Ohio State’s 2022 recruiting really starting to heat up

In between huge commitments in their ridiculous 2021 class, the Buckeyes have been really hitting the trail hard as they start to compile a target list for 2022. In the last few weeks, Ohio State has sent out numerous scholarship offers to some of the top players in the next cycle. With two more coming on Tuesday, the program now has a whopping 41 offers out already.

Obviously there is still a ton of work to be done, as that number will grow close to 200 or more by the time everything is said and done, but with scouting and communication all forced to take place on a virtual level as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ryan Day and his staff are trying to make sure they stay on top of things and continue to prepare for the next class — even while still putting together a historic group in 2021.

The first offer put out by Ohio State on Tuesday went to Dasan McCullough, a four-star athlete in the 2022 class. Hailing out of Blue Valley North HS in Leawood, KS, McCullough is the nation’s No. 8 athlete, and the No. 1 player in the state of Kansas according to 247Sports’ rankings. He is also a top-100 national recruit, coming it at No. 73 overall in the cycle.

A two sport athlete, playing both football and basketball, McCullough plays outside linebacker and safety for the Mustangs. Despite being just a sophomore, the 6-foot-4, 210 pound defender is being heavily recruited, already amassing over 37 scholarship offers. Among those involved are some of the biggest names in college football, including Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Oklahoma, Penn State and many more.

Likely profiling as a safety at the next level, McCullough would be a perfect fit for the ‘bullet’ position on Ohio State’s defense, should he choose to go that route. He has been lauded as a very fluid athlete, featuring both good cover skills and speed as well as being a more than willing hitter.

Ohio State’s other Tuesday offer went to four-star outside linebacker Joshua Burnham. A big-time prospect from that state up North, Burnham is listed as the No. 7 OLB in the 247Sports rankings, as well as Michigan’s No. 2 player and the nation’s No. 75 prospect overall.

Despite being another top-100 recruit, the Buckeyes are one of the earlier teams in on the recruiting process for Burnham. OSU becomes just his ninth offer alongside some of the other big hitters in the Big Ten, including Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Wisconsin and others. Like McCullough, Burnham is also a two-sport athlete in both football and basketball, and is currently preparing for what will be his junior season this upcoming fall.

As it stands, all five Crystal Ball predictions currently have Burnham staying in-state to play for the Wolverines. However, his recruitment is nowhere near over, and Ohio State has done a pretty good job of heading north and taking away things that Michigan likes (i.e. winning football games, top recruits, etc.). Can Ryan Day work his magic? Time will tell.

Quick Hits:

• The nation’s No. 1 recruit Korey Foreman decommitted from Clemson on Tuesday. The news did not exactly come as a shock. Rumors had been floating around that Foreman wanted to take visits to some of his other top schools, and Dabo Swinney has a strict no visits policy for his commits. While USC seems to be heavily in the mix for his services, as he is a California guy, don't be surprised if the Buckeyes test the waters. If visits can resume sometime this summer, expect Foreman to at least check out Columbus.