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C Christoph Tilly (Official Thread)
- By ScriptOhio
- Buckeye Basketball
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Former Santa Clara Center Christoph Tilly Transferring to Ohio State
Ohio State adds a 7-foot center via the transfer portal as Christoph Tilly, who averaged 12.5 points and 4.9 rebounds per game for Santa Clara last season, commits to the Buckeyes.
Former Santa Clara Center Christoph Tilly Transferring to Ohio State
Ohio State has added a much-needed center via the transfer portal.
Christoph Tilly, who averaged 12.5 points and 4.9 rebounds per game for Santa Clara last season, committed to the Buckeyes on Thursday.
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Tilly, who earned second-team All-WCC honors last season, projects as a likely starter for the Buckeyes at center, where Ohio State needs improved production on both ends of the floor next season. Tilly will likely share minutes at the five with Sean Stewart and Ivan Njegovan, who are both entering their second season with the Buckeyes, following the transfer departure of Aaron Bradshaw.
Tilly was ranked as the seventh-best center to enter the transfer portal this offseason by 247Sports. He picked up 8.8 rebounds per 40 minutes in 2025-26, which would have ranked third among Buckeyes who played at least 10 minutes per game last season. Sean Stewart (12.5) and Devin Royal (9.6) had higher rates.
An efficient scorer around the rim, Tilly shot 61.7% from 2-point range and went 17-of-54 (31.5%) from 3.
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LGHL Three areas of concern for Ohio State football ahead of the 2025 season
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Three areas of concern for Ohio State football ahead of the 2025 season
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
After losing so many starters from last year’s national title team, there are going to be some growing pains at spots for Ohio State in 2025.
We are a little more than a week away from Ohio State’s spring practices wrapping up with the “spring showcase” at Ohio Stadium next Saturday. With a few weeks of practices under their belt, we are starting to get a better idea of what the starting lineup might look like when the Buckeyes welcome Texas to Columbus at the end of August for the season opener for both teams.
While there are a few positions that are rock solid, such as the wide receiver group with Jeremiah Smith, Carnell Tate, and others, there are other positions that there will be plenty of questions about throughout the spring and summer. Today we are going to look at three positions that still feel pretty fragile.
Luckily there is still almost five months before the season kicks off, so any positional questions have plenty of time to put in work ahead of the Texas game.
Eddrick Houston and Kayden McDonald figure to be the starters at defensive tackle for the 2025 season, replacing Tyleik Williams and Ty Hamilton. Houston and McDonald were the only defensive tackles currently on the roster to play at least 100 snaps last year, so at least they aren’t going into this season totally green.
What is worrisome about the defensive tackle position is the lack of depth. It’s not that Ohio State doesn’t have bodies that can play at defensive tackle, they just don’t have players that have much college playing experience behind the projected starters.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25937278/2195410000.jpg "Tennessee v Ohio State - Playoff First Round")
Photo by Robin Alam/ISI Photos/Getty Images
The Buckeyes took a hit at defensive tackle when Hero Kanu entered the transfer portal. Had Kanu stuck around for another season in Columbus, he likely would have been battling to be a starter this season. Now Ryan Day, Matt Patricia, and Larry Johnson might have to look at the transfer portal following the spring showcase to try and add a little more depth to the position.
Even though there won’t be any top tier talent in the portal, Ohio State doesn’t necessarily need someone who can step right in and start. What they will need is someone who can add to the depth at the position, since the expanded playoff will grind on the offensive and defensive lines, so the deepest teams will find the most success.
If we’re being honest, there are going to be questions when you lose two running backs like TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins. At least Ryan Day dipped into the transfer portal and brought in West Virginia running back CJ Donaldson to add some experience to the position.
Donaldson ran for over 700 yards and 11 touchdowns in each of the last two seasons for the Mountaineers. At nearly 240 pounds, Donaldson is more of a bruising running back who will wear on defenses with his physical running style.
Likely to split carries with Donaldson this season is James Peoples, who is more of the “lightning” side of the pair. Peoples saw time on the field late in games last year when the Buckeyes had established big leads. The San Antonio native ran for 197 yards and two touchdowns on 49 carries. Rumblings from spring practices are that Peoples has made big strides so far in the offseason, looking the part of a starter in the backfield for Ohio State.
