Buckeyes offer 2023 cornerback prospect, four-star junior includes OSU in top schools list

Yesterday felt like a breath of fresh air as Ryan Day addressed the media previewing the spring football season set to take place here shortly. While even Day himself gave the notion that they’re certainly “not out of the woods yet” in regards to the pandemic, the start of spring football practice feels like a welcomed sense of normalcy. As they continue to prepare for the fall, Ohio State will once again be poised to be atop the conference and competing for a national championship at season’s end.

Expectations this high tend to be a sense of normalcy in their own right, and because of the Buckeyes’ efforts on the recruiting trail, the standard will remain. You would think that recruiting would surely take a back seat at the moment with the coaching staff prioritizing development, but Wednesday was another busy day on the trail, proving there’s no days off with this program. Even in the midst of spring practice, recruiting will be at the forefront of the priority list.

Buckeyes offer 2023 cornerback

In terms of defensive recruiting, it really does seem as if the cornerback spot is the one that receives a lot of the headlines, and rightfully so. The best teams in the country are the ones that have elite talent at the cornerback positions, and because of Ohio State’s success at that spot historically, it’s testimony to why they’re one of the top tier programs in the nation. Whether it be their NFL Draft track record of success with corners or strictly the development they offer, Ohio State attracts high profile guys because of their ability to get them to the next level.

In every cycle Ohio State is loading up on the best talent in the country, and that’s only going to further their ability to keep the ball rolling. On Wednesday, the Buckeyes made their latest cornerback offer when they entered the recruitment for Malik Muhammad, a 2023 target out of IMG Academy. Announcing via Twitter, Muhammad may be a new name to Buckeye fans, but in reality, Ohio State is a little later to the party than most — which is incredible considering his class status.

Already holding over 30 offers to his name from the likes of Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Oklahoma, Texas, Oregon, and many more, Muhammad certainly projects to be one of the premier players in all of the class.

Currently, Muhammad checks in as a four-star product, but more specifically as the No. 6 corner in the class, the 21st-ranked player in Florida, and the No. 80 player overall nationally according to 247Sports. At 6-foot, 170 pounds, the DB has solid enough height already, but with two full prep seasons still to develop both on and off the field, surely his frame will continue to grow into what Ohio State loves out of their guys at the position.

Even this early into having an offer, you have to figure Ohio State will be at the very least near the top of the pecking order for all of the reasons mentioned before. Though taking guys out of SEC country can be tough at times, the Buckeyes have great success doing so in Florida. Having already snagged a guy from the Sunshine State in 2022 with the nation’s fourth-ranked corner Jaheim Singletary, it looks as if the staff will try their fortune again in 2023.

Greene trims list to top 10

In the 2022 class, Ohio State is relentlessly recruiting the offensive line positions both on the outside and the interior of the line. Making every effort to keep their class the best in the country for it’s cycle, the coaching staff knows they’ll want to load up the front with elite talent to keep the success in Columbus on repeat. Fortunately, the Buckeyes find themselves in a great spot with several top targets both in-state and nationally. With plenty of skill guys already in the fold, they can focus some of their attention to bringing in the next big fellas to anchor the offense.

On Wednesday, Ohio State saw more good news in their favor when the nation’s No. 2 offensive guard Earnest Greene included the Buckeyes in his top 10 list of schools. Also making the cut for the California native included Oklahoma, Texas, Texas A&M, Oregon, LSU, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and USC. At 6-foot-5, 330 pounds, Greene has a massive frame that already projects well to his future college career, but the best part of the West Coast product may be that while he’s listed as a guard, he currently plays offensive tackle. Having the ability to play both with his size definitely sets him apart.

Another nice aspect of Greene’s recruitment is the fact that he attends St. John Bosco in Bellflower, California. This is the same prep program that produced recent Buckeye All-American Wyatt Davis, so there is some prior history there. Set to go early in the NFL Draft, it certainly doesn’t hurt Ohio State to have an alum that has been so successful coming from California to Ohio, and playing the same position too has to bode well for the Buckeyes. Now down to 10 schools, time will tell how highly Greene thinks of Ohio State.

Quick Hits

• In addition to Greene, Ohio State also made the short list for 2023 defensive tackle John Walker on Wednesday. Already cutting his search down to a top 12, the Buckeyes were included alongside Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Oregon and others. Ohio State first offered Walker back in November, and look to be in this one for the long haul as of right now.