Reviewing the early signing period for the Buckeyes and their 2022 class

Wednesdays of course marked the beginning of early signing period for the 2022 class. With the fax machine being watched by the entire Ohio State coaching staff all morning, the Buckeyes had a relatively easy early signing day, as they officially welcomed 17 players to the fold in the current cycle. Now before fans get too worried, yes, there are 18 current guys in the fold and the coaches firmly expect to accept the signature of in-state linebacker, Gabe Powers, this coming Friday, as he is doing a special ceremony to commemorate the moment to complete the list of guys who were already committed.

However, the word relatively was used earlier to describe how “easy” the day went, but there was one major negative to the day when Ohio State’s highest-ranked cornerback in the class, Terrance Brooks, flipped to Texas to stay close to home. Making it back to back classes where the Buckeyes lose out on their top corner in the class, Ryan Day even said in his press conference that the staff was not expecting the move, but rumblings all over social media just hours before and the late push made by the Texas staff seemed to be too prevalent, and of course where there’s smoke, there’s usually fire.

Before getting too worked up about the flip by Brooks, it’s important to note than even with only 18 members in the class, the Buckeyes still boast the nation’s fourth-best class per the 247Sports class rankings. What makes it more impressive is seeing that the school in the top five with the closest number of players in comparison to Ohio State’s 18 is Alabama with 24. A whopping six more guys in their class, that should show how talented this Buckeyes’ group is in terms of individual rankings for each guy in the fold. Fortunately, Day and the rest of the staff fully expect to sign three or four more players by time February rolls around, which will only further increase this class score.

Overall, the 2022 recruiting class is another top five group, and will keep the Buckeyes right at the top of the country in terms of having the most talented rosters in college football. There are still high profile players that Ohio State is in a great spot with, and while this class isn’t completely over yet, the coaching staff knows who they have to focus in on and also have time to really hammer the transfer portal for players that fill needs for the next season. In addition, the 2023 class will see a little more attention now that they’re the major priority moving forward. As you know, recruiting never stops.

Ohio State sends out offer to 2023 offensive tackle

You would think the Ohio State coaching staff would be a little preoccupied with the 2022 early signing day, and of course they were, but they still had time to do some recruiting on Wednesday when they sent out their latest offer. Taking to his Twitter account to share the update, 2023 offensive line prospect Olaus Alinen was the latest player on the receiving end of an Ohio State offer, and showed his excitement that the Buckeyes had now entered the race for his services.

A monstrous 6-foot-7, 315 pound offensive tackle, Alinen already has college-ready size, but amazingly still has a full year to develop his game and get stronger, which is pretty scary considering all that he brings to the table currently as a high school junior. Ranked as the 12th-best offensive tackle in the 2023 class, Alinen is also considered to be the top player in his home state of Connecticut, and the 125th-best player nationally all per the 247Sports Composite.

With over 30 offers to his name already, it’s almost a little surprising the Buckeyes had yet to offer this elite tackle prospect considering how important the position is in each recruiting class. Already in the fold are most of the top college programs in the country. Schools such as Alabama, Florida, Oklahoma, Oregon, Penn State, Texas, USC, and several more have already thrown their hat in to the ring, but with Ohio State now in the running, the Buckeyes will look to make up for some lost time. Fortunately, their offer as mentioned was welcomed, and had Alinen excited to start a relationship with the Buckeye coaches.

Quick Hits

• There was some more defensive back news yesterday as Elias Ricks, the one time five-star cornerback announced his plans to transfer to Alabama from LSU. A Buckeye consideration originally, developments took place that Ohio State took their name out of the running for his commitment. Whether it be due to the rumored “red flags” surrounding Ricks, the injury history, or even wanting to keep current guys on the roster at the same position happy, he is no longer an option.

Where Ohio State goes from here is a little bit unknown, but there does look like there’s a clear need at cornerback with the Brooks flip to Texas. Maybe the staff will stick with what they already have in the position room, but whatever the case, there needs to be some serious development of younger guys this offseason.