Ohio State recruiting: State Secrets - Baron Browning Offered

Thursday was a relatively quiet recruiting day for Ohio State. However, it was business as usual for two assistant coaches, as they traveled across the country in efforts to strengthen what are already premiere recruiting classes.

Buckeye coach Kerry Coombs stayed in state as he returned to Cincinnati for some "flag planting back home in the Queen City and the surrounding areas." Coombs was recently able to snag the nation's top-rated punter, Drue Chrisman, of Cincinnati LaSalle, but there were no updates on his current trip.

The biggest news for the Buckeyes came out of Texas, as coach Tim Beck traveled over 1,000 miles to offer the nation’s No. 1 ILB of the 2017 recruiting class, Baron Browning. The Buckeyes are the 19th team to extend Browning a scholarship offer, and will be competing with the best as he holds offers from Arkansas, Baylor, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Texas, Texas A&M, Florida State and plenty of other top programs across the nation.

Ohio State will be losing multiple key players on the defensive side of the ball after this upcoming season, and the list could include current Buckeye starting LBs Darron Lee and Raekwon McMillan. This could potentially give the 6’3, 220-pound linebacker a chance at some early playing time, if he were to choose the Buckeyes.

Browning had 34 tackles as a freshman in 2013 and missed the majority of his sophomore campaign due to a shoulder injury. He is currently expected to choose between Baylor and Texas A&M.

Gibson learning Buckeye playbook

Ohio State's incoming freshman QB, Torrance Gibson, had his own blog post in the High School Sports section of USA Today on Thursday. Gibson, the No. 16 overall recruit in the ESPN 300, described the new playbook as being similar to the one he used in high school, saying, "We run these same formations and, in some cases, the same plays with different names. It sounds crazy, but it's almost like being in high school all over again."

The nation's top incoming dual-threat QB later said that he doesn't have the playbook down completely, but expects to be able to put it all together once he begins working with Buckeye receivers and linemen.

Gibson also expressed that he is eager to learn as much as he can from each of the three potential starting QBs the Buckeyes already have on the roster. He admitted it would initially be difficult to relinquish some of the leadership he held in high school, but that the amount of respect he has for the other guys will be enough to make the process a relatively smooth one.

Gibson will be leaving for Ohio State on June 13.

Bruce Judson to visit Kentucky?

Thursday evening, Patrick Loney of Scout.com's Kentucky site tweeted that '17 Buckeye commit and four-star RB Bruce Judson informed Loney he plans to visit the Kentucky Wildcats during the summer and could even participate at a team camp. The news is obviously discouraging for the Buckeyes, who are still favorites to land the two-time All American out of Florida.