Ohio State hoping for some magic as they try to flip a four-star LB

There’s only a few short weeks until the early signing period for football, which will give the Buckeyes several early Christmas gifts. With all of the current commits in the fold likely to sign early in December, the majority of the work is over in this cycle.

Still, the Buckeye’s 2021 class has a few spots still left up for grabs, and with the staff already zeroed in on who they want in those remaining voids, it’s closing time for Ryan Day and his crew. Now that majority of the attention is being set on the 2022 class and beyond, it can be easy to look past what is in the present. The great news here is that the 2021 class, as good as it already is, has full intentions on getting even better.

Do the Buckeyes have a chance here?

Ohio State has likely three spots left in their current 2021 class, and everyone knows the Washington duo of J.T. Tuimoloau and Emeka Egbuka are two of the top targets the Buckeye staff is still all in on. Basically reserving those spots for these two guys has been a theme for several months, and will continue to be until they make their decisions.

The final spot, however, has been left open for a number of prospects it seems, but there’s some clarity coming forth as the end draws near on this current cycle.

For a while that last spot was thought to be for another offensive lineman, mainly five-star offensive tackle target Tristan Leigh, but with him never being able to get back to Ohio State for the “Buckeye Bash” it looks as if LSU or Oklahoma are going to be the winners in this recruitment. All of this leaves the door open for who may be the final guy the Buckeyes want in the fold.

On Thursday, Steve Wiltfong, Director of Recruiting for 247Sports, shed some light that current LSU commit Raesjon Davis is the target the Ohio State staff hasn’t given up on regardless of his LSU pledge.

Ranked as the third-best outside linebacker in the country as well as the No. 38 player overall nationally, Davis has been on the Buckeyes’ recruiting board since day one. At times there has seemed to be some serious momentum in favor of Ohio State, and Davis himself has made it no secret that the Buckeyes do catch his interest. Rumors even swirled that Davis may be able to make it to Columbus at least once more before signing day, but with the NCAA extending the in-person recruiting dead period yet again through mid-April, that doesn’t look real likely now.

Per Greg Biggins, who is the one to recently touch base with the four-star linebacker this week, Davis stated that he was 100-percent committed to LSU, and has been helping the Tigers recruit other guys for their 2021 class.

With quotes like that, it doesn’t give the general notion that the Buckeyes stand much of a chance at flipping the California native who has been committed to LSU since Jan. 1, and when someone in the know like Wiltfong echoes those sentiments, it’s obviously worth noting. On the other hand though, Ohio State has made some pretty miraculous flips near the end of the recruiting cycles in multiple years, so anything is possible.

What we know is that Ryan Day and his staff are relentless on the trail, and will respect the boundaries of a player, but will also make it clear they’re not giving up. As this class starts to wind down, it does look as if the three remaining spots have potential reservations for only certain players.

2023 receiver would love Buckeye offer

In yesterday’s edition of State Secrets, the topic of 2023 recruiting came up when the second-ranked pro-style quarterback Cameron Edge was mentioned. As Ohio State jumps on any opportunity to build early relationships with players, the class of 2023 is once again seeing some attention.

Florida native Jalen Brown has made it clear he is very interested in Ohio State and earning an offer from the Buckeyes. A top receiver of course, the Buckeyes may have yet to be in touch, but Brown still thinks he’d be a perfect fit in Ohio State’s system. In an article with Bill Kurelic, the Gulliver Prep product maps out his already impressive offer list, and also how he feels he could be used at Ohio State.

Quick Hits

• On Thursday night, Ohio State offered 2023 defensive tackle John Walker. A 6-foot-4, 260-pound DT out of Kissimmee, FL, the talented sophomore already has a bunch of offers from some of the nation’s top programs, including the likes of Alabama, Florida, Notre Dame and others.