Top 2023 safety target trims top schools list down to seven

In the coming weeks spring ball will officially begin and Ohio State football will be back in some capacity. Though it’s only been several weeks since the season’s end, in some ways it feels like the Buckeyes haven’t been on the field in forever. These winter months always pass slow when football is desired, but for the staff the work never ceases.

In recruiting, the hard work has been seen daily with new offers going out and other developments. Thanks to the relentless attitude this staff has on the trail, spring should be a really solid time for momentum to continue building in the 2023 class. With spring practice just around the corner, new developments are just around the corner.

Aguero narrows it down to a final seven

There may not be a position that Ohio State is wanting to improve more than the safety spot on defense. Every elite team year in and year out has an “eraser” on the back end of their defense, and the Buckeyes were hurt by a lack of that this past year. Sure, injuries were no help to Ohio State, but the overall position hasn’t been up to the Silver Bullet standard they desire to live by and that has to change. Fortunately, new boss of the defense Jim Knowles makes the safety position a priority on the field, and that is going to force the staff to bring in more elite talent.

In the 2023 class, the Buckeyes currently hold a commitment from Cedrick Hawkins as a safety, but as mentioned, Knowles uses a scheme with multiple safeties on the field at once, meaning the staff is certainly still looking to bring in top targets. Thankfully, things look to be on the right track, as Wednesday saw news of one of the top guys on Ohio State’s board trimming his top schools down to seven, and the Buckeyes got the nod.

Taking to his Twitter account to announce the latest update in his recruitment, Joenel Aguero released his top seven schools Wednesday evening. With nearly 30 offers to his name, getting down to seven programs shows that Aguero is moving through the process and while a decision isn’t expected soon, this narrowing down will allow him to really focus on his finalists and weigh the options before making his final call.

The second-ranked safety in the 2023 class, Aguero included Alabama, Texas A&M, Georgia, Miami, Florida, LSU, and Ohio State as his finalists. Right now, most of the signs point towards Georgia being in the best position for his commitment, but the Buckeyes of course still have time to make their best pitch and get even further into the running. At any rate, Knowles and position coach Perry Eliano will be working tirelessly to bring in this top 50 national target.

Quick Hits

• Visit season is upon us, and while that typically means guys from the more current recruiting classes will be on Ohio State’s campus, the staff is also happy to host some of the top guys in the future classes as well.

With the spring ball period coming, the Buckeyes are going to be busy playing host to their top prospects during the practices and while many of those guys are going to be coming from a national landscape, in-state players will also make the short trek to Columbus. One in particular, Jake Cook (Westerville, OH/Westerville North) will be taking both practice and the spring game after being invited by the staff.

A 2025 offensive lineman, Cook is already an incredible size for just a high school freshman. At 6-foot-4, 275 pounds, Jake isn’t built like most guys in his class. For that reason, when his time comes for a recruiting ranking, it’s not crazy to think how highly touted he will be. Fortunately, Ohio State looks to be making an early impression with another top player right in their back yard.