Let the June recruiting madness begin

As you are all well aware of by now, the beginning of June has marked the end of the year-plus-long recruiting dead period as a result of the pandemic, and Ohio State has wasted no time in getting back in on the action. The Buckeyes hosted a number of commits and top prospects on day one of what is slated to be one of the busiest summers in college football recruiting history. There is going to be a lot going on over the next few months, so be sure to stick with Land-Grant Holy Land for the latest in OSU recruiting as we navigate these uncharted waters together.

Who was in town?

While this upcoming weekend will be one of the biggest this June as it will feature the long-awaited Buckeye Bash 2.0, prospects already began flocking to Columbus on the very first day it was allowed on Tuesday.

While the rest of Ohio State’s 2022 commits are set to be in town later this week, the local guys in C.J. Hicks and Gabe Powers got on campus right away to mingle with position coach Al Washington and the rest of the staff. Hicks is one of the Buckeyes’ top commits in the cycle as a five-star linebacker and the No. 17 overall player in the class, while Powers is just on the edge of five-star status as the No. 43 prospect nationally and the No. 3 LB.

Olentangy Liberty offensive tackle Carter Smith was in the house with his family on Tuesday. Smith, a three-star prospect and the No. 63 OT in the 2022 class, holds over 25 offers to this point, including Auburn, Indiana, Michigan State, Tennessee and more. Ohio State has not yet offered Ohio’s No. 21-ranked player, but he did impressive enough to earn an invite back to campus for an official visit.

Springfield, OH safety Delian Bradley was another in-state prospect in attendance on Tuesday. Bradley, a three-star prospect and the No. 23 player in Ohio, has two dozen offers to his credit thus far, including programs like Arizona State, Cincinnati, Kentucky, Wisconsin and others. Ohio State has not yet offered.

Another DB from Big Ten country was in the building on Tuesday, as Kalen Carroll made the trip from Greenwood, Indiana to check out Columbus. Carroll is the nation’s No. 72 corner and the No. 13 player from the Hoosier State. He currently holds around 10 offers, including Cincinnati, Boston College, Indiana and others. Ohio State has not yet offered.

Moving to the other side of the ball, wide receiver Jacob Bostick checked out Ohio State on Tuesday as well. A three-star recruit, Bostick is the No. 74 WR and the No. 7 player from his home state of Illinois in the 2022 class. He does not yet have an official offer from the Buckeyes, but he does have offers from Cincinnati, Illinois, Iowa, Pittsburgh, and over a dozen others.

Last but certainly not least — among those who publicly announced their visit to Ohio State yesterday — was four-star offensive tackle Luke Montgomery. Montgomery is a big in-state prospect for the Buckeyes, ranking as the No. 53 player in the country and Ohio’s No. 3-ranked player in the 2023 class. He already has one Crystal Ball in favor of Ryan Day’s squad, and from the sound of it his latest visit to campus went quite well.

Montgomery already holds nearly 30 offers, which is unsurprising given his ability to play on both sides of the line at 6-foot-5, 260 pounds. He has drawn interest from many of the nation’s top programs, including the likes of Florida, Georgia, LSU, Notre Dame, Oklahoma and of course Ohio State. There is clearly mutual interest between the two parties, and Montgomery will be a name to watch as the Buckeyes search for their first commit in 2023.

Quick Hits

• Ohio State will play host to even more top prospects on Wednesday, including the nation’s No. 5 QB in 2023 in Nicholaus Iamaleava Jr. The California native is the No. 50 player overall in the cycle, and the No. 22 player nationally in 247Sports’ own rankings.

• In addition to the West Coast QB, Ohio State will also play host to top 2023 in-state prospect Sonny Styles on Wednesday. Styles, a five-star safety, is the No. 15 player in the country in addition to being the top overall safety and best player out of Ohio in the cycle. He is set to make visits all over the country this June, but the Buckeyes will get to see him first.