A number of visitors headline Day 1 of Ohio State spring football practice

It was a big day in Ohio State football yesterday. The Buckeyes kicked off their spring football with their first practice of the year, and while the focus was current players, plenty of former and possible future Buckeyes were in attendance to see the practice.

Former players like Tyquan Lewis, JT Barrett, Santonio Holmes, and the legend himself, Cardale Jones, among others. However, it wasn’t just a reunion in Columbus, as the Buckeyes hosted a number of recruits, including offensive tackle commit Doug Nester, and a pair of Northland (Columbus, OH) brothers that Ohio State fans should familiarize themselves with: John and Kalil Branham.

John, the elder of the pair, is the 664th ranked player nationally and the 54th ranked running back in the class of 2019, according to the 247Sports composite. He holds offers from Pitt, Akron, Cincinnati, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Kentucky, Ohio and Toledo. Most of the MAC programs, as well as some of the Big Ten, is interested in the elder Branham. Tony Alford and Urban Meyer both love what he has to offer, both on the field and in the weight room, and I wouldn’t be surprised at all if he picked up an offer this summer.

Kalil is the 129th ranked player nationally, and the 17th ranked wide receiver in the class of 2020. He already holds offers from Toledo, Kentucky and Cincinnati. While his offer sheet isn’t very long yet, Kalil is an extremely talented player, and if he continues to develop as Ohio State expects him to, he and his brother will likely play their college ball in Columbus.

Scouring the Sunshine State

To say that Ohio State spends quite a bit of time every recruiting cycle in Florida would be an understatement. The Buckeyes love to head south for recruits, and have done so many times under Urban Meyer, bringing 19 Floridians to Columbus since 2012. Ohio State headed back to the well yesterday, as they extended an offer to Wekiva (Apopka, FL) OLB/DE Rian Davis. Davis is ranked as the 512th player in the class of 2019 and the 34th defensive end.

He’s pretty much the definition of a tweener at this point; at 6-foot-3, 225 pounds, Davis can play either outside linebacker or edge rusher. Ohio State likely sees him as an end, and it’s easy to see why. Davis is an extremely talented athlete, and he spent his junior season absolutely dominating opposing offenses. Whatever position he ends up at in college, he’ll likely be a difference maker—and the Buckeyes would love to have him.