Ohio State prospects move up in new 247Sports 2021 rankings

Much of the focus over the past few days has been on the class of 2020 for Ohio State, and for good reason. Things got a little weird over the weekend in the running back recruiting department, and while there’s still plenty to unpack there, I think that it’s important to remember that Ohio State is still in a very good place, even as Jaylan Knighton commits to Florida State, and Bijan Robinson looks likely to pledge to Texas on Friday.

The Buckeyes have the No. 4 class in the country, and will almost certainly finish in the top five. They have the best receiver, center and tackle in the country. They have the best receiver class in the country, and blue chippers from all over the nation.

There’s even more positive when it comes to the future, and specifically, the class of 2021. We already knew that the 2021 Buckeye commits were solid, but we got a look at just how good this class might be when two current members, and quite a few targets saw big boosts in the newest 247Sports rankings on Tuesday.

So, what changes do you need to know about?

Commits

• Jack Sawyer remains one of the nation’s best, though he drops a spot from second to third.
• Ben Christman sits at 24th. He was 22nd, but he’s still in line to get his fifth star shortly.
• Kyle McCord gets a big boost after his showing on the camp circuit. He’s into the top 100, at 94th. This moves him to 38th in the composite rankings. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if he keeps rising even further.
• Jayden Ballard is up to 116th, up four spots.

Top Targets

• Ironton linebacker Reid Carrico is knocking on the door of five-star status, after a massive jump from 197th to 34th.
• Defensive tackle J.T. Tuimoloau is still the top player in the country. Interestingly, he’s one of three Washington products in the top-10. Ohio State’s Gee Scott Jr. connections could help there, because they’re also targeting receiver Emeka Egbuka, who checks in at eighth.
• Cornerback Tony Grimes moves up slightly, to 21st. Ohio State has to battle with Virginia Tech here but I think the Buckeyes have a shot thanks to Jeff Hafley.
• DT Damon Payne is up from 59th to 25th. I think he’s likely to be a future five-star, and a future Buckeye.
• In Ohio, halfback Corey Kiner is down five spots to 108th, athlete Lorenzo Styles is down eight to 120th, safety A.J. Kirk is down 12, to 189th, halfback Jaylen Anderson is down 19 to 198th, and end Najee Story is all the way down at 218, from 190th.