Multiple Ohio State targets earn 5th star

Monday’s are typically the busiest day of the week. While the Ohio State coaching staff is busy preparing for the start of the college football season, recruiting has finally slowed down for the program. However, slowing down doesn’t mean the Buckeyes aren’t still making the recruiting headlines.

In case you missed anything on Monday, no need to worry as Land-Grant Holy Land has you covered.

Multiple Buckeye targets earn 5th star

Rivals.com released their five-star prospects in the 2023 recruiting class on Monday and littered throughout the list were potential future Buckeyes. Ohio State has not yet earned a commitment in next year’s class, but there is no arguing the program isn’t targeting the best of the best. Below are the Ohio State targets that Rivals deemed five-star prospects:

Five-star DE David Hicks

Hometown: Allen, TX / Allen
Size: 6-foot-4, 250 lbs.
Offers: Ohio State, Clemson, Notre Dame, LSU, Texas, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Alabama, Michigan, etc.
Recruiting Update: Ohio State has been in on Hicks since the summer. In June, he attended a camp at Ohio State and left Columbus with an offer. The visit apparently went as well as possible with Hicks “having a great conversation with Ryan Day and Larry Johnson.” Ohio State is definitely one of the top contenders for Hicks’ commitment and with their success in producing NFL talent at the position, they should remain in contention until the end of his recruitment.

Five-star OT Kadyn Proctor

Hometown: Des Moines, IA / Southeast Polk
Size: 6-foot-7, 300 lbs.
Offers: Ohio State, Alabama, Arizona, Oregon, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Notre Dame, Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, Oklahoma, Texas, etc.
Recruiting Update: Proctor has yet to find himself in Columbus, however that hasn’t kept Ohio State from being in his ear. The Buckeyes offered him back in December 2020 and have been able to build the groundwork for a solid relationship with Proctor. If the Buckeyes are to solidify a commitment from Proctor, they will need to get him on campus. Fortunately, Proctor hails from Big Ten country so he should be able to find his way at least once before making a decision.

Five-star S Sonny Styles

Hometown: Pickerington, OH / Pickerington Central
Size: 6-foot-4 / 215 lbs.
Offers: Ohio State, Notre Dame, Clemson, Alabama, Florid, Florida State, Louisville, Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas, etc.
Recruiting Update: There may not be a bigger prospect for Ohio State in the 2023 recruiting class than Sonny Style is. Styles comes in as not only the top safety prospect, but also the No. 1 prospect in Ohio. While Ryan Day has seen success in recruiting the top prospect in Ohio — see C.J. Hicks and Jack Sawyer — Styles is far from being a sure thing.

While his father played for the Buckeyes, his brother currently plays for Notre Dame. Because of that connection, the Irish are just as in this one as the Buckeyes, and there are some who believe they have a better shot. Styles has visited both Universities already but will likely make return visits to both. This one could go either way, but expect Ohio State to give it their all to secure the top in-state talent.

Five-star DE Lebbeus Overton

Hometown: Alpharetta, GA / Milton
Size: 6-foot-4.5 / 265 lbs.
Offers: Ohio State, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Clemson, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Texas, USC, etc.
Recruiting Update: Overton is one of the very few athletes who has received an offer from not just the Ohio State football team, but the basketball team as well. Back in February, both Ryan Day and Chris Holtmann offered him a scholarship to play for the Buckeyes. However, Ohio State isn’t alone in this and will have to work hard to secure a commitment from him. It will be difficult to pry him from the south with Oklahoma being the early favorite, but also the hometown school Georgia is very much in play.

Quick Hits

• Ohio State now incoming five-star quarterback Quinn Ewers announced his first NIL partnership on Monday. Ewers, and the rest of the Ohio State football team’s success in name, image and likeness will only help bolster Ohio State’s recruiting pitch.