Ohio State back on recruiting trail as the staff visits two important in-state players

With the conclusion of spring ball for Ohio State, the coaches once again can dedicate more of their time to recruiting. Though the entire spring season for the Buckeyes was loaded with recruiting efforts in terms of visits, offers, and beyond, the last couple of weeks hasn’t given the staff much time on the road due to their commitment to prepping for the 2022 season.

On Thursday, Mark Pantoni let everybody know that the staff was back on the trail in full force, which means recruiting yet again is the top priority this offseason. Continuing to build up momentum in both the 2023 and 2024 classes, the next couple of weeks and months should bring plenty of good news to Columbus.

Short trek to Findlay to check in with two big time guys

Getting right to the recruiting trail, offensive line coach Justin Frye didn’t have to travel too far when he made his way north to Findlay, Ohio. At the home of Ohio State’s current top 2023 commit, Luke Montgomery, coach Frye was able to check in and see his future offensive lineman that has been doing a ton of recruiting work himself in his 2023 class. The fourth-best offensive tackle in the country and the top player in Ohio this cycle, Montgomery has been committed since February and has easily become the leader of this class as a peer recruiter.

Not only was Frye in to see Luke though. As most know by now, Luke’s younger brother Ryan Montgomery is also quite the talent. Only a freshman in high school, he’s the lone quarterback the Buckeyes have offered in the 2025 class. Already an impressive 6-foot-3, 200 pound signal caller, Ryan does not currently have a player ranking due to his class status, but with offers from Notre Dame, Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, Tennessee, and of course Ohio State, it’s clear he will be not only one of the top QB’s, but one of the top players nationally regardless of position.

Being just under two hours from campus, Ryan has been to campus already numerous times, and whether he was tagging along with his brother or not, he’s every bit of a top priority for this staff early on. There’s tons of time still to go in his recruitment obviously, but Ohio State makes it clear that they want to keep their best in-state kids at home. At any rate, this is just another point of contact the Buckeyes are making with their current and hopefully future commits.

In-state 2024 edge rusher on the agenda

Findlay wasn’t the only stop for the coaching staff yesterday in Ohio. The Buckeyes also made their presence known in Cincinnati when cornerbacks coach Tim Walton made a stop at Cincinnati Taft High School. With several Taft players visiting Ohio State in late March, the Buckeyes aren’t the only program that has be sniffing around and seeing what they have to offer. With two Taft guys already in Ohio’s top 20 players list for 2024, there’s plenty of reason Ohio State made this school a priority to see.

The player of note here, the Buckeyes and coach Walton were in to check on 2024 edge rusher, Elias Rudolph. A four-star, 6-foot-4, 220 pound athlete, Rudolph is currently ranked as the 16th-best edge rusher in his class, the No. 207 player nationally and sixth-best player in Ohio per 247Sports.

A faster rising talent right now, Rudolph has double digit offers and this week alone has added offers from both Michigan and Purdue. While he does not currently own an Ohio State offer, this visit yesterday shows signs of that potentially on the way. Add that to his late March unofficial, and the Buckeyes are clearly becoming more and more interested. As they tend to do quite well, the defensive end position is always a success when it comes to recruiting, and it would be pretty beneficial for Ohio State to have a top guy at the position right in their back yard. Certainly a name to watch moving forward.

Quick Hits

• On the hardwood, Ohio State did receive some good news on Thursday in the 2023 class. Coming up with a top five list of schools, four-star Scotty Middleton (Wichita, Kansas/Sunrise Christian) trimmed his list of nearly 15 schools down to Kansas, UCONN, Seton Hall, Texas A&M, and Ohio State.

The 11th-best small forward in his class, Middleton is also considered to be the No. 41 player nationally and the second-best player in Kansas per the 247Sports Composite.