Ohio State commits rise in latest Top247 recruiting rankings

The latest 2021 Top247 recruiting rankings have been released and don’t worry— the Buckeyes still reign as the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class. 15 of Ohio State’s 19 commitments are all over the board, including three in the top 10.

Defensive end Jack Sawyer continues to lead the Buckeyes, ranking No. 5 in the 2021 class. He’s followed by offensive lineman Donovan Jackson, who jumped from No. 11 to No. 6, and running back TreVeyon Henderson who moved from No. 13 to No. 10 and gained his fifth star.

Not to mention:

I’ll allow it.

The list of Buckeyes who saw their rankings rise include:

• Wide receiver Jayden Ballard— No. 108 to No. 45 (!!)
• Linebacker Reid Carrico— No. 49 to No. 48
• Quarterback Kyle McCord— No. 54 to No. 52
• Defensive lineman Mike Hall— No. 59 to No. 57
• Running back Evan Pryor— No. 100 to No. 96, and who is now the No. 2 ranked all-purpose back
• Defensive back Andre Turrentine— No. 177 to No. 175.

And Buckeyes who saw their rankings drop (but still kept their four stars) include:

• Defensive back Jakailin Johnson— No. 66 to No. 65
• Defensive end Tunmise Adeleye— No. 80 to No. 82
• Defensive back Jantzen Dunn— No. 142 to No. 141
• Wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.— No. 96 to No. 186 (!!!)
• Offensive lineman Ben Christman— No. 173 to No. 208

Defensive back Denzel Burke kept his spot at No. 204 and defensive backs Jaylen Johnson and Devonta Smith, tight end Sam Hart and punter Jesse Mirco are unranked.

The 2022 wide receivers to watch

You may already be aware of this (hopefully) but the Ohio State wide receiver room is stacked. So stacked, that they’re practically filled to the brim, causing Brian Hartline and Co. to be even more strategic and picky on who else gets in the cool kids club.

As Austin Ward of Lettermen Row writes:

“...even after losing three seniors to the NFL after last season, the Buckeyes could conceivably still be close to rolling out a six-man rotation without leaning on perhaps the most impressive signing class of wide receivers in the modern era. That isn’t likely to happen given the enormous potential those newcomers bring to Ohio State, but it’s a useful reminder of just how deep that group could be for position coach Brian Hartline — and that reps will certainly have to be earned.”

The WR position is certainly in good hands at Ohio State, and will stay that way for the next couple of seasons (especially if the Buckeyes can land a commitment from the No. 1 WR in the 2021 class, Emeka Egbuka). Now the question is, who will be the standouts in the class of 2022? We likely won’t know the answer to this until Ohio State can watch some prospects in person, however Birm of Lettermen Row lists a few who, he believes, you should probably get to know.

Luther Burden (Missouri)

At 6-foot-2, 195-pounds, Burden is the No. 3 WR and No. 23 overall in the nation, and is willing to get physical as a blocker in the running game, Birm writes.

C.J. Williams (California)

Right behind Burden is Williams— the No. 4 WR and No. 31 overall in the class. Williams already has 41 offers on the table, and Birm writes that he is a “player who is likely to keep rising up the national rankings and is a strong candidate to finish as the top-ranked player at his position.”

Kaleb Brown (Illinois)

Birm compares Brown to Mookie Cooper’s style, noting that he is a slot-type receiver who also plays out of the backfield. He has yet to visit Ohio State, however he called the offer from Hartline “huge.” Brown is the No. 5 ranked WR and No. 35 overall.

Caleb Burton (Texas)

As a top-ranked Texas wideout and the No. 6 WR in the class of 2022, Burton has been a priority target for the Buckeyes for quite awhile. Accoring to Birm, Burton is friends with Garrett Wilson and works out with him, which is certainly helpful.

Armani Winfield (Texas)

Winfield is the lowest-ranked receiver (No. 13 WR, No. 90 overall) to have an Ohio State offer, despite being the first to earn one in January. He has yet to visit Ohio State, which according to Birm is slowing down the relationship.

Quick Hits

The No. 5 offensive tackle in the 2021 class, Garrett Dellinger (Clarkston, Mich.), announced his top four schools on Wednesday— Penn State, LSU, Ohio State and Michigan. Unfortunately, he has a total of 11 247Sports Crystal Ball predictions, and all of them are for LSU. But hey, anything can happen.