Ohio State defensive line target from California reveals his final official visits

Despite an unusually quiet day on the recruiting trail Tuesday, Land-Grant Holy Land talks about the latest news surrounding one of Ohio State’s top remaining players on their board, and could the Buckeyes be on commitment watch later tonight?

Final officials set for Kanu

We are now approaching the month of September, and still Ohio State has yet to receive a commitment from a prospect along the defensive line in this years recruiting class. But when you talk about some of the key remaining targets for Ohio State, and specifically Larry Johnson, one name you have to mention is four-star defensive lineman Hero Kanu of Santa Margarita Catholic (CA).

Ohio State initially jumped into the mix for the German-born prospect back in April when they sent out an offer to the 6-foot-5, 293-pounder. Kanu would wind up making two stops at the campus in the summer, and now the Scarlet and Gray are major contenders for his services. On Tuesday, 247Sports’ Greg Biggins revealed the upcoming trips scheduled for the Top 100 player and those will include three stops — official visits to Alabama and Notre Dame and an unofficial visit to Washington.

Last month, Kanu narrowed things down and was set to focus on Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, LSU, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Texas, USC, and Washington. But soon after, an offer from Notre Dame came about and the Fighting Irish are another team certainly in the mix. The All-American bowl selection is one the Buckeyes would love to ultimately end up in the class when it’s all said and done.

Williams set to decide

Four-star safety Markeith Williams of Evans (FL) will shut down his recruitment and make his collegiate commitment on Wednesday night. The 6-foot-1, 170-pounder is rumored to be selecting between a trio of Miami (FL), Nebraska, or Ohio State for his next destination.

Williams, who does have an offer from the Buckeyes and did make an official visit to the campus, is currently favored to pick the Hurricanes on the 247Sports Crystal Ball. Regardless, I would certainly not expect Ohio State to be the pick here.

The plan is unchanged for the Buckeyes at the safety position, with a potential tandem of four-star safety Zion Branch and four-star safety Xavier Nwankpa being the hopeful pairing for defensive coordinator Kerry Coombs and secondary coach Matt Barnes. There is also a possibility that five-star safety Jacoby Mathews, who was previously committed to LSU, becomes a real option going forward.

Quick Hits

• Four-star tight end Theodor Ohrstrom, the 13th-highest graded player at the position, received Crystal Ball predictions in favor of Texas A&M on Tuesday from 247Sports’ Bill Kurelic and Steve Wiltfong. The Sweden standout received an offer from Ohio State after impressing the coaching staff at camp in early June. An Aggie commitment from Ohrstrom could mean the Buckeyes are going all-in for four-star tight end Ty Lockwood of Independence (TN) to fill the gap at the position.
• According to Garrick Hodge of Eleven Warriors, four-star offensive lineman T.J. Shanahan “could have made it up” for an Ohio State visit a couple of weeks ago. However, the visit wasn’t in the cards, as instead Shanahan and his family were consumed with their trip from Florida to Texas. The No. 4 highest graded interior lineman will now look to visit the Buckeyes during the upcoming season. Shanahan announced last week that he would be transferring to Westlake (TX) after spending his first two years in high school at Timber Creek (FL).