Pair of four-star 2022 prospects list Ohio State among top schools

The Ohio State football team may not have taken the field this weekend, but they did get some good news on the recruiting front. The 2022 class continues to pick up a lot of momentum, and the Buckeyes look to be putting together something really special in the junior cycle. As is usually the case, Land-Grant Holy Land has you covered with anything you may have missed over the holiday weekend.

On Saturday, the Buckeyes made the top eight for 2022 four-star offensive tackle Aliou Bah. Making the cut for the IMG Academy product includes Florida, Florida State, Michigan State, Oklahoma, Penn State, Texas A&M, USC, and of course Ohio State.

Bah is the No. 37 OT in the junior class, and the No. 324 player overall in the nation according to the 247Sports Composite. Having been in contact with the 6-foot-6, 325-pound edge protector since April, the Buckeyes offered Bah back in August. With how he has spoken about Ohio State in the past, it is no surprise to see them make his top eight.

“Coach (Greg) Studrawa and coach (Ryan) Day offered me,” Bah told Bucknuts when he first received his offer. “I was on the phone with them. I was speechless. It was a blessing and jaw dropping opportunity. Most definitely, I like USC, Florida State, Texas A&M, and without a doubt Ohio State. I’m completely interested in Ohio State. They have a phenomenal program. The culture and traditions speak for itself. I love their competition and their staff. The facilities are amazing of course.”

Studrawa will certainly be searching for some big offensive line prospects in the 2022 class, especially at the tackle spots. Ohio State currently has a trio of offensive line commits in 2021, but the two highest-rated players among that group are interior linemen. They are already off to a good start recruiting tackles in the junior class, with an early commitment from four-star OT Tegra Tshabola. The Buckeyes will definitely want to add at least one or two more tackles to the class to shore up the edges moving forward.

The good news for Ohio State continued on Sunday afternoon, as the program then made the short list for four-star outside linebacker Malaki Hamrick. The North Carolina native has cut his options down to just five schools, with Appalachian State, Notre Dame, Penn State, UNC and Ohio State making the cut.

Hamrick is the No. 13 OLB in the 2022 class and the No. 140 player in the country overall. The 6-foot-4, 200-pound athlete had a huge sophomore season at Shelby, racking up 129 tackles with a whopping 19 sacks and 39 tackles for loss. The Buckeyes officially offered the talented Hamrick back in August, and Larry Johnson has been recruiting him hard ever since.

I’ve been on the phone with coach Johnson,” Hamrick told Bucknuts in mid-October. “He texts me and I call him. Everything is good. He sends me motivational things. And I was supposed to get on the phone with coach Day a few days ago, but I had a practice.”

Hamrick sees himself as a potential rush end or a hybrid-type player at the next level, which would be a welcomed addition to a 2022 linebacker class at Ohio State that already contains guys like Gabe Powers, C.J. Hicks, and Dasan McCullough. The Buckeyes have one top-10 commit from North Carolina in the junior class thus far in tight end Benji Gosnell, and there is hope they could swing the No. 5 player in the state in Hamrick.

Quick Hits

• Four-star CB commit Jyaire Brown has accepted his invitation to play in the Under Armour All-America Game. Brown, the first member of this impressive early group in 2022, is the No. 13 CB in the country and the No. 125 player in the nation overall. After moving back from Louisiana to Lakota West in Ohio, Brown is currently listed as the No. 4 prospect in-state. The Buckeyes currently have commitments from four of the top five players in Ohio in the class.

• The aforementioned McCullough dropped his junior season highlight tape on Sunday, and it is some truly impressive stuff. With four forced fumbles and four interceptions on the season for the do-it all defensive stud, it would not be at all surprising to see the 6-foot-5 athlete earn a fifth star before his recruitment is over. McCullough is currently listed as the No. 5 ATH in the country and the No. 48 player overall in the 2022 class.