Buckeyes focused on 2023 class now that September has arrived

In the words of Ohio State’s strength coach Mick Marotti, “It is time!”

The long anticipated wait for the return of Ohio State football ends tonight when the Buckeyes take on conference foe Minnesota to kick off their 2021 campaign. With all of the craziness that surrounded last year’s shortened season, it will be a welcomed return to at least some bit of normalcy as fans will be back in the stands and Ohio State will be playing game one of 12 regular season contests rather than just six. It feels like it’s been forever since the Buckeyes last took the field, but the wait is over. Ohio State football is back!

In regards to recruiting, with fans allowed back in the stands, Ohio State will fully take the opportunity to host many of their top targeted recruits on campus for game days. In addition, Wednesday night at midnight (Sept. 1) made it permissible for college coaching staffs to communicate directly with the 2023 class. Ohio State wasted no time, as coaches were already getting to it contacting their top guys. Though the season is here, there’s still a ton of buzz around recruiting — which for the Buckeyes is always a top priority.

Buckeye staff wasting no time in reaching out to 2023 targets

Ohio State has already offered a ton of its top targets, but now the real groundwork for relationships can take place daily. On Wednesday, a few of the targets Ohio State is after took to their respective social media accounts to share the “love” the Buckeyes sent their way in terms of personalized graphics that Ohio State’s creative staff have put together. A simple but effective gesture for recruits, seeing the players making the content public should give you a clear depiction of their feelings toward the staff and program.

Anthony Brown, an in-state receiver prospect from Springfield, Ohio, is not the typical receiver Ohio State has landed in the last few cycles. While Brian Hartline hasn’t exactly always brought in giants on the outside, Brown’s 5-foot-10, 170 pound stature isn’t the usual body type for the Buckeyes at the receiver position. Still, Brown’s play-making abilities have given him offers from the likes Kentucky, Tennessee, Penn State, Michigan, and a host of others.

Yet to receive an offer from the Buckeyes, it’s not a secret that Brown would love the nearby power to call his name. Ranked as the 41st best receiver in the country and Ohio’s sixth best player for 2023, it’s not a guarantee, but an offer may still very much be in the cards with a strong junior season and continued communication with the staff.

Sticking with a trend here, another Anthony in the 2023 recruiting class took to Twitter to show off the personalized graphic Ohio State sent his way. Anthony Hill, a five-star linebacker out of Denton, Texas, also was in touch with the Buckeyes, and being the nation’s 19th best player overall as well as the top linebacker in the country for 2023, it’s not hard to see why any program would be all over his recruitment. The 30 offers to his name currently are just another reason to see why he is ranked as highly as he is.

Schools such as Alabama, Clemson, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Oklahoma, and every other top program have already offered. For the Buckeyes, Hill is just another Texas native that they’ll be able to recruit using their incredible success and track record. Year after year the Buckeyes go into Texas and seemingly get whoever they want, and that can’t be lost on Hill. Al Washington is no slouch on the recruiting trail, so while this may not be a sure bet, you can’t count out Ohio State.

Quick Hits

• Four-star 2022 offensive lineman Carson Hinzman will make another trip to Ohio State next weekend as he has plans a return visit with the Buckeyes for their matchup against Oregon. After already being on campus this past June for an official visit, this second visit is important because it is funded solely by Hinzman and his family, which shows his interest in Ohio State overall. A Wisconsin native, Hinzman has one prediction submitted for his home state Badgers on the 247Sports Crystal Ball, but if the Buckeyes really pursue him, the interest seems to be reciprocated right now.

Currently, Hinzman is ranked as the fourth-best interior offensive lineman in the class as well as the 135th best player in the country per the 247Sports Composite.

• Much like the 247Sports Crystal Ball feature, On3.com has their own method for predicting where the top recruits will end up playing their college ball. On Wednesday, Jeremy Birmingham of Letterman Row submitted his own prediction for Ohio State to land 2023 receiver target Carnell Tate.

Not a new name by any means for the Buckeyes, the recruitment for Tate seems to really be down to the Buckeyes and Notre Dame. After visiting both programs multiple times already amid a busy summer, the IMG Academy star will be coming to a decision in October. Ranked currently in the 247Sports Composite as the ninth best receiver in the country as well as the 58th best player overall, Tate would be yet another feather in the cap for Brian Hartline as the best receivers coach in the nation when it comes to both development and recruiting success.