Last update before the nation’s top 2021 receiver makes his decision

Ohio State may not have a game tomorrow against the Team Up North, and while that is about as unfortunate as it gets, it’s still important to remember all of the positives that are surrounding the Buckeyes right now. Whether it be a perfect record to this point to being able to play in next weekend’s Big Ten Championship game, Ohio State is still in line to reach their ultimate goals of post-season play.

Speaking of positives, let’s cut right to the chase and once again look towards incredible streak the Buckeyes are on right now in regards to their recruiting efforts. There’s been a constant flow of good news, and the staff is hoping for more of the same tonight at 8 p.m. ET when Emeka Egbuka, the top-ranked receiver in the class of 2021, announces his college commitment.

The latest update on Egbuka

There hasn’t been a prospect more talked about this week in regards to Ohio State recruiting than Washington native Emeka Egbuka. The nation’s best receiver in the 2021 class will give the school of his choice some great news later today when he announces his decision. As it stands right now, Egbuka is down to Ohio State, Oklahoma, and Washington, with the first two programs the clear leaders of the three. With the commitment coming tonight, it’s important to once again shed some light on what could happen one final time before it’s set in stone.

Fresh off his recent and only visit to Oklahoma, Egbuka made it clear he was ready to announce. It could have been taken one of two ways as to why he was ready to commit. One reason being he loved the visit to Oklahoma and the Sooners had overtaken the Buckeyes for the inside track to his pledge. On the other hand, you could see it as he had seen everything he needed to from the three finalists after finally visiting Norman, making him ready to make the call as he intends to sign in the coming days during the early signing period. In this humble opinion, the latter of the two is the most reasonable outcome.

If there was a rapid change in the Crystal Ball predictions concerning Egbuka following the Oklahoma visit, that is definitely an aspect that would show where the likely destination would be. However, seeing the Buckeyes still holding nearly every forecast from some of the best national analysts, that’s a really good sign for Ohio State. In addition, when those same analysts such as Steve Wiltfong and especially Brandon Huffman of 247Sports say they’re still sticking with the Buckeyes to land Egbuka, that is huge. Hearing two guys in the know, with Huffman being the closest to Egbuka, stand strong in their pick is a good sign for Ryan Day and company.

All in all, anything could happen tonight, but our bet like many others is that the Buckeyes will win out and land Egbuka due to their extensive relationship that Brian Hartline has built over the last couple years. He’s been to campus multiple times, he speaks with Hartline every other day as he’s mentioned, he knows what the Buckeyes can do for his development after seeing the track record, and finally, he knows Gee Scott Jr. is there currently as another Washington native who can give him great insight on the life of a Buckeye.

Again, there is still a chance Egbuka could give his pledge to Oklahoma, but if there’s a bet to be made, the call here is for Ohio State — which would make two consecutive years Hartline has landed the top receiver in the country (and three if you count Caleb Burton in 2022). Soon enough, we’ll know know.

2022’s best safety interested in OSU

Ohio State’s 2022 class got off to a hot start with defensive players committing to the Buckeyes. With a few more offensive guys now being the recent pledges, the staff is looking for that next big splash on defense. While it may come from a number of top targets, the Buckeyes are fortunate enough to basically have the ability to hand pick their prospects in this class thanks to their incredible momentum and success on the trail in both 2021 and now in 2022.

A player the Buckeyes will be in on until the end is the best safety in the country, New Jersey native Keon Sabb. Ranked currently by the 247Sports Composite as the 13th-best player nationally, Sabb is also considered the top prospect in New Jersey for his class. At 6-foot-3, 195 pounds, Sabb clearly has the size to go along with the talent to be a true weapon for any defensive secondary. With over 30 offers to his name from the likes of Clemson, Florida, Georgia, Oklahoma, Ohio State, and a host of others, it’s pretty easy to see why Sabb is considered as the top player for his position.

Yesterday, Bill Kurelic of Bucknuts tweeted that Sabb and Ohio State have been talking “often” and a visit to Columbus is 100% the plan for when the recruiting dead period is lifted. Whether it be via zoom or some other way, there hasn’t been a staff in the country who has handled this better than the Buckeyes, so an actual in-person visit to campus should pay dividends in their pursuit of Sabb. Moving forward, it would only be keeping up with the trend if Ohio State could poach another player that’s the best at his position.

Quick Hits

• Early on in the 2021 recruiting cycle, the Buckeyes wanted to bring in two tight ends in the class. With the 15th ranked tight-end Sam Hart committed to Ohio State, the other prospect the Buckeyes wanted to land was Tennessee native Hudson Wolfe — the 7th best tight-end in the country. Yesterday, Wolfe who had been committed to Tennessee for months, de-committed from the Vols. While the Buckeyes were certainly in the running early, it looks as if this ship has sailed, with Ole Miss being the new likely destination. Fortunately, the Buckeyes already have two tight ends committed in the 2022 class.

• Ohio State is definitely recruiting Indiana native Caden Curry for their 2022 class. Ranked as the 7th-best defensive tackle in the country for 2022 and the best player in Indiana, Curry has long been a player the staff would love to snag from other Big Ten foes. Yesterday, Rivals analyst Mike Farrell hinted to the leader in Curry’s recruitment when he tweeted “Buckeyes bound?” It would be a sweet victory for Ohio State that would give them yet another player who is the top-ranked guy in their home state.