Ohio State 4-star safety target sets commitment date

Ohio State is hoping August is a much more stable month when it comes to college football recruiting. July was a roller coaster of a month for the team, with lots more downs than ups as the month went on. Ohio State saw multiple key defensive targets commit elsewhere at the end of July, as well as saw a top-100 defensive recruit decommit from the program.

At Big Ten Media Days, Ryan Day alluded to the recent defensive recruiting struggles, but insisted they were only temporary. Since the setbacks, Ohio State has secured a defensive commitment for the future in 2025 cornerback Jontae Gilbert of Douglass (GA) and the team is hoping to add to the current 2023 class as well.

2023 Ohio State CB target sets commitment date

One of the biggest names on Ohio State’s newly reset big board is four-star defensive back Jayden Bonsu of Hillside (NJ). The DB took to Twitter late this weekend to announce his top five schools as well as his commitment date later this month.

Bonsu will be deciding between Michigan State, Penn State, Alabama, Ohio State, and Miami on Aug. 14. The Hurricanes have been favored for some time now, but the Buckeyes have been doing their best to make a late push for him, as has Michigan State.

Bonsu had official visits with each of his top five schools, with Miami getting the last one. Bonsu’s visit with all of the above schools, especially the three making the late push, went as well as possible.

Securing a commitment from Bonsu would not only be a huge addition to the OSU class in terms of talent acquisition but would also help calm the recent fears around Ohio State’s defensive recruiting abilities.

Bonsu is the No. 22 safety and is the No. 259 overall prospect. He is also the No. 4 recruit from the state of New Jersey.

Ohio State men’s basketball enters big recruiting week

While the Ohio State football team has been generating plenty of negative recruiting headlines as of late, the men’s basketball is hoping to turn things positive this week. Chris Holtmann and the basketball Buckeyes will see two of their top recruits commit this week and the Buckeyes are favorably positioned for both.

Ohio State has already gotten off to a quick start in the 2023 recruiting class. The group currently sits at No. 9 in the country with verbal commitments from four-star shooting guard George Washington III of Dayton (OH) and four-star center Austin Parks of Saint Marys (OH).

The duo could quickly double by the end of the week as the team will soon learn if four-star small forwards Devin Royal of Pickerington (OH) and Scotty Middleton of Wichita (KS) will be joining them in Columbus.

Royal will be the first to announce his commitment, as he plans to make his decision tomorrow.

It is no secret that Ohio State has long had Royal atop their big board, and their dedication has them in a good place to land the Central Ohio native. He initially included the team in his top nine schools, but also included them when he cut the group to a top three. Entering his decision, it appears to be a two-team race between the Buckeyes and Michigan State. He took an official visit to both schools and they have since been viewed as the leaders of the race.

The Buckeyes hold 100% of the 247Sports Crystal Ball predictions and although these are not a guarantee, a confidence score of 7 should be — at the very least — a solid insight into his mindset.

While the focus will be on Royal at first, the Buckeyes will not have to wait much longer to see Middleton’s decision as he plans to commit Saturday, Aug. 6.

Middleton is another prospect that the Buckeyes have long been focusing on, and the hard work again appears to be paying off. He initially included Ohio State in his top five schools alongside Kansas, UConn, Seton Hall, and Texas A&M. Although, since the announcement of his top five schools, it has been reported that he has narrowed things down even further to just Seton Hall, UConn, and OSU.

While no 247Sports Crystal Ball predictions have been cast yet for Middleton, rumblings have indicated that the Buckeyes are the team to beat.

Royal is the No. 14 SF in the 247Sports Composite Rankings and is the No. 73 overall prospect. He is also the No. 2 prospect from Ohio. Middleton is the No. 6 SF and is the No. 34 overall prospect. He is also the No. 3 prospect from Kansas.

If the Buckeyes are able to secure commitments from both forwards, they would place themselves in a great position to have one of the top classes in this cycle.

Quick Hits:

• Chris Holtmann and Ohio State also hit the recruiting road on Monday, offering 2025 center Malachi Moreno of Georgetown (KY). Moreno has not yet received a star ranking from 247Sports, but has already secured offers from Purdue, Missouri, Eastern Kentucky, and now Ohio State.

• With Monday being the first day of August, Ryan Day and the Ohio State football team are able to officially present members of the 2023 recruiting class with scholarship offers. Below are just a handful of recruits who took to Twitter to show off their offers from the Buckeyes.