Ohio State’s successes in football recruiting have been well documented, especially since the start of the year. Despite the unprecedented challenges the coaching staff has had to endure, the haul the Buckeyes have pulled in for the 2021 recruiting class has been remarkable. The recruiting class currently sits at No. 1 in the nation, and it appears to already be in better position than last year’s impressive haul.
It’s almost as if Ryan Day and Ohio State have been picking and choosing with this class, as seemingly every recruit they target is interested in the school or already committed. However, today will likely bring one of the few spurns the class.
Four-star outside linebacker target Barrett Carter (Suwanee, GA/North Gwinnett) is set to announce his collegiate school of choice today at 6:50 pm ET.
i will be announcing my commitment tomorrow, my mothers birthday at 6:50pm EST on Fox 5 News.
— barrett carter (@bcsznn) May 18, 2020
God Bless and see y’all then! @FOX5Atlanta @Mansell247
Carter is one of the best prospects at his position. The 247Sports Composite Rankings have him listed at No. 4 at his position and No. 56 overall in the class. He would also make for an excellent addition to the class, as the Buckeyes only have one linebacker committed in the class in four-star ILB Reid Carrico.
However, with the Covid-19 pandemic shutting everything down, college football included, Ohio State’s chances in securing a commitment from Carter have seemingly shut down as well. The blue-chip prospect had plans to make a return trip to Ohio State this spring, but was unable to do so, leaving the Buckeyes in a hard spot to overcome.
While the Buckeyes are still hopeful for a commitment, Clemson, Auburn and Georgia are more likely to hear their name called later today. In these uncertain times, it is proven more difficult than ever to pry a recruit away from a school of closer proximity, and this will likely be the case this afternoon.
Especially with high school teammate Jordan Hancock already committed to Clemson, it appears as though Carter will choose the Tigers.
Quick Hits:
Under former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer, Florida was one of the biggest pipelines the program had for recruiting. Following Meyer’s departure, one of many questions people had for Ryan Day was if this success would continue. Fortunately for Buckeye Nation, Day has stepped up to the plate and the Sunshine State pipeline that began with Joey Bosa and Nick Bosa has picked back up for the second year in a row.
Rivals released an article on the programs recruiting Florida prospects hardest outside the state, and the Buckeyes were listed at No. 4. This time around, the Buckeyes have already earned a verbal commitment from four-star IMG Academy defensive end, Tunmise Adeleye, the No. 7 player from the state and No. 4 DE in the nation.
Also still to make his college decision is five-star offensive tackle JC Latham, a teammate of Adeleye’s at IMG. Latham, the No. 5 OT in the country and No. 4 prospect out of Florida in 2021, has 10 Crystal Ball predictions — all of which are currently in favor of Ohio State.