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LGHL Ohio State trending for 2026 four-star IOL
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Ohio State trending for 2026 four-star IOL
Dan Hessler via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
2026 four-star IOL Drew Evers | via @TheDrewEvers on X
The Buckeyes also dished out a handful of scholarship offers after another successful camp Tuesday.
Ohio State is already having a successful summer camp season. Following a weekend which saw the Buckeyes host numerous recruits on both unofficial and official visits, Ohio State earned a commitment from four-star Ohio running back Favour Akih.
The Buckeyes followed up the weekend by playing host to another handful of the nation’s tops recruits, and will do so again on Wednesday as well. This isn’t the only familiarity between Monday and the weekend, as the Buckeyes also learned positive news on where they stand with another priority target of theirs in the 2026 class.
2026 four-star offensive lineman Drew Evers (Flower Mound, TX / Flower Mound) visited with the Buckeyes this past weekend, and the visit reportedly went as well as possible. In fact, the visit seems to have put the Buckeyes in the pole position in his recruitment, as Steve Wiltfong of On3 placed an expert prediction in favor of the Buckeyes to land Evers.
Following the weekend visit, Evers took to social media to say the Ohio State visit, “just hit different,” and he seemed to really enjoy his time with the Ohio State football team and coaching staff.
The Buckeyes are not alone in recruiting Evers, however. The blue-chip offensive lineman officially visited with both SMU and LSU prior to visiting Ohio State, and he has upcoming visits scheduled Penn State and Texas A&M.
Evers has not scheduled a commitment date, and there is a good chance he follows through with his upcoming visits. However, there have been rumblings on social media that Ohio State is soon going to get another commitment. Whether or not those rumblings are true or are about Evers is another thing as well. One thing that is for certain is the Buckeyes have to like where they sit in his recruitment following the visit.
Evers is the No. 13 IOL in the 247Sports Composite Rankings and he is the No. 209 overall prospect. Evers is also the No. 27 recruit out of the talent-rich state of Texas.
In yesterday’s recruiting news we mentioned all of the scholarship offers, visit recaps and future visits that recruits showed off on social media. Monday was no different as the Buckeyes also dominated the college football recruiting social media scene.
One of the recruits to receive the coveted scholarship offers from Ohio State was 2027 four-star safety Bryson Brown of Oklahoma.
Brown is the No. 28 S and No. 307 player nationally per 247Sports Composite Rankings and is the No. 7 recruit out of Oklahoma. The 5-foot-10.5, 175-pound safety holds nearly 20 scholarship offers, including the likes of Arkansas, Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Penn State, South Carolina, Texas A&M among others.
Ohio State also got in on the mix for 2027 four-star athlete Colt Lumpris of New Jersey. Lumpris is the No. 14 ATH in the 247Sports Composite Rankings and is the No. 294 overall recruit. He is also the No. 8 recruit out of New Jersey. The 6-foot-5, 210-pound athlete has an impressive offer sheet, holding 20 offers from some of the nation’s top schools like Alabama, Duke, Florida State, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, Ole Miss, Penn State, Rutgers, Syracuse, Tennessee, etc.
Another recruit to receive a scholarship offer from the Buckeyes was rising 2028 linebacker Skylar Alston of North Carolina. It is early in his recruitment, but the 6-foot-2, 210-pound linebacker is already generating a lot of buzz. He does not yet hold a ranking from 247Sports but his offer sheet proves that will not last long.
Alston already holds offers from the likes of Georgia Tech, Louisville, Indiana, Maryland, Ole Miss, Penn State, Rutgers, Tennessee, Virginia Tech, Wisconsin, etc.
Another prospect to leave Columbus with a scholarship offer from the Buckeyes was 2027 three-star wide receiver Blake Wong of California. Wong is the No. 74 WR in the 247Sports’ rankings and he is the No. 94 recruit out of California. The 6-foot-1, 170-pound WR has had a rather quiet recruitment holding just 6 scholarship offers, but don’t expect that to last for long.
Ohio State knows what to look for when recruiting the position and the Buckeyes now joins Arizona State, Colorado State, Michigan State, Nevada and San Diego State in his recruitment.
The Buckeyes got in on the action Monday for one of the nation’s top safeties in the 2027 class when they offered Semaj Stanford of Oklahoma. The 5-foot-11, 180-pound safety is the No. 20 recruit in the 247Sports Composite Rankings and is the No. 199 overall recruit. He is also the No. 3 recruit out of Oklahoma.
The Buckeyes will have some stiff competition for Stanford as he already holds nearly 30 scholarship offers from the likes of Arizona, Arizona State, Arkansas, Baylor, Houston, Iowas State, LSU, Miami, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Stanford, Tennessee, Texas A&M and others.
The Buckeyes also saw a handful of recruits schedule upcoming visits to Columbus on Monday. Some of the recruits who will soon be visiting with the Buckeyes are below:
Continue reading...
Dan Hessler via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
2026 four-star IOL Drew Evers | via @TheDrewEvers on X
The Buckeyes also dished out a handful of scholarship offers after another successful camp Tuesday.
Ohio State is already having a successful summer camp season. Following a weekend which saw the Buckeyes host numerous recruits on both unofficial and official visits, Ohio State earned a commitment from four-star Ohio running back Favour Akih.
