Ohio State gets visit from four-star defensive end from Maryland

While the weekend came to a close in disappointing fashion, as the basketball Buckeyes fell to Michigan, Ohio State did have the opportunity to welcome some prospects to Columbus for campus visits in both major sports.

Lee, Umeozulu make OSU visit

On the gridiron, Ohio State received visits from 2023 four-star defensive end Desmond Umeozulu and 2024 cornerback Brayden Lee of Charles Herbert Flowers (MD) this weekend. It's a visit that the duo planned just a month ago.

The former is the bigger name of the two, as Umeozulu comes in as the No. 144 overall prospect in his recruiting class. The Upper Marlboro native is also slotted as the 10th-highest graded edge rusher and is the second-best player from the talent-rich state of Maryland.

But that is not to take away from his younger teammate, Lee. While Lee is yet to carry a star ranking designation next to his name, he has put together a respectable list of offers thus far. The 6-foot-1, 163-pounder has already earned offers from programs including Penn State, South Carolina, Texas A&M, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and more. You can unquestionably expect more programs to join the picture sooner rather than later.

"Amazing" official visit for Middleton

Switching gears to the hardwood, head coach Chris Holtmann and the Buckeyes had the opportunity to impress 2023 four-star small forward Scotty Middleton of Sunrise Christian (KS) for an "amazing" official visit this weekend.

Middleton, a Wichita native, first received an offer from Ohio State in January of this year, and it didn't take long for the program to host the 6-foot-6, 180-pounder to campus to check out what the program has to offer.

The blue-chip hoopster already has a healthy dose of options at his disposal with the likes of Georgia, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Penn State, Pittsburgh, and more also offering to this point.

While it's to soon to know exactly how the visit went for both parties, the fact that the Buckeyes were able to secure an official visit from Middleton comes as a win regardless.

Middleton is currently graded as the No. 50 overall prospect in the 2023 class. The lengthy wing standout is also penciled in as the 10 best small forward and the second best player from Kansas.

Quick Hits

• Ohio State looks to be targeting a new 2023 signal-caller, as three-star quarterback Zane Flores of Gretna (NE) received a visit from QB coach Corey Dennis, according to Mitch Sherman of The Athletic. Sherman stated that the plan is for Ryan Day to speak with Flores and that a visit to the Buckeyes campus "could be on the horizon."
• It was a big weekend on the wrestling front for 2023 four-star interior offensive lineman Joshua Padilla, an Ohio State commit since November of last year. The 6-foot-4, 265-pounder repeated as a district champion on the mat and will now take his 29-1 record to compete for state.