Five-star DE includes Ohio State in top schools

It is here. “X”ichigan week is upon us, and Ohio State’s football team and Ryan Day have been preparing for this game for two years after last season’s game was canceled. It is safe to say the Buckeyes have at least 100 percent of their attention on the upcoming game, but that doesn’t mean recruiting will stop. Recruiting never stops for Ohio State, and the Buckeyes were littered throughout the recruiting headlines Monday. In case you had a busy start to the holiday week, no need to worry as Land-Grant Holy Land has you covered.

Five-star DE has Ohio State in top 10

With the 2022 class almost full, the Buckeyes have been putting more energy into the 2023 class as of late. This hard work has already been produced results. Ohio State currently sits at No. 6 in the country with three verbal commits, most recent being five-star safety Sonny Styles.

The Buckeyes learned they moved one step closer to earning a commitment from another five-star prospect, as defensive end Malik Bryant included the team in his top 10 schools.

The Buckeyes will have some stiff competition for Bryant, as Arizona State, Clemson, Alabama, Georgia, Oklahoma, Maryland, Oregon, Florida and Miami all made the cut alongside the Buckeyes.

Bryant unofficially visited Ohio State this summer, and although he couldn’t compete in camp drills due to injury, he walked away impressed with what Ohio State had to offer. For Ohio State to remain in the mix, it will be crucial for them to get him on campus for an official visit next year.

The elite DE attends IMG Academy, a top Florida prep football program known for producing blue-chip recruits. Ohio State has not yet established a solid pipeline with the program, last receiving a commitment in 2018 DT Taron Vincent. The Buckeyes have recently put more effort into recruiting the talent powerhouse, and a commitment from Bryant would be a big way to do so.

Bryant is the No. 2 DE in the 2023 class and the No. 17 overall prospect. He is also the No. 4 recruit from the state of Florida.

2022 four-star DL to commit today

Ohio State will soon learn if one of its final targets in the 2022 recruiting class will join the team. Four-star DL Chris McClellan will be committing this afternoon at 3:30 p.m. ET.

Ohio State again has some stiff competition for McClellan as he has Alabama, Florida, LSU, Oklahoman, USC, alongside the Buckeyes in his top schools.

Ohio State was just one of the three finalists to host McClellan for an official visit, with the other two being Florida and USC. However, Florida has been the recent favorite for McClellan, and despite the recent coaching change with the school, remains the team to beat heading into his recruitment.

McClellan is the No. 18 DL in the 2022 class and is the No. 101 overall prospect. He is also the No. 3 player from the state of Oklahoma.

2022 four-star DL trending towards Ohio State

While Ohio State may miss out of the aforementioned McClellan, they seem to be trending towards another four-star DL. Hero Kanu visited Ohio State on Oct. 30 when the Buckeyes played host to Penn State. Following the visit, rumors began that Ohio State established themselves after the visit.

It seems now that after sitting on the visit for a few weeks, those feelings are even stronger. On Monday, the Buckeyes received three 247 Crystal Ball predictions for Kanu, including 247Sports Director of Recruiting, Steve Wiltfong. Kanu has not yet mentioned that he is ready to commit, let alone set a date, but nonetheless, the news is good for the Buckeyes.

The blue-chip prospect also took official visits with LSU, Georgia, Notre Dama, and Oklahoma, but the Buckeyes have solidified themselves as the favorite to earn his commitment. Early signing period is quickly approaching, and he is expected to commit by then. Make sure to follow Land-Grant Holy Land as we will let you know of any updates in his recruitment and all things Ohio State recruiting.

Quick Hits

• Ohio State 2022 five-star LB commit C.J. Hicks was named a high school Butkus Award finalist on Monday. The award is presented annually to the top linebacker at the high school, collegiate and professional levels of football.

• Former five-star CB Elias Ricks entered his name into the transfer portal Monday. Ohio State was heavily involved in his recruitment and was at one point viewed as a favorite to land him before he committed to LSU. It will be interesting to see if the Buckeyes are still interested in him.