The main concern at the position is the unknown. Not only have we not seen much of Peoples at running back, who really knows how Donaldson is going to transition to the bright lights at Ohio State after suiting up for a mediocre West Virginia squad over the last couple years. If either of these running backs don’t work out, there is even more inexperience on the depth chart in Bo Jackson, Sam Williams-Dixon, and Isaiah West.
Obviously it is going to sting losing a player like Lathan Ransom. Luckily for the Buckeyes they have Caleb Downs at free safety on a defense that could see three safeties on the field at times. Malik Hartford has seen time on the field during his career but Jaylen McClain seems like a more natural fit to start at strong safety. Behind McClain on the depth chart are Faheem Delane and Keenan Nelson Jr.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25937279/2187039106.jpg "Indiana v Ohio State")
Photo by Jason Mowry/Getty Images
What is most concerning here is much like at defensive tackle and running back when it comes to inexperience not only at starter, but also with the rest of the depth chart at the position. McClain saw some limited playing time last year, while Delane is a true freshman, and Nelson didn’t register any snaps last season.
If necessary, Hartford could probably slide over to strong safety from his free safety position, but that’s probably something the coaching staff would try and avoid if necessary.
The presence of Downs at safety can help to alleviate some of the worries about the inexperience at strong safety. What we don’t know is how defensive coordinator Matt Patricia is going to use Downs in the defense, so things could look different from what we saw in how Jim Knowles used Downs.
Even though it would be nice to have Ransom on the roster for another year, these are the types of problems teams in college football often face, with them being even more frequent these days with the transfer portal.
Continue reading...
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
After losing so many starters from last year’s national title team, there are going to be some growing pains at spots for Ohio State in 2025.
We are a little more than a week away from Ohio State’s spring practices wrapping up with the “spring showcase” at Ohio Stadium next Saturday. With a few weeks of practices under their belt, we are starting to get a better idea of what the starting lineup might look like when the Buckeyes welcome Texas to Columbus at the end of August for the season opener for both teams.
While there are a few positions that are rock solid, such as the wide receiver group with Jeremiah Smith, Carnell Tate, and others, there are other positions that there will be plenty of questions about throughout the spring and summer. Today we are going to look at three positions that still feel pretty fragile.
Luckily there is still almost five months before the season kicks off, so any positional questions have plenty of time to put in work ahead of the Texas game.
Defensive tackle
Eddrick Houston and Kayden McDonald figure to be the starters at defensive tackle for the 2025 season, replacing Tyleik Williams and Ty Hamilton. Houston and McDonald were the only defensive tackles currently on the roster to play at least 100 snaps last year, so at least they aren’t going into this season totally green.
What is worrisome about the defensive tackle position is the lack of depth. It’s not that Ohio State doesn’t have bodies that can play at defensive tackle, they just don’t have players that have much college playing experience behind the projected starters.
The Buckeyes took a hit at defensive tackle when Hero Kanu entered the transfer portal. Had Kanu stuck around for another season in Columbus, he likely would have been battling to be a starter this season. Now Ryan Day, Matt Patricia, and Larry Johnson might have to look at the transfer portal following the spring showcase to try and add a little more depth to the position.
Even though there won’t be any top tier talent in the portal, Ohio State doesn’t necessarily need someone who can step right in and start. What they will need is someone who can add to the depth at the position, since the expanded playoff will grind on the offensive and defensive lines, so the deepest teams will find the most success.
Running back
If we’re being honest, there are going to be questions when you lose two running backs like TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins. At least Ryan Day dipped into the transfer portal and brought in West Virginia running back CJ Donaldson to add some experience to the position.
Donaldson ran for over 700 yards and 11 touchdowns in each of the last two seasons for the Mountaineers. At nearly 240 pounds, Donaldson is more of a bruising running back who will wear on defenses with his physical running style.
Likely to split carries with Donaldson this season is James Peoples, who is more of the “lightning” side of the pair. Peoples saw time on the field late in games last year when the Buckeyes had established big leads. The San Antonio native ran for 197 yards and two touchdowns on 49 carries. Rumblings from spring practices are that Peoples has made big strides so far in the offseason, looking the part of a starter in the backfield for Ohio State.
The main concern at the position is the unknown. Not only have we not seen much of Peoples at running back, who really knows how Donaldson is going to transition to the bright lights at Ohio State after suiting up for a mediocre West Virginia squad over the last couple years. If either of these running backs don’t work out, there is even more inexperience on the depth chart in Bo Jackson, Sam Williams-Dixon, and Isaiah West.
