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Ohio State’s football program has found a way to excel in the virtual recruiting world under head coach Ryan Day — even without a Big Ten football season in the near future.
With 19 verbal commitments, the Buckeyes 2021 recruiting class currently sits atop the college football landscape. However, Alabama has been gaining ground as of recent, so don’t expect the team to take the foot off the gas anytime soon.
While focus remains on closing out this year’s class as strong as possible, the Buckeyes have been able to gain an impressive head start in the 2022 class. Ohio State already holds five verbal commitments in next year’s class, highlighted by outside linebacker and “Captain Buckeye” C.J. Hicks, five-star LB Gabe Powers and four-star athlete Dasan McCullough.
The class already sits at No. 2 in the 247Sports Class Rankings. LSU currently sits atop the rankings, but Ohio State is doing its best to overtake the Tigers, and may close the gap even more today.
Ohio State 2022 tight end target Bennett Christian (Acworth, GA/Allatoona) is set to announce his collegiate school of choice on Tuesday night.
TOMORROW 8PM ⌛️
— Bennett Christian (@BennettC87) August 31, 2020
The three-star prospect looks to be choosing between Tennessee and the Buckeyes, and while they don’t offer any sort of guarantee, Ohio State holds all of the 247Sports Crystal Ball predictions with a confidence score of eight.
Tight end has been a well-known position of need for the Buckeyes as the team was only able to secure one commitment in the 2020 recruiting class, and holds just one commitment in the 2021 class as well.
If Christian were to decide to spurn the Buckeyes, which seems unlikely at this point, expect the team to increase their focus on four-star TE Donovan Green, whom OSU appears to have lost some steam with, as well as fellow four-star TE Benji Gosnell — either of which could wind up at Ohio State alongside Christian, as well.
Christian, a Georgia native, is listed as 6-foot-6 and 235 pounds. He is the No. 19 TE in the country and the No. 370 overall prospect in the 2022 class.
Quick Hits:
- Ohio State 2021 four-star WR commit Marvin Harrison Jr. revealed his updated height and weight on Monday. The future Buckeye now checks in at nearly 6-foot-4 and 203 pounds, up from his most recent listing on 247Sports at 6-foot-3, 190 pounds.
Updated height and weight pic.twitter.com/K1Qc7yP9V8
— Ju (@MarvHarrisonJr) August 31, 2020
- Pickerington, Ohio native Sonny Styles has seen his recruitment pick up steam recently. The 2023 safety picked up official scholarship offers from Ohio State and Indiana over the weekend, and received another one from Toledo on Monday. As these things generally go, once a big name like the Buckeyes join the mix, other top programs will soon follow suit.
Blessed to receive an offer from The University of Toledo #GOROCKETS pic.twitter.com/0fwkqeJooC
— Heem ♛ (@sonnystyles_) August 31, 2020