Even though college football is in the midst of a recruiting quiet period now, the Ohio State Buckeyes have been making more than enough noise in their 2020 class. With two more huge commitments this past weekend from the likes of four-star prospects Darrion Henry and Cody Simon, Ohio State is starting to really silence the doubters who were worried that this staff couldn’t recruit defensively.
With Nike’s The Opening also getting started this past weekend, the Buckeye commits that are on sight are not only impressing with their abilities on the field, but also other prospects with their recruiting abilities. It’s a great time to follow Ohio State recruiting, and with more success to come in the near future, let’s dive into more of the good news.
Williams includes Buckeyes in Top 5
When Ryan Day hired Greg Mattison to the Buckeye staff, Greg brought a little bit of his history with him. In 2019, Ohio State’s defense will have what they call the “Bullet” position. A hybrid position, the Bullet will be a combination of what is an outside linebacker/safety style of defender. While the current roster has guys such as Brendon White ready to take a crack at this role, the current defensive staff is already looking for guys they want to take the reigns in the years to come. Thankfully, they may even land their top target they’re pursuing.
Over the weekend, Kourt Williams, a four-star outside linebacker from Bellflower, Calif., released his final top five schools he will choose from before a final decision. Having just visited the Buckeyes last weekend on one of his officials, Williams left not only impressed, but also thought by many to have Ohio State as his clear leader in his recruitment. Making the cut for Williams included Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Penn State, and of course Ohio State.
“For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
— ⚡️Kourt Williams II⚡️ (@kourt22williams) June 28, 2019
Matthew 23:12
It’s been a rollercoaster journey...but we’re just getting started..⏳#Top 5
PC: @MoisaDesign pic.twitter.com/U4WVuo1EcH
The 6-foot-1, 220-pound outside linebacker is ranked currently as the No. 12 prospect at his position for the current class as well as the No. 15 player in a loaded state of California. Coming in as a top 200 player in the nation, it’s easy to see why Kourt has over 20 total offers from many of the top programs. As mentioned, the Buckeye visit for Williams went extremely well. A decision is nearing and, as it stands right now, Ohio State is sitting very well for another elite defensive player.
An update from Nike’s The Opening
Nike’s The Opening is one of the premier camp on the recruiting circuit each year. While Buckeye fans certainly care for how well their current commits perform in The Opening events and contests, the gist of this update is to discuss how the commits are doing in the ears of players the Ohio State staff is targeting for their 2020 class.
Guys such as Julian Fleming, Lejond Cavazos and Jack Miller are great at exactly that. Without further adieu, here are the latest rumblings from what’s going on in Texas currently and around the rest of the country regarding the Buckeyes.
Current LSU commit Elias Ricks is a player the Buckeyes have long targeted. Even though he has been committed to LSU for a while now, Ohio State has not given up. In fact, while the staff has always laid the groundwork Mater Dei five-star, the current commits are doing well enough with Ricks that he has taken to media to say Ohio State “is in a real good spot”. While that commitment to LSU remains, Ryan Day may be getting closer to earning the “spatula” nickname just as Urban Meyer before him had.
In more positive news regarding Ohio State, the noise in the air surrounding Bijan Robinson continues to look good for the Buckeyes. While Day and staff continue to look for their running back in the 2020 class, Robinson, their top target is out there and trending their way. In fact, a West Coast Rivals.com writer, Adam Gorney, put in a “Future Cast” which is similar to the 247sports crystal ball for Robinson to Ohio State. A decision is nearing and if the current trend continues, Ryan Day and Tony Alford may very well have their running back in the 2020 class in the fold.
Quick Hits:
- 2021 four-star offensive center Ryan Linthicum (Damascus, MD/Damascus) named his top-8 schools over the weekend. Making the cut included Michigan, Clemson, Maryland, Virginia, Virginia Tech, LSU, North Carolina and Ohio State.
- 2021 five-star receiver Agiye Hall (Plant City, Florida/Armwood) released his top-12 schools over the weekend. Including Ohio State on his list, other programs such as Clemson, Oklahoma, Georgia, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Texas, Ole Miss, Oregon, USC, LSU and Arizona State all round out his top schools.
- According to Bucknuts analyst, Bill Kurelic, four-star safety Lathan Ransom is likely to decide on his college destination on July 16, his birthday, but a commitment may even come sooner. Also, Kurelic put in a crystal ball for four-star 2020 receiver, Mookie Cooper to the Buckeyes over the weekend.