Top prospects list Ohio State among top schools

Ohio State’s football program may be off for spring break but the team had a BOOMing start to the week. The Buckeyes earned their seventh commitment Monday when in-state OT Trey Leroux committed to the program.

However, the headlines didn’t stop there as three of the country’s top prospects in the 2020 class listed the team among their top schools.

Below you can find those recruits that have Ohio State as one of their top schools and who the Buckeyes will be competing with for their commitments.

4-star OC Reece Atteberry

Class: 2020

Hometown: Aurora, CO / Eaglecrest

Measurables: 6-foot-5 / 280 pounds

Top Schools: Ohio State, Duke, Nebraska, Notre Dame and Michigan

Summary: Ohio State is looking to bring in a haul of offensive linemen in this year’s class. The school already has three offensive tackles committed in the class, as well as four-star center Luke Wypler.

Upon first look, one might be quick to pass off Ohio State in the race for Atteberry because of Wypler’s commitment. However, don’t be too quick to dismiss the Buckeyes in this one as the school has been viewed as the leader in his recruitment since pretty much the beginning. To go along with this, Wypler is being looked at as more of a guard by Ohio State.

To add more fuel to Ohio State’s fire, Atteberry has an upcoming unofficial visit scheduled to Columbus for March 23. This visit is a big one for Ohio State and if all goes well, the Buckeyes could have their next offensive linemen commit in the bag.

4-star OT John Young

Class: 2020

Hometown: Louisville, KY / Christian Academy of Louisville

Measurables: 6-foot-6 / 280 pounds

Top Schools: Ohio State, Georgia, Louisville, Purdue, Kentucky and Michigan

Summary: Well if it wasn’t already obvious, Ohio State is going all in on adding depth to its offensive line in this class, it should be now.

The four-star tackle is one of the Buckeyes’ top remaining prospects this year and making the cut for his top schools was a big step in the right direction. Unlike Atteberry though, Ohio State has plenty of work to do if it is going to secure a commitment from Young.

Young so far is heavily favored to commit to Kentucky, although it isn’t a for sure thing just yet. Georgia has been rumored to be gaining steam in this race following a late February visit but at this point, it is anybody’s guess to where Young will wind up.

Expect Young to wait to make a decision until he has been able to take some official visits this spring, and expect Ohio State to do everything they can to get him to take one of them to Columbus.

4-star S RJ Mickens

Class: 2020

Hometown: Southlake, TX / Southlake Carroll

Measurables: 6-foot-1 / 188 pounds

Top Schools: Ohio State, Alabama, Clemson, LSU, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Michigan, Notre Dame, Florida, Nebraska and Miami

Summary: Moving away from the offensive line, Ohio State also made the cut for the nation’s top safety prospect Monday.

The announcement comes as great news for the Buckeyes as the school has yet to earn a commitment from a defensive player in this year’s class, so being listed as a top school for one of the best defensive prospects is big.

Mickens boasts great size and athleticism as a DB and has played multiple roles in the secondary during his high school ball - and he has excelled at all them, although he projects best as a safety at the next level.

Although he has received a reported 31 scholarship offers, Ohio State currently leads in the 247Sports Crystal Ball Predictions, holding 50 percent of them.

Mickens last visited Ohio State in the summer for the program’s annual Saturday Night Lights camp and expect the program to get him back on campus multiple times in the coming year to keep the momentum going in its direction.