Buckeyes dip into Texas to offer latest target, make the cut for another 2023 prospect

This weekend is a huge one, and not just for the on-field results with Oregon coming to town. With the Ducks being easily one of the better opponents the Buckeyes will face this season, a lot is on the line for Ohio State. Early playoff implications are surely a factor, but with two extra days to prepare thanks to opening on a Thursday, it’s probably safe to assume the Buckeyes will look even better this weekend as opposed to the season opener against Minnesota. In addition, this game has been circled by the staff for some time now, so an extra wrinkle or two may make a debut come Saturday at noon.

Off the ball, this weekend is huge for recruiting efforts with both the 2022 and 2023 classes. A big time game this early on in the season is the perfect atmosphere to host top targets and commits for this staff, so taking advantage of Ohio’s September weather will be the case for many of the top players on Ohio State’s recruiting board. Hoping for a successful weekend all around, this will be the first real chance this season for the Buckeyes and the coaching staff to show off what a game day in Columbus is like and use it to continue building the rest of their 2022 class and the start of 2023’s.

Buckeyes offer 2023 Texas product

While almost all of the staff’s attention is focused on Saturday’s contest against Oregon, clearly there’s still time for some recruiting efforts, as the Buckeyes offered their latest target in the 2023 class after a late Tuesday night announcement. Most of the time, offers coming from the staff slow down a bit when the season comes due to less evaluation time, but in this case the coaches are looking to ramp up the 2023 cycle a bit as they currently only have one commitment in the fold. Odds are sooner rather than later that will change, since this will be a massive recruiting weekend for official visitors.

On the receiving end of the latest Ohio State offer is Texas native Dalton Brooks (Shiner, Texas). A 6-foot-2, 180 pound two-way player, Brooks is currently listed as an athlete by 247Sports as he lines up anywhere he’s needed. Ranked as the fifth-best athlete in the class, Brooks also checks in as the ninth-best player in Texas and the 48th best player nationally per the 247Sports Composite. A high four-star, it’s easy to see why the Buckeyes are impressed with him enough to dish out an offer. Being a Texas product too and with the success Ohio State has had in the Lone Star State, this latest offer makes total sense.

Having nearly 20 offers to his name already, Brooks is clearly deserving of how highly touted he is nationally. Programs such as Alabama, Texas, Texas A&M, LSU, Georgia, Auburn, and a host of others have already thrown their hat into the ring, and with Ohio State in the fold, you can argue that every top program in the country is in on this recruitment. Getting Brooks to campus will be the first step towards developing the relationship, but as mentioned, you have to like the Buckeyes in any recruitment when it’s in regards to a top Texas talent.

2023 cornerback announces top 10 schools

Very rarely do the Buckeyes find their name off the grid when it comes to a top player announcing a top schools list. More times than not Ohio State is being incuded when top schools are named, and that bodes well for the Buckeyes continuing to land top national caliber players. Regardless of position, the staff has done an incredible job on both sides of the ball selling the program, and while some will say Ohio State sells itself, the coaches deserve a ton of credit for always being in the mix for elite talent.

On Wednesday, the Buckeyes once again made the cut when Texas native Jamel Johnson took to his Twitter account to share his latest recruiting update of narrowing it down to a top 10 schools list. A 6-foot-1, 175 cornerback out of Arlington, Johnson is currently ranked as the 187th-best player nationally and the 15th-best at his position. Continuing the trend of the Buckeyes being in on key defensive backs from Texas, it makes perfect sense that Johnson still has Ohio State in the mix for his services.

Rounding out the rest of the schools for Johnson includes Oklahoma, Auburn, Alabama, USC, LSU, Florida State, Michigan, Texas, and Texas A&M. With over 30 offers to his name already, cutting it down to 10 is not easy, but this is where his attention will focus as time moves forward closer to his overall decision. Per the 247Sports Crystal Ball, there are no predictions submitted for where Johnson will end up, so one could take it as this is anyone’s race early on. For the Buckeyes, all they need to do is continue much of the same recipe for success when it comes to recruiting Texas players — that seems to work out pretty well.

Quick Hits

• Another 2023 prospect the Buckeyes are in on released a top schools list on Wednesday. 2023 offensive tackle target Kadyn Proctor took to Twitter to announce his top 12 and included Ohio State in the mix. The 6-foot-7, 330 pound five-star ranked as the fifth best player in the nation and top at his position also included Iowa, Florida, Texas, Georgia, Iowa State, Notre Dame, LSU, Alabama, Texas A&M, Clemson, and Oklahoma.

Certainly worth mentioning in regards to the aforementioned Proctor, his current high school teammate is Xavier Nwankpa — one of Ohio State’s top remaining targets in the 2022 class. Nwankpa himself took to Twitter yesterday to share that he fully plans on taking Proctor with him to the school of their choice, hinting at a package deal. Now these package deals rarely come about, but being at the same prep program certainly doesn’t hurt, and the Buckeyes are obviously making both top priorities.