Jim Knowles back in Louisiana for yet another check-in with his top defensive target in 2023

Summer is quickly approaching, and that means a ton of players from all over the country will flock to Columbus to see Ohio State soon. With both official and unofficial visits taking place all throughout June especially, Ryan Day and his crew have their work cut out for them in just a few short days.

Still hard at work on the trail, coaches were active on the road again on Wednesday as they have been for sometime now, and it’s continued opportunities to get in front of their top guys in hopes that they will be the next additions to the 2023 and 2024 recruiting classes.

Another visit to see top linebacker target

By now, Jim Knowles should just take up a second residency in Louisiana with how many times he’s visited in the last few months. Doing everything in his power to land linebacker Tackett Curtis, Knowles made yet another trek down south yesterday to see his top target at the position. The No. 85 player nationally and the sixth best linebacker in the class according to 247Sports, Curtis has long been the main priority for Knowles, and since his arrive as the defensive coordinator he has made that pretty clear.

Stopping in during the first day of summer workouts in Louisiana for his prep program, Curtis has a busy upcoming month of June off the field and on the recruiting side of things. Having official visits scheduled to see Wisconsin on June 3 and USC on June 17, Ohio State currently has the last scheduled official visit for Curtis on June 24, which is during their big weekend. That’s when Knowles and the rest of the staff will look to seal the deal for his commitment, as he’ll be around several other current commits and top targets in the 2023 class.

A player that doesn’t need much more description, Curtis is an old-school linebacker that hits any and everything in his path. The physicality he shows on the field isn’t something that’s matched often. If anything, he fits the bill perfectly for the Silver Bullets and that’s why Ohio State is vying so hard for his pledge. The Buckeyes have long been in the mix and likely the favorite thanks to all the work and effort Knowles has paid so far. As time continues on and the visits start to wrap up, a decision will be looming and once again, Knowles will look to add another elite talent to his 2023 defensive class.

Quick Hits

• Though Ohio State has commitments from three in-state offensive linemen, Justin Frye knows the Buckeyes aren’t done adding to the stables for 2023, and in fact have still have some work to do on the trail. Fortunately, Ohio State’s in good position for a few of their top targets, but one seems to be quickly rising to the top of the leaderboard and even among the current 2023 commits.

The No. 128th player nationally, Olaus Alinen is a name that is seeing continued mentions when talking offensive line recruiting for the Buckeyes. The 15th best offensive tackle in the country per 247Sports, Alinen has not only impressed the coaching staff, but the top member in Ohio State’s class, Luke Montgomery.

As we’ve seen Montgomery do pretty often on his social media outlets, he’s making it clear that Alinen is wanted in the class and would be a major addition to an already very solid haul of offensive linemen. Other suitors such as Alabama are a big time threat, but an upcoming official visit at the end of June for Alinen may just be what the Buckeyes need to take a lead overall.

• In-state defensive back Reggie Powers (Dayton, Ohio/Centerville) plans to take an unofficial visit to Ohio State on June 15. A 6-foot-1, 185 pound safety, Powers does not currently hold an Ohio State offer, but schools such as Cincinnati, UMASS, Ball State, and Toledo are currently in the mix. Yet to be ranked by 247Sports, Powers getting around to some of the more major programs this summer should help his recruitment continue to see activity and especially if his visits include plans to participate in camp settings.