Strong safety
Obviously it is going to sting losing a player like Lathan Ransom. Luckily for the Buckeyes they have Caleb Downs at free safety on a defense that could see three safeties on the field at times. Malik Hartford has seen time on the field during his career but Jaylen McClain seems like a more natural fit to start at strong safety. Behind McClain on the depth chart are Faheem Delane and Keenan Nelson Jr.
What is most concerning here is much like at defensive tackle and running back when it comes to inexperience not only at starter, but also with the rest of the depth chart at the position. McClain saw some limited playing time last year, while Delane is a true freshman, and Nelson didn’t register any snaps last season.
If necessary, Hartford could probably slide over to strong safety from his free safety position, but that’s probably something the coaching staff would try and avoid if necessary.
The presence of Downs at safety can help to alleviate some of the worries about the inexperience at strong safety. What we don’t know is how defensive coordinator Matt Patricia is going to use Downs in the defense, so things could look different from what we saw in how Jim Knowles used Downs.
Even though it would be nice to have Ransom on the roster for another year, these are the types of problems teams in college football often face, with them being even more frequent these days with the transfer portal.
Continue reading...
LGHL One last lap: Bruce Thornton announces return to Ohio State
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One last lap: Bruce Thornton announces return to Ohio State
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images
The soon-to-be four time captain will finish his career having only played at Ohio State.
Even in the age of name, image, and likeness, a player announcing that they will return to play for the same team that they signed a letter of intent to play for may seem redundant, but this was an announcement Ohio State fans have been nervously waiting for.
Bruce Thornton will start and end his collegiate career as a Buckeye.
Today, Thornton announced that he would, in fact, be returning to Ohio State for his senior season. Already sitting in 21st all-time on the program’s all-time scoring list with 1,487 points, Thornton will have an opportunity to become Ohio State’s all-time leading scorer next season.
The soon-to-be four-time captain led Ohio State in scoring for the second consecutive season this year, averaging 17.7 points per game and playing 36.2 minutes per contest. He set a career-high in three-point shooting at 42.4%, and scored 20+ points 14 times. Thornton was named All-Big Ten Second Team at the conclusion of the season.
There were options for Thornton this off-season. Nearly 2,000 players have entered the transfer portal since last week, and Thornton would have been one of the most sought-after players had he entered. The Field of 68’s Jeff Goodman reported on Monday that the premier players in the transfer portal have been seeking deals worth upwards of $2.5-million dollars. Even though Thornton did not enter the transfer portal, it’s feasible that he or his family could have received calls and inquiries this spring about entering the transfer portal and cashing in on a substantially large payday.
Instead, credit goes to the Ohio State men’s basketball program and Ohio State’s NIL collectives for helping keep the face of the program in Columbus for his final year. NIL deals aren’t public information, but on top of loyalty, Thornton’s return also could’ve been incentivized by a large raise in compensation from his various NIL agreements. Last fall, an anonymous poll of over 100 college basketball coaches put Ohio State in the top 20 of all men’s basketball programs in terms of NIL resources.
He also could have entertained other options that would’ve given him better odds to play in the NCAA Tournament after not making it to the Big Dance in each of his first three seasons. His decision to stay put reflects not only Bruce’s confidence in himself, but also in head coach Jake Diebler to make that leap this season and play in the NCAA Tournament.
Thornton talked about how important winning games, specifically at Ohio State, was to him in the fall, at Ohio State’s media day, saying:
Thornton also could have entered the NBA Draft to test his draft stock and get feedback from pro teams, but he was not projected to be taken in the 2025 NBA Draft, even if he had entered his name. Technically, he still could do that, but with this announcement, it seems unlikely.
Loyalty is a big thing for Bruce Thornton, who spoke at length about it last year after Chris Holtmann was fired.
“I just never felt it was okay just to go separate ways, especially being a captain, you have a responsibility,” he said. “Especially as a man, you don’t just quit... that’s the thing my mom always taught me, just to finish things out.”
Ohio State now has verbal commitments from John Mobley Jr. and Bruce Thornton for the 2025-26 season. Unlike last year, it doesn’t look like every single returning player — there could be up to 11 — will make a full-throated announcement that they’re coming back.
