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The NCAA Tournament isn’t the only madness going on in the month of March. The 2022 recruiting cycle is in full swing, and this is the time of year that many of the top prospects begin to trim down their lists to their final few schools as they get closer and closer to making a commitment. As is the case is nearly every cycle, Ohio State has made the cut for a plethora of highly-touted recruits in the class.
Tuesday was another great day on the recruiting trail for the Buckeyes, as the program made the short list for a pair of big names. The first of which was running back Nicholas Singleton — the nation’s No. 5 RB and the No. 98 player in the 2022 class overall.
TOP 9!!! @AlabamaFTBL @AuburnFootball @UMichFootball @NUFBFamily @NDFootball @OhioStateFB @PennStateFball @AggieFootball @BadgerFootball @Hayesfawcett3 @SWiltfong247 @RivalsFriedman pic.twitter.com/xjyqe4ylA5
— Nicholas Singleton (@Nichola14110718) March 9, 2021
Trimming his list down to a top nine, Ohio State made the cut for the four-star Reading, PA native alongside Alabama, Auburn, Michigan, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Penn State, Texas A&M and Wisconsin. The No. 2 prospect in the state of Pennsylvania, Ryan Day and Tony Alford would love to steal another top recruit from the Nittany Lions’ backyard. The lone Crystal Ball for Singleton is in favor of the in-state program, but that could certainly change with time.
It is no surprise to see the Buckeyes on this list as Singleton has trimmed things down from over 34 offers, as he named the school one of his leaders back in July. He also took a self-guided visit to Columbus back in the fall. Running back is not a huge position of need for Ohio State after bringing in a pair of highly touted guys in the 2021 class, but Singleton would be at the top of the target board if Alford and company look to add another talented tailback to the room.
In addition to Singleton, Ohio State made the cut for all-name team cornerback Ephesians Prysock. The four-star Mission Hills, CA product is currently ranked as the No. 25 CB and the No. 200 player overall in the 2022 class.
Top 10… Happy birthday pops (recruitment still open) pic.twitter.com/nY6AveqHSl
— EPHESIANS ™ (@ephe5ian5) March 9, 2021
Trimming his list to a top 10, the Buckeyes are included alongside Arizona State, Colorado, LSU, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, UCLA and USC. As one of the few programs on Prysock’s list not located in Pac-12 territory, the scarlet and gray likely made it as a result of the recruiting prowess of Kerry Coombs as well as the school’s propensity for producing NFL talent in the defensive secondary. Ohio State currently has a pair of corners committed in 2022, but there is always room for more talent at such an important position.
Quick Hits
- On Tuesday morning, Ohio State got a preferred walk-on commitment from 2021 linebacker Jalen Pace. If that name looks familiar to you, that’s because it should. Pace is the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer and former Buckeye offensive tackle Orlando Pace. Feel old yet?
100% Committed ❤️ pic.twitter.com/m85OiK7EfR
— Jalen Pace (@pace_jalen) March 9, 2021