Today is the day. Ohio State four-star safety target Lathan Ransom (Tucson, AZ / Salpointe Catholic) is scheduled to make a decision on where he will continue his football career, and we aren’t exaggerating when we say this is a big decision.
For much of the life cycle of Ohio State’s 2020 recruiting class, the focus has been on the offensive side of the ball. The Buckeyes have a total of 20 verbal commitments and only six of those are projected to play defense . Of those six defensive commits, five have committed to the program in the last month.
Because of this lack of depth, earning a commitment from one of the nation’s top safety prospects today would be a major positive for the Buckeyes. Fortunately, Ohio State is the runaway favorite to land a pledge from him.
That being said, there is no such thing as a certainty in football recruiting, and Ohio State hasn’t been the favorite for long.
Up until last month, Ransom was being projected to Texas. Then the official visit to Ohio State took place June 21 and the tables flipped. Whether it was the fact he made the trip with current teammate and fellow Ohio State five-star RB target Bijan Robinson or the fact that it was his last official visit before entering the recruiting dead period, ever since that visit came to an end, the Buckeyes have been in the driver’s seat of his recruitment.
Also of note, Robinson is slated to make his college selection choice Aug. 2 and the Buckeyes are now viewed as the favorite to land him as well.
But back to Ransom. The Buckeyes need to add depth in the secondary as they work to close out this year’s class and Ransom is a better fit to play alongside Ohio State four-star safety commit Lejond Cavazos. The pair were caught talking at last month’s The Opening Finals camp alongside Ohio State four-star cornerback commit Clark Phillips III, so the chemistry appears to already be in place.
On top of the chemistry, Ransom is also one of the best athletes in this class. The 247Sports Composite Rankings have him listed as the No. 4 safety and the No. 76 overall prospect despite position.
If the writing on the wall is correct, what was once viewed as a weakness in this year’s class for Ohio State could quickly turn into a strength, and the Buckeyes will surely be looking to add one more CB in the near future as well. (Elias Ricks we are looking at you.)
Make sure to follow Land-Grant Holy Land as we will keep you updated on Ransom’s decision and all things Ohio State.
Quick Hit:
- Adam Gorney and Mike Farrell of Rivals.com talked about a handful of players that could see a boost in their star rankings when their next round of rankings are released. Included in their list were Ohio State WR commits Gee Scott Jr. and Mookie Cooper. Also included was Ohio State RB target Bijan Robinson.