckeyes are up to sixteen commitments for the 2014 class and ranked sixth nationally, according to the 247 Sports team rankings. A couple more big name recruits have Ohio State near the top of their lists, one of those being Brooklyn, New York defensive tackle Thomas Holley. Holley who holds offers from Alabama, Notre Dame, Florida amongst others, seems to be leaning towards either Ohio State, Penn State or Rutgers. If Holley committed to the Buckeyes, it would be yet another player who competed at The Opening 2013, that took place last month. Holley is currently ranked as the fourth best defensive tackle and the twenty-eighth best player in the country. A couple of days ago, he spoke with Todderick Hunt of NJ.com. Here's what he had to say about why he likes the Buckeyes:

"Just their need for lineman and, at the same time, their alumni base; how big it is and how they take care of their players. It's one thing to have your players graduate, move on and be successful. But to have them come back and give to the school on a regular basis, that says a lot."

In the article, it also states Holley would like to make his decision before the start of his senior season. So with that being said, Holley's high school's first game is scheduled for September 7th, meaning he could be making that phone call to Coach Meyer (or one of his other top schools) at any time.

As the Buckeyes are loading up on offensive lineman in the class, one of the best lineman in the in 2015 class was amongst those who recently visited the Buckeyes for Friday Night Lights. Nick Wilson, who is rated the fourth best guard in the country out of Alpharetta, Georgia, currently holds offers from Miami (FL), North Carolina, Ole Miss, Tennessee and Wake Forest. The Buckeyes have shown interest in the Nick, but have yet to pull the trigger and formally offer the 6'4" 280 lb guard. I do believe at some point though Nick will get the offer he seeks from the Buckeyes. Land-Grant Holy Land's own Charles Doss was able to catch up with Wilson to talk about the experience he had at FNL:

"It was really good. I thought it went really well and I loved getting to meet the coaches. I got to talk with a lot of the staff including Urban Meyer and Coach Warinner. They said that they were really interested in me, and they liked what they saw. It was almost like bring in a dream. I grew up watching games on that field and to work out on it was amazing. I've been to Ole Miss, Tennessee, and Georgia., and I would say Ohio State is probably the best one because of all the big players from Ohio State that were there coaching."

Below are some highlights from Nick's sophomore season:

Poona Ford out of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina will be making his commitment next Tuesday at his high school. The Buckeyes, who who made Ford's top five with South Carolina, Tennessee, Louisville and Kansas State, have unfortunately seemed to have drop off his radar. According to Allen Trieu of Scout.com, the big defensive tackle has six schools on on his final list:

Right now, per the 247 Crystal Ball, most believe the big defensive tackle will stay in-state and make the short commute to Columbia, South Carolina and play for the Old Ball Coach.

With the Buckeyes up to four commitments on the offensive line, many are wondering who might just be the fifth guy to enter the fray. Five star Damian Prince out of District Heights, Maryland could prove to be it. Prince, who stands at 6'6" 300 pounds, would be a great get for the Buckeyes, and is currently fifth highest rated offensive lineman in 247Sports' Top 247. Prince will finish his prep career at the 2014 Under Armour All-American game and has offers from Alabama, Florida State, Maryland and more. If anything, Prince seems to be natural fit for Ohio State director of player personnel Mark Pantoni:

Switching over to the hardwood, the Buckeyes have offered 2015 five star Jaylen Brown:

Brown, who is out of Marietta, Georgia, already holds offers from Kansas and Louisville to go along with his two newest offers in Texas and Ohio State. This would be a huge get for the Buckeyes and Coach Thad Matta. According to 247 Sports, they have Brown as the sixth best player in the '15 class and the second highest rated small forward overall. Below are some of Jaylen's highlights:

The Buckeyes also have appeared to reach out to two star recruit Isaiah Wright from Boise, Idaho:

The top two players in the country could becoming to a decision soon. Jahlil Okafor and Tyus Jones, who are thought by some to be heavy Duke leans, do not plan on dragging out their decision. Some believe the Buckeyes have a real shot at Okafor, but don't hold your breath on this one; somewhere, Dickie V is smiling.

QUICK HITS:

  • '15 ATH Ashton White tells me he will visit Ohio State & Virginia Tech this fall.
  • We're officially only 30 days away from Ohio State kickoff. Happy football month, everyone.