COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State football’s 2023 recruiting class is in the endgame now as it awaits the decision of a handful of five-star recruits.
Larry Johnson is trying to repeat the success of 2021 when he landed Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau as a pair of five-star edge rushers viewed as top five players nationally. In a career filled with successful moments, pulling that off was the most impressive thing he’s done as a recruiter, and now both are gradually living up to the ratings as sophomores in the program
The trio of Keon Keeley, Matayo Uiagalelei and Damon Wilson are providing a chance for him to do it again as he and Ryan Day throw practically the kitchen sink at each. Getting one of them — alongside the already committed Jason Moore, Kayden McDonald and Will Smith Jr. — would make this a quality cycle. Getting multiple is the perfect world scenario.
We’re in the window for each player as they could commit anytime between now and Signing Day. Each battle has its own little nuances that make this a difficult task regardless of where the momentum is with them.
Keeley is the highest-rated of the bunch as a former Notre Dame pledge who decommitted in August after a year in the Irish’s class. The nation’s No. 7 player and top edge rusher has been to Columbus twice this fall, first to watch a 21-10 win over the Irish, then again to watch a 52-21 win over Wisconsin. The fight for him is with Alabama, a program that’s already beaten the Buckeyes for a bunch of other five-stars in this cycle
FanDuel Sportsbook
STATES: OHIO PRE-LAUNCH BONUS
GET BONUS
$100
+ LAUNCH PROMO
Wilson — No. 19 player and No. 3 edge rusher — also attended the season-opener against Notre Dame and has been to Columbus ___ times during his recruitment. Some momentum shifted towards OSU in October, but that should be taken with a grain of salt. Georgia still looms large as the reigning champions and is home to what’s been the nation’s best defense for the past two years. It would do the program some good if he was in Columbus on Nov. 26.
That’s two kids living in SEC that Ohio State’s having to fight with the top two teams in that conference for.
Then there’s Uiagalelei as the No. 33 player and No. 6 edge rusher. For a long time, it’s felt like he was Johnson’s best chance at getting a five-star in this cycle, given how often he’s been on campus, which includes the Notre Dame game. The younger brother of Clemson quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei has been the quietest of the Big Three from the start, and there’s no telling which way he’s leaning. But now USC has given the California native something to think about by hiring Lincoln Riley.
Ohio State only needs one to jump on board, and it doesn’t really matter which one it is. But going above and beyond by getting two keeps, what’s been an impressive run of defensive line recruiting over the past three years, a future to look forward to with talent stacked on top of each other.
The emphasis on how important each is to the program has been overstated. Now all the Buckeyes can do is play the waiting game.
To see Ohio State’s full 2024 recruiting class, click here.
Who’s trending away?
Alabama’s already beaten Ohio State for five players in the 2023 cycle, and it might be in the process of winning another.
Arion Carter is the nation’s No. 317 player and No. 24 linebacker who’s watched his recruiting profile rise a bit over the past month earning offers from most of college football’s top programs. Now he’ll spend November taking official visits starting this weekend with Ohio State. He’ll head to Michigan next Saturday before closing out with Alabama on Nov. 26.
Right now, he’s still committed to Memphis, but that seems to be only a matter of time before that’s no longer the case. The Crimson Tide have the upper hand right now, and the Buckeyes will get a chance to change that as he watched them play Indiana.
Projecting the next OSU commit
I’ll stay away from the 2023 guys for now here. It still feels early to put out a confident projection to this point, given how this has played out so far. So I’ll spin back around to a guy in the 2024 class who knows he can pull the trigger whenever he wants.
Garrett Stover is the nation’s No. 165 player and No. 22 athlete projecting out as either a safety or a linebacker. He’s trying to hold off on a decision until after his high school season is over, and he can better focus on it. Odds are he’ll be at the Michigan game, and that might be the final nail in the coffin in him going from a guy Ohio State is patiently waiting on to the first member of what could be an all-Ohio defensive back class.
Where does OSU rank nationally?
Ohio State enters November with the nation’s fifth-best class. Depending on how the next 30 days, though, it can probably get as high as No. 2 by adding the right combination of final recruits because all the potential names are five stars at this point.
Alabama has built such a lead that it’s unlikely anyone catches them for the top spot. Notre Dame is doing all it can just t hold on to what it already has. That leaves a Georgia program that’s habitually at the top of these rankings and a Brian Kelly-led LSU program that might be getting a bit of a spark thanks to its recent upset win over the Crimson Tide.
More Buckeyes coverage
–
Get the latest Ohio State Buckeyes merchandise: Here’s where you can order Ohio State football gear online, including jerseys, T-shirts, hoodies, hats and much more.
If you or a loved one has questions and needs to talk to a professional about gambling, call the Ohio Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-589-9966 or the National Council on Program Gambling Helpline (NCPG) at 1-800-522-4700.