However, Mobley and Thornton were two-thirds of a pivotal core that Diebler needed to retain. The third — Devin Royal — has not made any formal commitment or comment, but his public lobbying for former Xavier forward Dailyn Swain (who transferred to Texas) and former Indiana guard Gabe Cupps (who did transfer to Ohio State) to come to Ohio State this spring seem to indicate which way he is leaning.
There will be immense pressure on Diebler, Thornton and this Ohio State team to not only make the NCAA Tournament in 2026, but to win games in said tournament. The roster churn will continue throughout the spring, but with the biggest piece of the puzzle deciding to run it back will certainly put Diebler and his staff at ease.
Continue reading...
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images
The soon-to-be four time captain will finish his career having only played at Ohio State.
Even in the age of name, image, and likeness, a player announcing that they will return to play for the same team that they signed a letter of intent to play for may seem redundant, but this was an announcement Ohio State fans have been nervously waiting for.
Bruce Thornton will start and end his collegiate career as a Buckeye.
Today, Thornton announced that he would, in fact, be returning to Ohio State for his senior season. Already sitting in 21st all-time on the program’s all-time scoring list with 1,487 points, Thornton will have an opportunity to become Ohio State’s all-time leading scorer next season.
The soon-to-be four-time captain led Ohio State in scoring for the second consecutive season this year, averaging 17.7 points per game and playing 36.2 minutes per contest. He set a career-high in three-point shooting at 42.4%, and scored 20+ points 14 times. Thornton was named All-Big Ten Second Team at the conclusion of the season.
There were options for Thornton this off-season. Nearly 2,000 players have entered the transfer portal since last week, and Thornton would have been one of the most sought-after players had he entered. The Field of 68’s Jeff Goodman reported on Monday that the premier players in the transfer portal have been seeking deals worth upwards of $2.5-million dollars. Even though Thornton did not enter the transfer portal, it’s feasible that he or his family could have received calls and inquiries this spring about entering the transfer portal and cashing in on a substantially large payday.
Instead, credit goes to the Ohio State men’s basketball program and Ohio State’s NIL collectives for helping keep the face of the program in Columbus for his final year. NIL deals aren’t public information, but on top of loyalty, Thornton’s return also could’ve been incentivized by a large raise in compensation from his various NIL agreements. Last fall, an anonymous poll of over 100 college basketball coaches put Ohio State in the top 20 of all men’s basketball programs in terms of NIL resources.
He also could have entertained other options that would’ve given him better odds to play in the NCAA Tournament after not making it to the Big Dance in each of his first three seasons. His decision to stay put reflects not only Bruce’s confidence in himself, but also in head coach Jake Diebler to make that leap this season and play in the NCAA Tournament.
Thornton talked about how important winning games, specifically at Ohio State, was to him in the fall, at Ohio State’s media day, saying:
Thornton also could have entered the NBA Draft to test his draft stock and get feedback from pro teams, but he was not projected to be taken in the 2025 NBA Draft, even if he had entered his name. Technically, he still could do that, but with this announcement, it seems unlikely.
Loyalty is a big thing for Bruce Thornton, who spoke at length about it last year after Chris Holtmann was fired.
“I just never felt it was okay just to go separate ways, especially being a captain, you have a responsibility,” he said. “Especially as a man, you don’t just quit... that’s the thing my mom always taught me, just to finish things out.”
Ohio State now has verbal commitments from John Mobley Jr. and Bruce Thornton for the 2025-26 season. Unlike last year, it doesn’t look like every single returning player — there could be up to 11 — will make a full-throated announcement that they’re coming back.
However, Mobley and Thornton were two-thirds of a pivotal core that Diebler needed to retain. The third — Devin Royal — has not made any formal commitment or comment, but his public lobbying for former Xavier forward Dailyn Swain (who transferred to Texas) and former Indiana guard Gabe Cupps (who did transfer to Ohio State) to come to Ohio State this spring seem to indicate which way he is leaning.
There will be immense pressure on Diebler, Thornton and this Ohio State team to not only make the NCAA Tournament in 2026, but to win games in said tournament. The roster churn will continue throughout the spring, but with the biggest piece of the puzzle deciding to run it back will certainly put Diebler and his staff at ease.
Continue reading...
LGHL I-80 Football Show: The NFL Draft is around the corner
- News
- 0 Replies
I-80 Football Show: The NFL Draft is around the corner
JordanW330 via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Set Number: X164462
We’re back after a brief break just in time to talk about the NFL’s new rule changes, plus review Bruce Feldman’s mock draft.
