Elite recruits set to visit Ohio State

Early into the second week of June, Ohio State’s football program is having a busy time when it comes to recruiting.

The Buckeyes are fresh off a weekend commitment as four-star OT Gran Toutant flipped his commitment from Penn State to Ohio State. On top of this, the team has been hosting a historic amount of visits this month, including the weekend of June 21, which will see the Buckeyes play host to more than a dozen official visitors.

That impressive weekend visitor list continued to grow Monday as we learned three-star TE Joe Royer (Cincinnati, OH / Elder) added his name to the list. The news was first reported by Marc Gilver of Rivals.com

Royer, who you might remember from yesterday’s state secrets column, received an official offer from the Buckeyes last Friday, one day after showcasing his talents in front of Ryan Day and the rest of the Ohio State coaching staff. He also happens to be teammates with current Ohio State verbal commit Jakob James.

Currently viewed as a three-star TE in the 247Sports Composite Rankings, Royer is slated as the No. 38 TE in this year’s recruiting class and is the No. 33 recruit from the state of Ohio.

While he does hold offers from Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Louisville, Cincinnati, Arizona State and others, Ohio State is viewed as the leading contender for his services, holding 83-percent of the 247Sports Crystal Ball predictions.

4-star DT set to officially visit Ohio State this week

Royer isn’t the only recruit we recently learned would be visiting Ohio State later this month. Four-star DT Jacolbe Cowan (Charlotte, NC / Providence Day School) announced late Sunday night that he would be taking his first official visit to Ohio State this weekend.

Much has been made about Ohio State’s success, or lack thereof, on recruiting the defensive side of the ball in this year’s class. The Buckeyes hold just one verbal commit on defense in four-star safety Lejond Cavazos.

Cowan is also one of Ohio State’s biggest remaining targets remaining in this class, meaning the weekend visit is that much more important.

Fortunately for the Buckeyes, Alex Gleitman spoke with Cowan Monday and he mentioned that not only is he looking to the visit, he is also recruiting his current teammate and fellow four-star DT Kedrick Bingley-Jones. The Buckeyes have offered Bingley-Jones.

Cowan has kept his recruitment pretty close to his chest. Because of that, there has yet to be one single Crystal Ball Prediction by 247Sports. North Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia are all thought to be contenders, as well as Ohio State, though this is all speculation.

Quick Hit

• Four-star DT Vernon Broughton posted an Ohio State graphic on his Twitter Monday. Thought to be a Texas lean, Ohio State is definitely still in play for the top 100 prospect.