Ohio State recruiting: Buckeyes send offer, make a top schools list

The Ohio State Buckeyes could be on the cusp of some very big booms shortly. With five-star wide receiver Julian Fleming announcing his commitment on Friday, the Bucks look to be a favorite as we head down the homestretch.

But before we get to Friday, there was eventful news on the recruiting trail. OSU took part in an offer, made a top-10 schools list, and made an official visit list. Basically, everything but getting a commitment happened for Ryan Day’s program on Wednesday. More progress was made in the 2020 recruiting cycle, making the chances of a top Buckeye class even more probable. Let’s take a look at what went down.

An official trip

June 21 will be a big day for OSU and four-star running back Sam Adams II. The Sammamish, Wash., native announced that he’s taking one of his official visits to Ohio State.

Offers and accolades follow the No. 16 running back in the 2020 class. On top of over 40 offers, he’s made The Opening Finals, Polynesian Bowl, All-American Bowl and Pro Football Hall of Fame World Bowl. In the class, the 247sports composite has Adams II as the 174th best prospect in the class and the No. 3 overall prospect in the state of Washington.

With coach Tony Alford on the recruiting trail for this one, the pedigree of success for OSU running backs could be the biggest factor working for the Bucks. They’ll need whatever they can, as Adams appears to be leaning on home state Washington. With only a few crystal balls submitted on 247sports, all of them point to the Huskies.

The recruiting process is still very fluid for Adams II. Ohio State appears to be the only team penciled in for an official visit, but expect the likes of Alabama, Florida, Penn State — all teams that have offered the Eastside Catholic star — and teams in need of a top-tier running back to make a push.

Daily Double

As James Holzhauer keeping on trucking the competition on Jeopardy! with the help of daily doubles, the Buckeyes found themselves on a daily double of their own for a three-star tight end. Hours after receiving an offer to play for Ohio State, Blake Smith (Southlake, TX / Southlake Carroll) announced his top-10 schools list on Twitter—with the scarlet and gray making the cut.

Considered the 25th best TE in the 2020 class, Smith has received a few huge offers over the past couple weeks. Michigan and Alabama made offers on May 24, and now the Buckeyes have come knocking less than a week later. Smith holds over 30 offers, with all 10 of his top schools being ones that have made their offers known.

Now that OSU, Bama and U-M have entered the race, things get a little more interesting. The Texas schools can’t be counted out, especially if TCU and Texas A&M perform well this season.

Tight end has been an evolving position for the Buckeyes, and with a new coach, we don’t really know how impactful the role of TE will be in the Day era. If it goes well, look for more top TEs to head to Columbus.

Quick hits

• Could the Bucks be close to getting a commitment from five-star running back Kendall Milton? They’ll have a good opportunity to sway him, as Milton takes a visit Friday.