Ingrams gets Buckeye offer

Despite having one running back already in the fold for 2018 in Brian Snead, Ohio State is still actively looking for the prospect to complete the duo in the backfield.

On Wednesday, the Buckeyes turned to a state where they had tremendous success in last year’s recruiting cycle: Texas. 2018 RB Keaontay Ingram (Carthage, TX / Carthage) was the latest to become a recipient of an Ohio State offer.

Ingram is a 5-foot-11, 190-pounder and is quickly closing in on 20 offers in his recruitment. Some schools that the Buckeyes will look to outpace in this race include Arkansas, Baylor, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M and UCLA.

Ingram is currently slotted as the nation’s 19th best running back and 40th best player from the state of Texas — where he is currently expected to remain for college. According to the 247Sports Crystal Ball, former Ohio State offensive coordinator Tom Herman and the Longhorns are the current projected landing spot for Ingram.

More weekend visitors expected

What we already knew coming into Wednesday was that Ohio State was expected to host both '18 offensive guard Jalil Irvin of Stephenson (GA) and '18 inside linebacker Jack Sanborn of Lake Zurich (IL) — both blue-chip prospects.

What we found out yesterday was that three more are also going to be in Columbus this weekend. According to 247Sports' Bill Kurelic, the Buckeyes will also receive visits from '18 RB Iverson Clement, '18 quarterback Kevin Doyle, and '18 defensive end Travon King.

Obviously, the big one to watch here is Clement. He is the only one of the three that currently has an offer from the Scarlet and Gray under his belt. Clement is a four-star prospect and it is entirely possible that he gives his pledge to Ohio State, if the Buckeyes would accept it at this time.

However, as mentioned above, Ohio State already has a commitment from Snead at the position. With the possibility of adding someone like '18 RB Jaelen Gill and/or '18 RB Zamir White — the best back in the country — it wouldn't be shocking for Buckeyes to hold off on accepting the pledge for now.

In-state RB talks Buckeyes

Sticking to the script on running backs, '18 RB Tavion Thomas (Dayton, OH / Dunbar) is another to watch going forward despite not yet receiving an offer from Ohio State.

I caught up with Thomas on Wednesday morning and he relayed to me that the Buckeyes are showing interest. "We talked [on Tuesday]," Thomas stated. He continued by saying he speaks with offensive line coach Greg Studrawa and running back coach Tony Alford about every other day.

Thomas also revealed to Land-Grant Holy Land that he will be in Columbus on Saturday to visit. When asked what he was looking forward to seeing on the Buckeye campus, Thomas mentioned the academic side and meeting the big boss. "I'm just looking forward to having fun, meeting Urban Meyer, and meeting some of the players."

Right now, as stated above, Thomas does not have an offer from the Buckeyes. The programs that have offered include Cincinnati, Kentucky, Michigan State, West Virginia, Wisconsin and more.

When I asked Thomas what an offer from Ohio State would mean to him, he simply said, "Pretty much, it will be big."