Ohio State in-state commits, targets kick off prep seasons

Three weeks from tomorrow, Ohio State kicks off with Notre Dame coming to town. As a result, it’s a little bit of a slow period when it comes to recruiting. With the Buckeyes in the middle of preseason camp and with recruits themselves starting their own respective seasons, recruiting takes a back seat to prepping for the actual season.

At any rate, with a slate of games coming up in Ohio Stadium, several top recruits are going to be in attendance with the staff rolling out the red carpet experience. As the games get closer and the guest lists grow, it’s further proof that though Ryan Day and crew are full eyes ahead on the Irish and beyond, recruiting is still very much in the minds of this staff for both the 2023 class and the future cycles as well.

Top 2024 target giving OSU love on game day

Of the many prep programs within Ohio, none may be as iconic as Cleveland Glenville. The pipeline to Columbus gave Ohio State some of their more recognized players in the early 2000s, and certainly helped them out with other instrumental figures like Cardale Jones and high draft pick Marshon Lattimore. On both sides of the ball, the Ted Ginn Sr.-led program has produced some incredible Buckeye talents, and that pool of elite players looks to be getting back to a high standard.

After a bit of a hiatus, Glenville is once again churning out big time players, and in the 2023 class, the Buckeyes were able to keep Arvell Reese at home to get the pipeline started for another go around.

Looking ahead in the 2024 class, the Buckeyes are hoping Glenville comes through again with top defensive back target, Bryce West. The No. 110 player nationally, West is the 17th best athlete in the class and the second best player in Ohio for his cycle per the 247Sports Composite. A long-time Buckeye target, this staff knows just how quality of a player he is, but knowing his background only solidifies how much Ohio State wants to keep him in-state for his college career. Adding in how important the defensive back position is, having a top national player in your state makes it that much more vital to keep him home.

That said, last night Glenville kicked off their 2022 season in a 25-0 win over Akron’s St. Vincent-St. Mary’s. While the on-field product is certainly the talk of the night, even the little details will be looked at when it comes to recruiting. Seeing West wearing Ohio State gloves for his game may be a reach, but it still shows how much of a player the Buckeyes are in this recruitment already.

The Glenville to Ohio State track record is strong, and it does seem that it is about to really get even stronger thanks to the 2023 addition of Reese and potentially again in 2024 with West.

Quick Hits

• One of the more tenured commits in the 2023 class, Joshua Padilla has been committed since November of 2021, and hasn’t wavered for a second from his Ohio State pledge. The No. 236 player nationally, Padilla is also the 10th-best interior lineman in the class per the 247Sports Composite. He gives position coach, Justin Frye one of his three in-state commits up front.

Likely to play inside at the next level for Ohio State, Padilla lines up outside at offensive tackle for his Huber Heights Wayne prep team. Though his Warriors fell short last night, Padilla was every bit as impressive as you can image.

Paving the way in the run game and also in pass protection, you can see the strength he plays with. The footwork may be a little raw, but this is a player that once he gets to campus is going to only get better and better. When you see him on film and watch his individual play, it’s not hard to see why the Buckeyes were so set on keeping him at home as well.