Welcome to a new episode of Land-Grant Podcast Network’s I-80 Football Show. On this show, we travel down I-80 to talk all things Big Ten Football. After every week of action, we will catch you up on all the conference’s games and look ahead at the matchups, storylines, and players you should be paying attention to for the next week. My name is Jordan Williams, and I am joined by my co-host Dante Morgan.
The NFL’s owners meeting is over, and they have approved new rule changes including using technology to measure first downs. In this episode, we discuss the rule changes starting, with the expanded replay assist.
Refs can now review flags on roughing the passer, tripping, hits on a defenseless player, face mask, horse collar tackles, and roughing the kicker. Despite expanding what can be reviewed and reversed if the call on the field was wrong, they still can not throw a flag for a penalty witnessed on a review, and they can not review holding or pass interference calls.
The rules committee also changed regular season NFL rules to guarantee both teams get a possession and moved touchbacks on kickoffs from the 30 to the 35 yard line.
The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman released his annual mock draft where he uses insight from college and NFL coaches to predict where players will get picked. While we trust that he has good sources the way this mock draft falls, there are a lot of bad picks throughout —including the Giants taking Sheduer Sanders at No. 3.
The NFL still hasn’t learned its lesson regarding drafting high ceiling players with low production in college, as two Georgia pass rushers are projected in the top 10 picks over Mike Green from Marshall, who had 17 sacks and 22.5 tackles for loss. The trend of questionable picks continues as Feldman has Ohio State wide receiver Emeka Egbuka falling to the 32nd pick.
For the weekly pit stops, Jordan talks about true crime documentaries and how quickly they get produced. We used to wait until the case was fully over before creating documentaries. Now, they pop up before the trial starts, leaving viewers with questions.
Dante is annoyed that the Pittsburgh Steelers still don’t have a quarterback after letting Justin Fields and Russell Wilson walk in free agency.
If you like the show, please share it with friends and family and leave a five-star review. To keep up with the show, you can subscribe to the Land-Grant Podcast Network Feed, where new episodes drop every Thursday.
You can also find Jordan’s article ‘B1G Thoughts’ on Land-Grant Holy Land.
Follow the show on YouTube: @GetDefensiveSportsNetwork
Follow the podcast on Instagram: @GetDefensiveSportsNetwork
Connect with us on Twitter: Jordan: @JordanW330 and Dante: @DanteM10216
Continue reading...
JordanW330 via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Set Number: X164462
We’re back after a brief break just in time to talk about the NFL’s new rule changes, plus review Bruce Feldman’s mock draft.
Welcome to a new episode of Land-Grant Podcast Network’s I-80 Football Show. On this show, we travel down I-80 to talk all things Big Ten Football. After every week of action, we will catch you up on all the conference’s games and look ahead at the matchups, storylines, and players you should be paying attention to for the next week. My name is Jordan Williams, and I am joined by my co-host Dante Morgan.
The NFL’s owners meeting is over, and they have approved new rule changes including using technology to measure first downs. In this episode, we discuss the rule changes starting, with the expanded replay assist.
Refs can now review flags on roughing the passer, tripping, hits on a defenseless player, face mask, horse collar tackles, and roughing the kicker. Despite expanding what can be reviewed and reversed if the call on the field was wrong, they still can not throw a flag for a penalty witnessed on a review, and they can not review holding or pass interference calls.
The rules committee also changed regular season NFL rules to guarantee both teams get a possession and moved touchbacks on kickoffs from the 30 to the 35 yard line.
The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman released his annual mock draft where he uses insight from college and NFL coaches to predict where players will get picked. While we trust that he has good sources the way this mock draft falls, there are a lot of bad picks throughout —including the Giants taking Sheduer Sanders at No. 3.
The NFL still hasn’t learned its lesson regarding drafting high ceiling players with low production in college, as two Georgia pass rushers are projected in the top 10 picks over Mike Green from Marshall, who had 17 sacks and 22.5 tackles for loss. The trend of questionable picks continues as Feldman has Ohio State wide receiver Emeka Egbuka falling to the 32nd pick.
For the weekly pit stops, Jordan talks about true crime documentaries and how quickly they get produced. We used to wait until the case was fully over before creating documentaries. Now, they pop up before the trial starts, leaving viewers with questions.
