Buckeyes’ wide receiver recruiting picture taking shape quickly

With the summer months now here, this is normally the time where on-campus recruiting efforts see a little bit of a boost. However, thanks to yet another extended recruiting dead period, the new normal of virtual recruiting is still in full effect.

As stated several times already, the Buckeyes haven’t missed a beat with their recruiting efforts and in all reality, may never have been more solid. While hosting their top uncommitted targets was a huge priority this June, there’s still hope that will take place in the near future.

This week more plans surfaced for the possibility of fans being in attendance for Ohio State football games. In addition, with the announcement of in-person classes set to begin this fall on campus, the reality of a football season is becoming more plausible as time passes. In regards to recruiting, having a season is huge as it will allow the Buckeye staff to make up for lost time in hosting both their guys already in the fold and those they still hope to add to the 2021 class.

The gap is still showing a commanding lead for Ohio State to end up with the nation’s best class, but with a few more spaces open in the current cycle, the work is not totally finished yet, even though the picture is becoming more clear.

Buckeyes wide receiver recruiting taking shape?

Last year’s recruiting efforts by Brian Hartline alone are enough to write a book about. How he was able to land that many top national targets in one class was astounding regardless who the recruiter is. Bringing in the top overall receiver in the country with Julian Fleming is an impressive feat in itself, but add that to fifth, 10th, and 16th-best receivers as well in Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Gee Scott Jr., and Mookie Cooper, respectively, and while this is old news, the only thing that could be better is doing much of the same in 2021.

Fortunately, that very same feat of landing the top receiver in the country yet again is looking to be more and more possible as the dominoes start to fall.

Speaking of dominoes falling, a receiver who has long been associated with Ohio State, Troy Stellato, (Cardinal Gibbons/Ft. Lauderdale, Florida) a 6-foot, 175 pound receiver, was a major priority for Ohio State and someone who was being recruited personally by Hartline. But as time has passed, the Buckeyes have seemingly taken their own road in this recruitment and so has Stellato. At any rate, he has been down to both Ohio State and Clemson for sometime now, and the latest development for the nation’s 22nd best receiver came out yesterday via his Twitter account that he is announcing his commitment later today.

It would be a shock and really an all-time upset if the pick is not Clemson. The 247Sports Crystal Ball forecasts are 100% in favor of the Tigers, and even Ohio State commits recognize that Clemson is the likely destination come today at noon.

To put it simply, the Buckeyes have long made Emeka Egbuka their top priority. Not to take anything away from Stellato, but Egbuka is the nation’s top-ranked receiver, and someone who Brian Hartline has connected with in a way that has everyone thinking the clear leader for Egbuka is in fact the Buckeyes. As it stands, 94% of the Crystal Ball predictions are in favor of Ohio State, with a confidence level of seven (high).

Stellato’s likely Clemson pick may not be a major factor for Ohio State moving forward, but certainly shows how the Buckeyes are focused on Egbuka, and makes it all the more important they lock down the No. 1-ranked WR. The Washington native’s final four schools list did include Clemson, but moving forward it’s probable that the Tigers aren’t much of a factor, as it looks to be mainly between Oklahoma, Washington, and the Buckeyes.

It’s been said many times by several analysts across the country that Ohio State likely ends up with at least one of the two (Emeka or Troy), and with Stellato making his pledge today, Ohio State landing the top receiver in the country in back-to-back classes seems like a very good possibility.

Illinois hooper receives Buckeye offer

Of the many aspects in recruiting to be great at, finding elite talent early on is one of the key components to developing a strong relationship that will pay off in the end. It’s seen every year and really everyday in football, but on the hardwood, Ohio State’s recruiting efforts are the driving force to keeping them competitive come game time.

Coach Holtmann and his staff know recruiting is the lifeblood of the program, and since his time in Columbus has started, he’s made sure that recruiting and developing that talent are the priorities of the overall state of the program.

Honing in early on talent was demonstrated Wednesday when the Buckeyes staff offered Cameron Christie, a 6-foot-3 shooting guard in the class of 2023. A product of Rolling Meadows, Illinois, Christie has an older brother who Ohio State is after that is also a top national recruit, clearly showing there’s some serious basketball talent within that family.

Too early to have a 247Sports ranking due to his class status, Christie will surely be one of the top prized recruits in the country when those rankings are made available. With his brother, Max Christie, checking in as the best shooting guard in the 2021 class — and also holding an Ohio State offer — it’s not out of this world to expect Cam to be in a similar spot when the time comes.

Already holding an offer from another Big Ten foe in Michigan State, the younger Christie brother will continue to see his recruitment take off as other premier programs begin dropping their hats into the ring. For Ohio State, building a relationship has obviously started early, and that is all you can ask for. Moving forward, keeping close with Cam will be a key component if the Buckeyes want any real shot at bringing him to Columbus. Fortunately, there’s more than enough time to do so.