Ohio State in touch with multiple 2022 prospects as contact period opens

Ryan Day and his staff are off to an impressive start in the 2022 recruiting class. The Buckeyes already had five early commitments in next year’s cycle heading into last night, and that number grew by one as three-star tight end Bennett Christian committed to Ohio State on Tuesday.

The class now sits at six total commitments, and the program has quickly addressed some of its biggest needs. Linebacker was one of the largest areas of focus heading into the cycle, and already Al Washington has been able to secure a trio of top-75 talents in Gabe Powers, Dasan McCullough and CJ Hicks. No. 2 on the list was the tight end spot, and Kevin Wilson has gotten off to a great start with the latest commitment by Christian.

Obviously there is still a ton of work to be done in 2022, but this early rock-solid foundation really sets the tone for things moving forward. With that being said, the calendar turning over marks the next step in the process, as Sept. 1 began the NCAA contact period. Now college coaches can reach out directly to high school juniors, and it is clear the Buckeyes’ staff was busy on day one.

Ohio State spoke to a number of 2022 targets on Tuesday, and a handful of guys announced their latest talks with the program on Twitter, beginning with Damari Alston.

The Buckeyes are clearly high on the four-star running back, and OSU commits have been pursuing the Woodward Academy product hard on social media. Alston, the No. 27 RB and No. 262 player overall in the nation, received his Ohio State offer back on Aug. 11, and now sits with an impressive 41 offers in total. Ryan Day is looking to continue his success recruiting in Georgia, most recently securing a commitment from 2021 CB Jordan Hancock.

Ohio State also dipped into the Wolverines’ backyard on Tuesday, getting in contact with four-star Michigan RB Dillon Tatum.

Tatum is the No. 25 RB in the 2022 class, and the No. 243 player in the country overall. He received his Ohio State offer back on March 6 following an unofficial visit to the school, and now holds at least 30 offers including the likes of Florida, Notre Dame, Michigan, Penn State and USC. Interestingly enough, it appears Kerry Coombs has taken over the recruitment of Tatum, who plays both RB and defensive back for West Bloomfield.

Next on the list for the Buckeyes was South Carolina linebacker Jaylen Sneed.

Ohio State would surely love to add the highly-touted Hilton Head standout to their already stacked position group haul in 2022, with Sneed currently listed as the No. 5 OLB in the class and the No. 89 player in the nation. OSU, however, has yet to offer the 6-foot-2, 207-pound junior, who already holds 18 offers elsewhere. Among those are some of the top programs in the country, including Alabama, Florida, Michigan, Oklahoma and Texas.

Yet another player to get in touch with the Buckeyes’ coaching staff on Tuesday was four-star defensive tackle Bear Alexander.

A hulking 6-foot-3, 325-pound DT from Texas, Alexander is No. 10 player at his position and the No. 149 player in the country overall in 2022. The defensive lineman is wanted by programs from all corners of the college football world, currently sitting with 28 total offers including the likes of Alabama, LSU, Oregon, Tennessee, and of course both Texas and Texas A&M. However, the Buckeyes’ offer came before many of the aforementioned schools, with theirs coming back in May of 2019, which could give them a potential leg up in the race for Alexander’s service.

Other confirmed contacts include four-star DT Khurtiss Perry and four-star DT Mykel Williams, both of whom are top-60 prospects with OSU offers in hand. Ohio State’s coaches have likely reached out to many more recruits now that the contact period has begun, but these were just a few of the guys to make official announcements about it on social media.

Quick Hits

• Ohio State’s 2021 class really set the tone for recruits doing some recruiting of their own, and the 2022 class seems to have fully bought into that idea. McCullough, while happy about the Buckeyes’ latest commitment from Christian, knows that there is much more in store, and is helping to make sure his group is a special one. So far, so good!