Accolades continue to pile up for Ohio State’s 2022 commits

The Buckeyes are fresh off a bye week that seems like it took longer than just seven days, but thankfully Ohio State is back in action in just over 24 hours when they take on Indiana in yet another conference night game. After having last weekend off, Ohio State looks to be in a great spot for this primetime match-up, as they are improving on the field for one, but also have some key contributors back this week with the overall health of the squad also improving. The extra rest seems to have paid off, and we’ll know for sure once the game kicks off.

As we enter the back half of this regular season campaign for the Buckeyes, much like the on-field results, Ohio State’s staff is also hoping the recruiting finishes strong. The early signing period for the 2022 class is just over a month away, and with the class at 16 commits currently and ranking fourth overall nationally, there’s still some room for additional pieces.

The class will certainly only continue to load up elite talent and playmakers on both sides of the ball, but this class already has some stellar guys in the fold that continue to see their work on the field praised and rewarded. Per usual, the future of Ohio State football looks to be in great shape.

2022 commits continue to pile up the accolades

Year after year we see the Buckeyes bring in some of the most prized and sought after recruiting targets in the nation. Perks of being one of the top programs in all of college football, Ohio State continues to reload rather than just rebuild when it comes to the annual roster changes. Thanks to the efforts in recruiting, talent continues to flood Columbus and keeps the Buckeyes right at the top of the sport. Fortunately, that trend looks to have continued in this current 2022 class.

Really all 16 of the current commits are elite in their own right, but in this regard, the vocal leader and top-ranked player of the Ohio State class, C.J. Hicks, is one player who just continues to see his stock rise among the most talented players in the country regardless of position.

The 6-foot-3, 215 pound in-state linebacker has been the crown jewel of this class for some time now, but in the latest 247Sports recruiting ranking update, Hicks received yet another boost, going from the 11th-best player nationally now to the No. 7 player in the nation in 2022. In addition, with this bump in the rankings, Ohio State now has one player in the fold among the top 10 and seven within the top 100.

The Buckeyes love what they are getting from Hicks on and off the field. With what he has meant to this class as a player, but also as a peer recruiter, the staff couldn’t be more excited to get ‘Captain Buckeye’ on campus officially. It wouldn’t be that much of a surprise to see Hicks as one of the freshman to be a key piece on the defensive side of the ball in 2022. It won’t be too much longer before the Hicks era at Ohio State begins.

Flipping over to the offensive side of the ball now, Ohio State once again this cycle has hit the jackpot when it comes to the wide receiver position. Landing not one or two, but three of the top guys in the country, it’s incredible the success the Buckeyes are having. Position coach Brian Hartline has been almost unbelievable on the recruiting trail since he took over the receiver room, and thanks to what he’s done with the development of the players as well as landing the various guys he’s had, that’s yet another trend that looks to have no signs of stopping.

Earlier this week, one of Ohio State’s three receiver commits, Kojo Antwi, was presented his All-American Bowl jersey, which is just another bit of evidence to how elite these receiver commits are. The Georgia native is currently ranked as the 19th-best receiver in the class and the No. 133 player nationally. Maybe the most impressive stat for Antwi though is noting that even at a near .9500 grade, he’s still the ninth-best player in the 2022 class overall for the Buckeyes. For many programs, he would be the top overall recruit in their entire class.

Only a select few are chosen for this prep All-Star event, and over the years Ohio State has seen several of their future players compete and do very well in these contests. Odds are this January will be much of the same, and that’s thanks to the likes of talented players like Antwi.