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Recruits walk away from Ohio State football camps highly impressed with the Buckeyes

Want to know what it’s like to attend a camp at Ohio State? We found out.

Four-star prospect Elias Rudolph and OSU assistant Larry Johnson.
Photo via Elias Rudolph/@EliasRudolph6

It’s that time of the year again. Camp season. Trying to catch the eye of the Ohio State coaching staff in hopes of earning a scholarship offer from the Big Ten Conference power, many top notch prospects have flocked to Columbus in the last week or so to show their talents off to the Buckeyes.

Playing host to a large group of talented recruits, many have left the 614 with a chance to call it their college home.

Want to see what some of the recent campers had to say about their time with the Ohio State coaching staff? Land-Grant Holy Land caught up with the following prospects and grabbed their thoughts on their experience with the Buckeyes:

Four-star DL Jalen Thompson

Class: 2023
Town: Detroit, MI/Cass Tech
Size: 6-foot-3, 245 pounds
Offers: Ohio State, Cincinnati, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, etc

Thoughts: “It was great, and really everything like hands and feet movement, pointing your toe to bend corners, and hand drills. But the thing that really stood out was the hard work they put in and the way everyone works together as one unit. [The offer] went like this: I camped at the university and after coach Johnson told me the news. They said that they want me there and hope to get me back up.”

Four-star Edge Elias Rudolph

Class: 2024
Town: Cincinnati, OH/Taft
Size: 6-foot-4, 220 pounds
Offers: Ohio State, Pittsburgh, Arkansas, Cincinnati, Michigan, etc

Thoughts: “The camp went great. I liked the devolvement I received in the short period of time and I really love the energy the coaches bring and the effort they put in to make sure everything goes right. It feels great knowing what type of school this is. Knowing it’s a big time school let’s me know I’m a big time player and I still have work to put in to get better. This means that my recruitment will get a lot tougher and it will raise as time goes by. I think of Ohio State as the “Best in America.” Simply can’t be average when it comes to this school.”

Three-star TE Vance Bolyard

Class: 2023
Town: Greensboro, NC/Northern Guilford
Size: 6-foot-5, 230 pounds
Offers: Duke, Maryland, Michigan State, North Carolina, Pittsburgh, etc

Thoughts: “The camp was pretty good overall. I learned how to block with the right technique and stance, which is going to be extremely beneficial for this upcoming high school season. I talked to a lot of different coaches however I never got to see Coach Day. They said they’re going to keep recruiting me the same way as they’ve been doing. Hopefully they’ll pull the trigger soon but now for I’m going to take officials to MSU, UNC, and Duke.”

Three-star TE Luca Puccinelli

Class: 2024
Town: Richmond, VA/Benedictine
Size: 6-foot-7, 225 pounds
Offers: Connecticut, Duke, East Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia Tech, etc

Thoughts: “I think the camp went pretty well. I can always do better, but overall a good camp. I have a lot to improve on and get better at. Definitely how to create space and get open. As a tight end you need to be big enough to block big guys but need to be fast enough to get open on small fast guys. Coach Wilson really emphasized how to create space in the field. I was with Coach Wilson for most of the day. He was impressed with how I bend and move as a bigger guy and wants to keep in touch going forward. He expects big things from me in my junior year.”

Three-star OT Jordan Hall

Class: 2023
Town: Columbus, OH/KIPP Columbus
Size: 6-foot-8, 340 pounds
Offers: Penn State, Ball State, Marshall, Ohio, Toledo, etc

Thoughts: “The camp went great. I learned how to get to my spot better and quicker when pass blocking. That really stood out to me and playing with cleats in the ground. I got to speak with Coach Frye, the offensive line coach, and the head coach. They want to see me get faster off run block and be more intense. An offer from OSU would mean the world to me. If I got the offer they would be in my top three and it would help my recruitment pick up a lot. When I think of OSU I think of home because I lived in Columbus my whole life and have been in OSU’s back yard my whole life.”

QB Tavien St. Clair

Class: 2025
Town: Bellefontaine, OH/Bellefontaine
Size: 6-foot-3, 190 pounds
Offers: Central Michigan, Iowa State, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Tennessee

Thoughts: “The camp went great. I loved the experiences and coaching I had from coach Dennis and coach Fitch. It made camp enjoyable. I learned that accuracy is key and without it you’re not a good quarterback. I spoke to coach Dennis and coach Day. They both said that I threw really well and the next part of the recruiting process will be to get me there for a game. Then they will come watch me play plenty of times this fall and then they will go from there. [An OSU offer] would be a dream come true.”