Recapping an uneventful signing day, Ohio State talking to in-state offensive tackle

With National Signing Day now completed, Ohio State is down to one potential final addition to its 2021 class. Though the attention mainly shifts to 2022, the Buckeyes will be looking to make a huge splash in hopes of adding another five-star to their roster before things are officially wrapped up. Nearing the end for 2021 altogether though, look for most of the recruiting updates to be for 2022 and beyond.

This coming Spring may finally allow some of the top targets the Buckeyes are after to get to campus, so we should see a real momentum swing for recruiting in general. Though Ohio State has fared better than most in terms of landing commitments, it is hard for a lot of guys to make a college decision when they’re unable to get to the school for visits. If that does in fact change in the somewhat near future, it’s not out of the realm to think the Buckeyes and their 2022 class could fill up quickly. Nevertheless, whoever and whenever Ohio State adds on, it will be among the best in the country.

2021 post-NSD recap

Yesterday had to be the most uneventful signing day in the history of Ohio State football. The Buckeyes did not add anyone to their incredible 2021 group, but the basically drama-free Wednesday can lead you into one of two ways of thinking. On one hand, sure it can be understood if fans are a little bummed there wasn’t another boom, but on the other hand, yesterday’s rather simple day proves testament to how well Ohio State and their staff is recruiting overall.

The Buckeyes signed all 21 of their commits in December during the Early Signing Period, and with 15 of those 21 already enrolled and on campus, the Buckeyes were able to get their work done and do so in a way that has set them ahead of the curve in terms of developing this group of new players. In reality, that’s probably the way to really look at things and trust that the reason for less excitement yesterday is mainly because the Buckeyes’ relentless efforts on the trail allowed them to get all the heavy lifting done early.

The reasoning for a casual day in the office is that Ohio State was really only involved with one player who was set to decide, and the Buckeyes themselves even hinted with the tweet above that they knew they weren’t the choice. The country’s fourth-best outside linebacker, Raesjon Davis ended up staying home and signing with USC. The California native was on campus just over a week ago now, and while Ohio State had some momentum for at least a few days, even Ryan Day seemed to give a hint towards knowing Davis would stay home.

He mentioned the Buckeyes were really only hoping to add at least one more guy in the 2021 class. That spot, as you well know by now, is reserved for the best player in the country per 247Sports, J.T. Tuimoloau, who won’t be signing until at least April.

To ease anyone’s mind who may be bumming about not landing Davis, there’s really a silver lining to consider here. Ohio State has a more than ready group of linebackers that are set to take over the roles of being the every down guys in 2021. Players such as Teradja Mitchell, Dallas Gant, and more have waited their turn and are pumped to finally get the nod to help anchor this defense. In addition, with Al Washington on fire in the 2022 class with three guys at the position already in the fold, this really wasn’t a position of immense need for the Buckeyes concerning Davis. In reality, it would have been more of a bonus.

Ohio State’s roster is pretty much maxed out, but anytime you’re able to land a top-five player at a position you typically say yes. In this instance, one can’t really say that’s the case. Maybe the Buckeyes will add via the transfer portal in the near future with rumored names who could be linked to Ohio State. Anything is possible, but the rather less-exciting signing day should do nothing to take away from what the Buckeyes have in their loaded 2021 class.

Quick Hits

• Per Bill Kurelic of Bucknuts, recruiting buzz and contact has really started to take off in regards to Ohio State and 2022 offensive tackle prospect Aamil Wagner. The in-state four-star is currently the third-best player in Ohio for his class and the 12th-best offensive tackle in the country per 247Sports. The 6-foot-6 Huber Heights Wayne product does not currently hold an Ohio State offer, but with the latest update that communication is beginning to heat up between the two parties, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see one come soon. At an all-important position of need in every cycle, Wagner would help bolster Ohio State’s line with another home grown prospect.
• 2022 offensive tackle Jaylen Early released a final schools list that included his 10 programs still in consideration. The nation’s 27th-best tackle prospect and the 33rd best player in Texas has 30 offers, but is now seemingly down to Texas A&M, Baylor, Texas, Florida State, Auburn, Alabama, Penn State, USC, Oklahoma and Ohio State. The Buckeyes may have other guys that are higher on their board, but this is still one worth following as Ohio State continues their best effort to steal top players out of Texas.