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Ohio State was able to get back into the win column on Saturday after they outlasted Tulsa by a final count of 41-20. While the Buckeyes focus was solely on the Golden Hurricane, Land-Grant Holy Land focuses in on the weekend news on the recruiting trail.
Howard cuts list to 12
Ohio State enters the day with just one commitment on board for the 2023 recruiting class. That pledge comes from four-star tight end Ty Lockwood of Independence (TN). The No. 8 overall tight end in his class settled in on the decision to become a Buckeye in August.
Despite the verbal pledge by Lockwood, that hasn’t steered four-star tight end Jaxon Howard of Robbinsdale Cooper (MN) of his opinion on Ohio State. On Saturday, the 64th highest graded player overall decided it was time to sort through his 54 offers and narrow things down a bit.
BREAKING: Four-Star ATH Jaxon Howard is down to 1️⃣2️⃣ Schools, he tells @On3Recruits
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) September 18, 2021
The 6’4 235 ATH from Minneapolis, MN is one of the most coveted prospects in the 2023 class, as he holds 54 offers
Where Should He Go? pic.twitter.com/bciHJPO0WZ
As you can see, the Buckeyes were included in the group with a host of elite competition for the top player in Minnesota. Ultimately, I think Ohio State is pleased to be included in the list while also being more than happy with the addition of Lockwood. It will be interesting to see if the pursuit of Howard intensifies in hopes of potentially bringing in two tight ends in the class or if the program rides it out with Lockwood.
Bucks offer 2023 forward
Switching gears to the hardwood now, as Chris Holtmann and the basketball Buckeyes jumped into the action on Saturday. That’s when Ohio State dropped an offer to 2024 power forward James Brown of St. Rita (IL) after an unofficial visit to campus.
Extremely thankful and blessed to receive a scholarship offer from the University of Ohio State!!! Thank you @ChrisHoltmann and @ryanpedon for a great unofficial visit today!! pic.twitter.com/XX75pLeRD9
— James Brown13 (@JamesBrown13_24) September 19, 2021
Brown, who stands at 6-foot-8 and 210 pounds, has nine offers already despite his recruitment still seemingly in the beginning stages. The offer from the Buckeyes to the Chicago native puts them into the mix with DePaul, Howard, Illinois, LSU, Northern Illinois, Providence, Siena, and Western Illinois — the other
Quick Hits
- Ohio State was expected to host 2023 four-star linebacker Troy Bowles of Jesuit (FL) on Saturday for the game against Tulsa. Unfortunately, the No. 4 overall player at his position was unable to make the trip after suffering an ankle injury.
- The Buckeyes were able to get a visit from 2022 four-star wide receiver Caleb Burton, an Ohio State pledge since November of last year. It was an unofficial visit for the Lake Travis (TX) pass catcher after he used his official to the program back in June. The trip up from Texas should quiet some unwarranted concerns regarding Burton’s standing with the Buckeyes.
- Four-star offensive tackle George Fitzpatrick of Cherry Creek (CO), an Ohio State commit, announced his intentions to play in the 2022 All-American Bowl on Jan. 8, 2022 on NBC. The 6-foot-6, 285-pounder is graded as the No. 2 overall player in the state of Colorado and the 28th highest graded offensive tackle in the class. Fitzpatrick will join four-star wide receiver Kojo Antwi, four-star cornerback Jyaire Brown, the aforementioned Burton, four-star wide receiver Kyion Grayes, four-star offensive tackle Tegra Tshabola, and a host of other Buckeye commits in the contest.