Five-star WR includes Ohio State as a finalist for his coveted pledge

While the NCAA men's basketball tournament kicked off in Dayton on Tuesday with the First Four games, the Buckeyes were securing positive news regarding their pursuit of a top pass-catcher on the gridiron. Plus, the latest on a Top 100 defensive prospect from Tennessee.

Tate down to five

Ohio State is still on the prowl for their first 2023 pledge that will spend his time in college learning under wide receivers coach Brian Hartline. On Tuesday, the Buckeyes got some optimistic news regarding a top target at the position.

2023 five-star wide receiver Carnell Tate of IMG Academy (FL) revealed on Twitter that he is down to five programs that have their sights set on the coveted Chicago native.

The addition of Ohio State should come as no surprise, as the Buckeyes have long been considered a favorite for the 6-foot-2, 185-pounder. The latest update from Tate does give Ryan Day a look at who they will have to outperform on the trail if they want to land sunshine state standout.

Among the teams also on the list include Alabama, Georgia, Notre Dame, and Tennessee. While there are still five technically in play for Tate, this is a recruitment that has long looked like a Buckeyes vs. Irish battle.

On Tuesday, Tate did make a visit to South Bend to check out Notre Dame once again. It was his third stop at the university since securing an offer from the Fighting Irish back in September of 2020. Tate is also slated to make an official visit to Tennessee on April 8, according to his 247Sports profile.

Despite the visit for Tate, it is worth mentioning that Tom Loy, a 247Sports Notre Dame insder, casted a Crystal Ball prediction in favor of Ohio State. If indeed that ends up being the case for the Buckeyes, Hartline would welcome the No. 21 overall prospect in the class. Tate is also slotted in as the third best wide receiver and the seventh highest graded player from the state of Florida.

Herring sets Buckeye visit

Switching gears to the defensive side of the ball, Ohio State is slated to welcome 2023 four-star defensive end Caleb Herring of Riverdale (TN) to check out what the program has to offer later this month, according to a tweet by Zach Carpenter of Scarlet and Gray Report.

Herring stands over 6-foot-5 and comes in at 206 pounds. The Murfreesboro native has yet to receive an offer from the Buckeyes. However, that could ultimately come to fruition in the near future depending on how things transpire on the visit to Columbus.

Among the teams that have already extended offers to Herring include Auburn, Baylor, Cincinnati, Georgia, Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, USC, and the presumed favorite Tennessee.

Herring is currently included in the consensus Top 100 prospects from the major recruiting services. The highly-coveted edge defender is also listed as the No. 6 prospect at his position and is the highest graded player from Tennessee.

Quick Hits

• Ohio State basketball has their eye on the transfer portal, as the Buckeyes reached out to Princeton guard Jaelin Llewellyn, according to Jake Weingarten of Stockrisers.com. The 6-foot-2, 175-pounder averaged 15.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.6 assists this season for the Tigers.
• On the gridiron, 2023 tight end Brennan Wooten of Cathedral (IN) will make a visit to Ohio State on March 26, according to Garrick Hodge of Eleven Warriors. When discussing his on-going recruitment with the Buckeyes, Wooten relayed to Hodge that coach Kevin Wilson is the staff member he is mostly in contact with, and that the program is recruiting him as a hybrid fullback/tight end. If offered, Wooten told Hodge that "the Buckeyes would instantly be a top school he’d consider."