Ohio State recruiting: State Secrets, 8/29 - Esa Ahmad names Bucks to final 5

Thursday was pretty quiet when it comes to the world of Ohio State recruiting, but we're still here to get you caught up on all of the latest happenings.

Bucks make final 5 for Esa Ahmad

Ohio State made the final 5 cut for Cleveland (OH) Shaker Heights forward Esa Ahmad yesterday. Maryland, Oregon, Wisconsin, and West Virginia join the Buckeyes at the top of the in state standout's list.

This comes as no surprise as the Buckeyes are considered to be the team to beat to land a commitment from the Shaker Heights star. It's a little unknown on when he'll officially announce his decision as it depends on how many official visits he wants to take before announcing for a school.

At this point it would be pretty surprising if Ahmad didn't end up in Thad Matta's 2015 recruiting class. It's more important than ever that the Scarlet and Gray land him because they recently lost the verbal pledge of standout forward Mickey Mitchell, who committed around this time last year.

Virginia Tech weekend draws closer

We're just a week away from what could be Ohio State's biggest or second biggest recruiting weekend of the year. Urban Meyer and company are set to host some of the nation's top prospects next weekend when the Buckeyes are set to take on Virginia Tech under the lights at the 'Shoe.

While there are many big names set to be in attendance, a couple stand out, especially Torrance Gibson and Damien Harris, who added his name to the already very impressive list of visitors earlier this week. Gibson has already named the Buckeyes as his leader, but a good visit to seal the deal. He's supposed to make his announcement on Oct. 20. Harris hasn't named Ohio State as his top school, but I believe they're firmly in the lead and we could see the lead grow after his official visit.

Jacques Patrick, Kevin Toliver II (LSU commit), and Josh Sweat are also supposed to be on campus to take in the game. While I'll three appear to be long-shots are things currently stand, it wouldn't be surprising to see the Buckeyes make a big move for at least one of them following the visit.

Land-Grant Holy Land will make sure to have you covered for the big recruiting weekend.

Other recruiting news

- 2017 quarterback commit Danny Clark lead his Massillon Washington team to a 37-30 victory over Perry high school on opening night.

It will be fun to monitor the standout quarterback's progress over the next three years. He has the chance to be on of the top players in his class when it's all said and done.

- 2015 defensive line target Neville Gallamore had 8 tackles and 3 sacks in his season debut Thursday night according to Josh Helmholdt of Rivals.

The massive Canadian tackle really impressed me when I saw him in camp over the summer. He has the chance to be a very good player at the college level.

Important Dates

• Aug. 2 visitor(s): Esa Ahmad (basketball)
• Sept. 6: Virginia Tech visitor(s) - QB/ATH Torrance Gibson, RB Damien Harris, RB Jacques Patrick, RB Jordan Scarlett (Miami commit/maybe), WR Lawrence Cager, WR Devante Peete, WR Sam Bruce(Miami commit/maybe), WR Trevon Grimes(2017/maybe), OL Matthew Burrell (maybe), DE Josh Sweat, DE Mekhi Brown (Alabama commit), DE Nick Bosa (2016), DE/LB Ricky DeBerry, CB Damon Arnette (South Carolina commit/maybe), CB Kevin Toliver II
• Sept. 27: Cincinnati visitor(s)- QB Dwayne Haskins, WR Austin Mack (2016), TE Jake Hausmann, OL Michal Menet (2016)
• Nov. 1: Illinois visitor(s)- LB Malik Jefferson
• Nov. 29: Michigan visitor(s)- RB Damien Harris, WR Austin Mack (2016), OL Michael Jordan (2016), OL Tommy Kraemer (2016), S Will Sunderland