Ohio State-Texas pipeline grows stronger

Ohio State had a busy Monday with more media access to spring practice than has been allowed in more than a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Because of this, it was a rather quiet start to the week for the Buckeyes football in regards to recruiting. However, quiet is different for Ryan Day and the program he is building, as the team still managed to make the recruiting headlines.

Ohio State five-star WR finds new home

Ohio State has had an incredible start to the 2022 recruiting class, and a major reason for that is the commitment of five-star wide receiver Caleb Burton. The nation’s No. 1 WR is now expected to transfer to Lake Travis High School in Texas, alongside his father who will become an assistant coach for the team. The news was first reported by Thomas Jones of the Austin American Statesman.

For Buckeye Nation, the news of the transfer further strengthens the comparisons to current Ohio State WR Garrett Wilson, as this is the same school he attended. Additionally, while the list may be short, the names on it are impressive, as both WRs were viewed as two of the best at their position in their respective classes.

For Ryan Day and the Buckeyes, the news now means a pipeline is being built in a state that has seen Ohio State increase its recruiting efforts over the past couple seasons. With this increased effort has come success as well. The Buckeyes also hold a commitment from 2022 five-star Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers, as well as 2021 five-star offensive guard Donovan Jackson.

Burton is the country’s No. 23 overall prospect, the No. 4 wide receiver and the No. 5 prospect in Texas, according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings.

Four-star RB shows Ohio State some love

Ohio State secured commitments from two of the best running backs in the 2021 recruiting class in five-star RB TreVeyon Henderson and four-star RB Evan Pryor. However, the program has yet to secure a commitment at the position in the 2022 class. This may soon change, as one of the Buckeyes’ top targets at the position has been trending towards the university as of late.

Four-star RB Damari Alston recently referenced his Ohio State offer from last summer on Twitter. While normally this wouldn’t constitute as “newsworthy,” Alston has kept his recruitment close to the vest, and a reference even as small as this means more from his recruitment than it does others.

Additionally, Alston is expected to visit Ohio State in June, likely for what is shaping up to be this year’s Buckeye Bash June 4-6.

Last year’s Buckeye Bash was a great success, as the team was able to get nearly all of its verbal commits in Columbus during the Covid-19 pandemic dead period. With this dead period expected to come to a close before the summer, this year’s bash could be even more successful.

It appears that if the Buckeyes are to walk away from this year’s event with a new commitment, Alston could be the name.

Quick Hits

• Oregon sophomore transfer forward Chandler Lawson has reportedly heard from multiple schools since putting his name into the transfer portal. Included in his list of suitors is Ohio State. The forward averaged 4.4 points, 3 rebounds and 0.8 assists while achieving a 51% field goal percentage in the 2020-2021 season.