BOOOM! 2022 tight end Bennett Christian commits to Ohio State

I keep seeing people argue that the Big Ten deciding to cancel its fall season in the interest of player safety is somehow going to destroy the conference’s recruiting, and at the same time I keep seeing Ryan Day land a new commitment each week. I can’t speak for the rest of the big boys in the Midwest, but it appears that the Buckeyes are going to be just fine.

That was no different on Tuesday, as 2022 three-star tight end Bennett Christian became the latest prospect to commit to Ohio State.

Christian, the No. 19 TE in the class and the No. 370 player in the country overall, chose the Buckeyes over his father’s alma mater Tennessee after visiting both campuses on his own dime in the past few weeks. The Georgia native had narrowed it down to the two schools out of 12 offers, including Kentucky, Michigan State, Nebraska and Penn State, among others.

As a tight end, Christian is a huge commitment for Ohio State in this 2022 class. The Buckeyes won’t be sure of the status of either of their starters in Luke Farrell or Jeremy Ruckert next year, as both could be destined for the NFL. The team only has one current TE commitment in 2021, and there doesn’t appear to be any other potential additions in the mix. Ryan Day and position coach Kevin Wilson will likely look to secure at least two guys at the position in the next cycle, and Christian is a great start.

Christian was one of the first recruits to visit Ohio State during the recruiting dead period, making the trip all the way from Acworth, Georgia to take in the sights in Columbus. He was not allowed to physically meet with any OSU football personnel or tour any of the football facilities, but he was able to walk around campus and get a feel for his future school.

“It was just me and my dad. We went up there and we looked at everything,” Christian told Eleven Warriors shortly after his visit. “We were on the phone, too, with Coach Wilson. He would explain each area and all that stuff. We would talk, and he would just answer any questions. It was pretty much like he was there giving us a tour even though he wasn’t there. He just drew it up on the map. Literally everything on the campus, I saw.”

As a sophomore at Allatoona High School, the 6-foot-6, 235-pound tight end caught 12 passes for 226 yards and two touchdowns over six games for the Buccaneers. He was named offensive player of the game twice during the season for his efforts in both the receiving and the blocking game — two areas in which the Buckeyes will be looking for Christian to excel.

Ohio State’s 2022 class is off to about as good a start as could be expected. Entering the cycle with massive needs at linebacker and tight end, the Buckeyes have already hauled in a trio of highly-touted LBs and now Christian as their first TE in the group. As a whole, OSU is now up to six total commitments in 2022, and ranks behind only LSU as the No. 2 class in the country.

Check out the Allatoona standout’s sophomore season highlights. BOOOM!