Dante is annoyed that the Pittsburgh Steelers still don’t have a quarterback after letting Justin Fields and Russell Wilson walk in free agency.
If you like the show, please share it with friends and family and leave a five-star review. To keep up with the show, you can subscribe to the Land-Grant Podcast Network Feed, where new episodes drop every Thursday.
You can also find Jordan’s article ‘B1G Thoughts’ on Land-Grant Holy Land.
Follow the show on YouTube: @GetDefensiveSportsNetwork
Follow the podcast on Instagram: @GetDefensiveSportsNetwork
Connect with us on Twitter: Jordan: @JordanW330 and Dante: @DanteM10216
Continue reading...
LGHL Ohio State makes short list for top-five DL, set to host pair of 2027 prospects
- News
- 0 Replies
Ohio State makes short list for top-five DL, set to host pair of 2027 prospects
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Ohio State has another busy weekend ahead with more new names added to their guest list.
It’s an exciting time for Ohio State football. Fresh off a national championship, spring practice is buzzing with a ton of positives. The Buckeyes are clicking in every facet from this year’s group on the field and the recruiting trail, and that’s a testament to this coaching staff and all of the efforts they are putting in.
Another week of big time news, Ohio State has landed a five-star safety in Blaine Bradford, got news that five-star commit Chris Henry Jr. shut down his recruitment for good, and more top visitors have been on campus. Plenty of good vibes surrounding the program, Wednesday brought more of the same with names added to the guest list, which should continue to keep this staff plenty busy.
Hardly keeping up with all of the recruits that have made the trek to Columbus so far this spring, the Buckeyes continue to play host for top players from all over the country. Another name added on Wednesday, Texas native Eli Johnson shared he will make an unofficial visit this coming weekend at Ohio State.
A 6-foot-3, 200 pound safety, Johnson is currently unranked via his 247Sports profile for the 2027 class, but does have double digit offers to his name. Programs such as Baylor, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Pitt, Purdue, and TCU are a few worth mentioning, but taking visits like this to Ohio State helps get his name out there at an increased level.
What Ohio State is doing at the safety position right now is impressive to say the least and high profile recruits are taking notice as we’ve already seen this week alone. Though the 2026 class is the priority, this coaching staff is always open to the upcoming cycles and position coach Matt Guerrieri will use this to his advantage.
Sticking right in the 2027 cycle, Ohio State will also host defensive line prospect, Brayden Parks on Saturday when he makes an unofficial visit. The 6-foot-2, 265 pound Illinois native is another player that is not yet ranked via 247Sports, but having early offers from the likes of Illinois, Iowa, Kansas State, Michigan State, Notre Dame, and USC shows he’s well on his way to changing that narrative.
Seeing his recruitment really take off since the start of the 2025 calendar, nearly ten of his offers have come in the last three months alone. Always a position of need regardless of school, defensive line will continue to be a priority for every school and Parks is taking visits to ensure he has the pick of choice when it comes to where he plays at the next level.
Ohio State and Larry Johnson have always kept a close look at defensive line targets in Illinois being so close geographically and it wouldn’t be a shock at all to see the Buckeyes start to have more interest here. One way or another, this visit should help spark an increased interest.
More times than not, when a highly touted recruit is making a top schools list the Buckeyes tend to end up in the mix. No difference here, on Wednesday four-star defensive line target Deuce Geralds released his top 10 schools he’s still deciding from, and Ohio State was present once more for an elite defender.
The No. 63 player nationally and sixth best defensive lineman in the 2026 class per the 247Sports Composite grades, narrowing it down to ten isn’t a super short list, but considering he has well over 50 offers to his name, it does show the desire to really start getting down to business for his end game.
Joining Ohio State in the top 10 included Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, and Oregon.
What makes this update interesting though is knowing Geralds just wrapped up his latest visit with Ohio State on Tuesday of this week and came away glowing from his time spent in Columbus with the Buckeyes. Odds are Ohio State stays in the mix for the long haul for another one of the top players in the country regardless of position.
A player that had a Buckeye offer, Miller is the No. 329 player nationally and 25th best linebacker per the 247Sports Composite. Somewhat of a surprise timing wise, Miller of course had interest from Ohio State’s staff, and that’s likely to continue if he in fact keeps his official visit plans to see the Buckeyes in June.
