Ohio State to host multiple five-star prospects for Wisconsin game

Another big recruiting weekend is on the horizon as the No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes host the No. 13 Wisconsin Badgers; might not as big as it could have been with Wisconsin’s surprise loss to Illinois, but the Badgers have still been the second best Big Ten team on a week-to-week basis. It will still be a Top-25 clash either way, and the Buckeyes can use this to turn some of these maybes into yeses.

List of recruits attending Wisconsin game growing daily

There were always three games that were circled on the schedule as potential recruiting hotbeds. Michigan State was the first, Wisconsin the second, and then Penn State on Nov. 23. While the Wisconsin game may not see the sheer amount of recruits that the game against Sparty did, it is no less important, and might have it beat in terms of star power.

There will be an almost startling amount of five-stars in attendance. The usual Ohio suspects will be there — Jack Sawyer and Paris Johnson Jr. — but the Buckeyes will also be hosting the No. 1 2021 athlete in Emeka Egbuka and the No. 1 all-purpose back in that class wit North Carolina’s Will Shipley.

Also in town will be four-star prospects Damon Payne Jr, Hunter Washington and Duce Chestnut, as well as OSU commits Jack Miller and Grant Toutant. Rounding out the list are Jordan Hancock and 2020 running back prospect —and Iowa State commit — Miyan Williams, who is an important target as the 2020 class has no RBs currently in it.

Finally, there will be a couple of sophomores in attendance. Recruiting waits for no man, and OSU knows this better than anyone. 2022 recruits Kaden Saunders (Westerville South) and C.J. Hicks (Archbishop Alter in Dayton) will be in town to watch the Buckeyes take on the Badgers. Hicks has been to OSU once before, and is already shaping up to be Ohio’s No. 1 recruit. He has a five-star rating at a time where most sophomores don’t even have a rating at all yet.

This will be Saunders’ first visit and he is hoping to leave town with an offer. He’s already received one from basically everyone in the Big Ten, including Michigan, Michigan State and Penn State. He’s got 15 offers to date, and I’d be shocked if OSU doesn’t try to add to that list over the weekend.

Since both of these young guns are Ohio natives, holding on to the best in the state is key to recruiting, and I expect it will continue with the Buckeyes playing the way that they have been.

Multiple prospects putting OSU in their final few

As we have moved into the second half of the fall Quiet Period, lots of potential commits are narrowing down their lists of finalists. Here’s a quick list of prospects listing Ohio State amongst their final schools.

Bucknuts reports that 2021 offensive lineman William Griffin said, “Some schools that show the most love that I like are Alabama, Ohio State, South Carolina, Kentucky, and the hometown schools, Tennessee and Vanderbilt.” He’s 6-foot-5 and 310 pounds, and is a three-star, No. 42 offensive tackle in the country.

Jordan Hancock said via Lettermen Row, “I love Ohio State. It’s truly a dream school. They’re ‘DBU.’ I’m just looking for a place that feels like home.” He’s a 2021 three-star cornerback out of Georgia and comes in at 6-foot, 160 pounds, and is the No. 43 CB in the nation.

Safety Jaylen Johnson, another 2021 three-star said to Bucknuts, “Kentucky, Ohio State, UC and Penn State now.” He’s the No. 16 safety in the class, the No. 11 Ohio guy, 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds.

Four-star Tyler Baron told Lettermen Row, “It’s Tennessee, Ohio State and Kentucky, in no order.” He’s 6-foot-4, 252 pounds and the No. 3 strong-side defensive end in the class of 2020.

Some of these guys will be in town when the Buckeyes host Wisconsin and/or Penn State, and will hopefully be able to get the full commit from some of them soon.