Buckeyes making the most of early spring ball recruiting opportunities

Much like the rest of this week so far, Wednesday looked to be a busy day for the Ohio State football program. Another spring practice on the docket, the Buckeyes were back on the field once again and doing so in front of several top recruiting targets. The development on the field this spring will be first and foremost the top priority, but recruiting will also be right at the top of the list in terms of areas of major importance. Fortunately, both look to be off to a strong start.

Buckeyes in good spot for Jim Knowles’ top guy

Since the moment Knowles took the defensive coordinator job with the Buckeyes, it’s been known that his top target is Louisiana native, Tackett Curtis. Being a linebacker coach himself, it makes sense that his top priority would be bringing in an elite linebacker in his first class with the Buckeyes, but being that the roster needs to continue improving that position group, Knowles knows exactly what he’s looking for, and Tackett checks all the boxes and then some.

Curtis was able to get to Columbus with his family and for his first visit with Ohio State this week. Having concluded that visit now, Knowles and the rest of the staff seemed to hit a home run. Raving about the overall feel of his trip, Curtis went out of his way to mention that everything exceeded his expectations and how impressed he was with how the staff treated both he and his family while on campus. Overall, it certainly helped Ohio State’s chances that the many family members in attendance all came away feeling really solid about the Buckeyes.

Curtis has made it clear that Ohio State is among the top schools he’s considering, but on Wednesday an update surfaced that should have the Buckeyes and Knowles feeling really solid about where they stand.

Coming in the form of a Crystal Ball prediction, Ohio State was the pick for Director of Recruiting for 247Sports, Steve Wiltfong. A pretty serious development, when Wiltfong casts a Crystal Ball prediction it usually ends up coming true. Knowles has made Curtis his top priority, and while the work will continue until he makes a final decision, for now Ohio State looks to be in a really solid place for the nation’s sixth-best linebacker and No. 62 player overall.

Successful visit for 2023 receiver

Thanks to position coach Brian Hartline, it’s almost a guarantee Ohio State will once again land an epic haul of receivers. Since he took over the position group, all they’ve done is impress and his recruiting chops are in large part the reason why. As it gets deeper in this 2023 cycle, there’s some elite prospects in the running to be the first member of the position group to commit to Ohio State. Fortunately, this spring ball season is going to be a key cog in those developments, as many of the top guys on the OSU board will be on campus.

Wrapping up one of those said visits, 2023 target Bryson Rodgers was on campus on Wednesday, and clearly the visit with the Buckeyes was everything he wanted it to be. Taking to his Twitter account to share his positive experience with the staff and visit overall, Rodgers is showing how highly he thinks of Ohio State by visiting not even two months after receiving his offer from the staff, which came in January.

The No. 40 receiver in the class, Bryson is also the 308th best player overall, but don’t let that ranking fool you. Though he’s a four-star, he may not be as highly ranked as some of the other receivers the Buckeyes are in on, but just like Kyion Grayes was in last year’s cycle, Rodgers could be a player that sees his stock increase drastically once he commits. A Florida product, another advantage Ohio State has with Rodgers is his original ties to Ohio, as that is where he’s actually from before moving south. Right now, this looks to be another recruitment where the Buckeyes are in a really solid spot.

Quick Hits

• Making his first trek to Columbus today, Ohio State will be hosting Alabama native Christopher Vizzina. A four-star 2023 quarterback, Vizzina is the seventh-best signal caller in the country and the 51st best player nationally per the 247Sports Composite. With over 31 offers to his name, the Buckeyes are hoping they stick out while he’s in town. Needing a QB for this 2023 class, look for Ryan Day and Corey Dennis to roll out the red carpet as they try to reel in another top national talent under center.

• Like many of the other recruits in attendance on Wednesday for spring practice, Ohio State looks to have impressed another top target on their board. 2023 offensive tackle Olaus Alinen loved what he saw in Columbus and what the Buckeyes have to offer. A 6-foot-6, 315 pound monster, Alinen is the 14th best offensive tackle in the country and the 127th best player overall. Position coach Justin Frye looks to be doing a great job already on the trail.