For now however, Miller is off the table with a verbal to the Aggies, but if Ohio State wants back in the game they’ll have no issue of keeping communication lines open.
Continue reading...
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Ohio State has another busy weekend ahead with more new names added to their guest list.
It’s an exciting time for Ohio State football. Fresh off a national championship, spring practice is buzzing with a ton of positives. The Buckeyes are clicking in every facet from this year’s group on the field and the recruiting trail, and that’s a testament to this coaching staff and all of the efforts they are putting in.
Another week of big time news, Ohio State has landed a five-star safety in Blaine Bradford, got news that five-star commit Chris Henry Jr. shut down his recruitment for good, and more top visitors have been on campus. Plenty of good vibes surrounding the program, Wednesday brought more of the same with names added to the guest list, which should continue to keep this staff plenty busy.
More visitors set to make the trek to Columbus
Hardly keeping up with all of the recruits that have made the trek to Columbus so far this spring, the Buckeyes continue to play host for top players from all over the country. Another name added on Wednesday, Texas native Eli Johnson shared he will make an unofficial visit this coming weekend at Ohio State.
A 6-foot-3, 200 pound safety, Johnson is currently unranked via his 247Sports profile for the 2027 class, but does have double digit offers to his name. Programs such as Baylor, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Pitt, Purdue, and TCU are a few worth mentioning, but taking visits like this to Ohio State helps get his name out there at an increased level.
What Ohio State is doing at the safety position right now is impressive to say the least and high profile recruits are taking notice as we’ve already seen this week alone. Though the 2026 class is the priority, this coaching staff is always open to the upcoming cycles and position coach Matt Guerrieri will use this to his advantage.
Sticking right in the 2027 cycle, Ohio State will also host defensive line prospect, Brayden Parks on Saturday when he makes an unofficial visit. The 6-foot-2, 265 pound Illinois native is another player that is not yet ranked via 247Sports, but having early offers from the likes of Illinois, Iowa, Kansas State, Michigan State, Notre Dame, and USC shows he’s well on his way to changing that narrative.
Seeing his recruitment really take off since the start of the 2025 calendar, nearly ten of his offers have come in the last three months alone. Always a position of need regardless of school, defensive line will continue to be a priority for every school and Parks is taking visits to ensure he has the pick of choice when it comes to where he plays at the next level.
Ohio State and Larry Johnson have always kept a close look at defensive line targets in Illinois being so close geographically and it wouldn’t be a shock at all to see the Buckeyes start to have more interest here. One way or another, this visit should help spark an increased interest.
I will be at @OhioStateFB on Saturday. @R2X_Rushmen1 @CoachDubb_Drick @ryandaytime @EDGYTIM @GregSmithRivals @adamgorney @AllenTrieu @TomLoy247 @ChadSimmons_ @SWiltfong_ pic.twitter.com/UnukTiSbPX
— Brayden Parks 4️DT (@BraydenParks27) April 2, 2025
Ohio State makes the cut for four-star defensive line target
More times than not, when a highly touted recruit is making a top schools list the Buckeyes tend to end up in the mix. No difference here, on Wednesday four-star defensive line target Deuce Geralds released his top 10 schools he’s still deciding from, and Ohio State was present once more for an elite defender.
The No. 63 player nationally and sixth best defensive lineman in the 2026 class per the 247Sports Composite grades, narrowing it down to ten isn’t a super short list, but considering he has well over 50 offers to his name, it does show the desire to really start getting down to business for his end game.
Joining Ohio State in the top 10 included Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, and Oregon.
What makes this update interesting though is knowing Geralds just wrapped up his latest visit with Ohio State on Tuesday of this week and came away glowing from his time spent in Columbus with the Buckeyes. Odds are Ohio State stays in the mix for the long haul for another one of the top players in the country regardless of position.
Quick Hits
- Not an Ohio State addition but still newsworthy, in-state linebacker Storm Miller made his commitment on Wednesday to Texas A&M over the Buckeyes and several other schools.
A player that had a Buckeye offer, Miller is the No. 329 player nationally and 25th best linebacker per the 247Sports Composite. Somewhat of a surprise timing wise, Miller of course had interest from Ohio State’s staff, and that’s likely to continue if he in fact keeps his official visit plans to see the Buckeyes in June.
For now however, Miller is off the table with a verbal to the Aggies, but if Ohio State wants back in the game they’ll have no issue of keeping communication lines open.
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