Ohio State currently has the sixth-ranked class in 2023 following Early Signing Day, but that doesn’t tell the whole story.
Recruiting rankings can be weird. Depending on what aspect of a team’s ranking one looks at, and even which website is being used, differences in opinion can certainly happen and different thoughts can come to mind, whether positive or negative.
Many people use 247Sports’ composite rankings as their go-to source for recruiting. Looking at the team rankings, Ohio State has the sixth-ranked class in 2023, as things currently stand with the early signing period nearing its conclusion. But with only 20 commitments (all of which signed their National Letter of Intent on Wednesday), the Buckeyes have the fifth-fewest commitments among the top 25 teams in the current rankings, meaning it would be quite difficult to be at the very top of the list given that the rankings are solely based on total points (i.e. the more commitments, the more points a team should have).
Based on average rating per recruit, however, Ohio State has the third-ranked class, behind top-ranked Alabama (both in total points and average rating per recruit) and just barely behind Georgia.
| Team | 247Sports’ Points (Commits) | Average Per Recruit |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Alabama | 328.97 (28) | 94.90 |
| 2. Georgia | 311.80 (27) | 93.75 |
| 3. Texas | 297.31 (22) | 92.82 |
| 4. Miami | 294.85 (26) | 92.24 |
| 5. Oklahoma | 289.69 (25) | 91.74 |
| 6. Ohio State | 287.66 (20) | 93.57 |
Given that Ohio State had five decommitments and missed out on several other key targets including three five-star defensive ends, there is reason not to be completely satisfied with the Buckeyes’ 2023 class. But Ohio State still signed one of the best classes in the country on Wednesday.
“They’re gonna have an unbelievable opportunity here at Ohio State,” Ryan Day said. “These are guys that want to be Buckeyes. They know the opportunity here. … A lot of these guys did it for the right reasons (and for things that) truly matter.”
On a more negative note, the Buckeyes have just one commitment from a five-star prospect (Brandon Inniss), which is the first time Ohio State has signed only one five-star recruit since 2016 (Nick Bosa). Eight other schools signed multiple five-stars, led by Alabama with a whopping seven.
| Team | No. of Five-Stars |
|---|---|
| 1. Alabama | 7 |
| 2. Georgia | 2 |
| 3. Texas | 4 |
| 4. Miami` | 3 |
| 5. Oklahoma | 3 |
| 6. Ohio State | 1 |
| 7. LSU | 1 |
| 9. Tennessee | 1 |
| 10. Clemson | 1 |
| 11. Oregon | 2 |
| 13. Texas A&M | 2 |
| 14. Penn State | 1 |
| 15. USC | 3 |
| 19. Florida State | 1 |
| 38. UCLA | 1 |
Still, Ohio State’s 2023 class isn’t far off from the other classes Day has signed since he became head coach.
| Year | Total Points | No. of Commits | No. of Five-Stars | Average Per Recruit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 261.18 (14th) | 17 | 3 | 91.87 (3rd) |
| 2020 | 294.92 (5th) | 25 | 3 | 91.79 (5th) |
| 2021 | 321.78 (2nd) | 23 | 7 | 95.05 (2nd) |
| 2022 | 300.95 (4th) | 21 | 2 | 94.17 (3rd) |
| 2023 | 287.66 (6th) | 20 | 1 | 93.57 (3rd) |
The Buckeyes are behind Southern powerhouses Alabama and Georgia, who have the advantage of having more top prospects in their backyard than the Buckeyes do. Day acknowledged that the Buckeyes will need to step up their game on the NIL front in order to compete with them and others for top-ranked recruiting classes going forward.
“It’s Ohio State. We should be the best in the country and we will,” Day said of questions regarding his program and NIL.
Still, Early Signing Day is over and the Buckeyes have a top-five class. Not bad, right? And while the Buckeyes now must turn their focus fully toward playing Georgia on the field in the Peach Bowl, Ohio State could still make more additions to their roster – whether that be from the high school ranks or via the transfer portal – between now and the second National Signing Day on Feb. 1.
“There’s still a lot going on,” Day said. “There’s still a long way until February.”
Regardless of any potential further additions to the 2023 class, though, Day is confident the Buckeyes remain on the trajectory to continue competing for national championships with the 20 newest players they’ve signed into the program.
“I know the program’s in a great place,” Day said.