The Buckeyes followed up the weekend by playing host to another handful of the nation’s tops recruits, and will do so again on Wednesday as well. This isn’t the only familiarity between Monday and the weekend, as the Buckeyes also learned positive news on where they stand with another priority target of theirs in the 2026 class.
2026 four-star offensive lineman Drew Evers (Flower Mound, TX / Flower Mound) visited with the Buckeyes this past weekend, and the visit reportedly went as well as possible. In fact, the visit seems to have put the Buckeyes in the pole position in his recruitment, as Steve Wiltfong of On3 placed an expert prediction in favor of the Buckeyes to land Evers.
Following the weekend visit, Evers took to social media to say the Ohio State visit, “just hit different,” and he seemed to really enjoy his time with the Ohio State football team and coaching staff.
The Buckeyes are not alone in recruiting Evers, however. The blue-chip offensive lineman officially visited with both SMU and LSU prior to visiting Ohio State, and he has upcoming visits scheduled Penn State and Texas A&M.
Evers has not scheduled a commitment date, and there is a good chance he follows through with his upcoming visits. However, there have been rumblings on social media that Ohio State is soon going to get another commitment. Whether or not those rumblings are true or are about Evers is another thing as well. One thing that is for certain is the Buckeyes have to like where they sit in his recruitment following the visit.
Evers is the No. 13 IOL in the 247Sports Composite Rankings and he is the No. 209 overall prospect. Evers is also the No. 27 recruit out of the talent-rich state of Texas.
Even more visits, more offers, more plans...
In yesterday’s recruiting news we mentioned all of the scholarship offers, visit recaps and future visits that recruits showed off on social media. Monday was no different as the Buckeyes also dominated the college football recruiting social media scene.
One of the recruits to receive the coveted scholarship offers from Ohio State was 2027 four-star safety Bryson Brown of Oklahoma.
Brown is the No. 28 S and No. 307 player nationally per 247Sports Composite Rankings and is the No. 7 recruit out of Oklahoma. The 5-foot-10.5, 175-pound safety holds nearly 20 scholarship offers, including the likes of Arkansas, Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Penn State, South Carolina, Texas A&M among others.
Ohio State also got in on the mix for 2027 four-star athlete Colt Lumpris of New Jersey. Lumpris is the No. 14 ATH in the 247Sports Composite Rankings and is the No. 294 overall recruit. He is also the No. 8 recruit out of New Jersey. The 6-foot-5, 210-pound athlete has an impressive offer sheet, holding 20 offers from some of the nation’s top schools like Alabama, Duke, Florida State, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, Ole Miss, Penn State, Rutgers, Syracuse, Tennessee, etc.
Another recruit to receive a scholarship offer from the Buckeyes was rising 2028 linebacker Skylar Alston of North Carolina. It is early in his recruitment, but the 6-foot-2, 210-pound linebacker is already generating a lot of buzz. He does not yet hold a ranking from 247Sports but his offer sheet proves that will not last long.
Alston already holds offers from the likes of Georgia Tech, Louisville, Indiana, Maryland, Ole Miss, Penn State, Rutgers, Tennessee, Virginia Tech, Wisconsin, etc.
Another prospect to leave Columbus with a scholarship offer from the Buckeyes was 2027 three-star wide receiver Blake Wong of California. Wong is the No. 74 WR in the 247Sports’ rankings and he is the No. 94 recruit out of California. The 6-foot-1, 170-pound WR has had a rather quiet recruitment holding just 6 scholarship offers, but don’t expect that to last for long.
Ohio State knows what to look for when recruiting the position and the Buckeyes now joins Arizona State, Colorado State, Michigan State, Nevada and San Diego State in his recruitment.
Humbled and honored to be offered by THE @OhioStateFB after a great camp. Thank you @brianhartline and @CoachJordan82.@norcofootball @BarlageDaniel @NorcoFactoryOL @Realregular4 @GregBiggins @BlairAngulo @BrandonHuffman @ChadSimmons_ @adamgorney @DaveKeefer @alecsimpson5… pic.twitter.com/Uy82Z1iP7C
— Blake Wong 3️ WR (@Blake3229) June 9, 2025
The Buckeyes got in on the action Monday for one of the nation’s top safeties in the 2027 class when they offered Semaj Stanford of Oklahoma. The 5-foot-11, 180-pound safety is the No. 20 recruit in the 247Sports Composite Rankings and is the No. 199 overall recruit. He is also the No. 3 recruit out of Oklahoma.
The Buckeyes will have some stiff competition for Stanford as he already holds nearly 30 scholarship offers from the likes of Arizona, Arizona State, Arkansas, Baylor, Houston, Iowas State, LSU, Miami, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Stanford, Tennessee, Texas A&M and others.
The Buckeyes also saw a handful of recruits schedule upcoming visits to Columbus on Monday. Some of the recruits who will soon be visiting with the Buckeyes are below:
- 2026 Ohio cornerback Savion Lewis who will be in Columbus today for his visit.
- 2027 offensive tackle Luke Injaychock who will also be in Columbus today for an unofficial visit.
- 2028 wide receiver Brysen Wright who has an unofficial visit scheduled on June 10 with the Buckeyes.
- 2027 safety Emmanuel Moses will camping with the Buckeyes on June 11-12.
Continue reading...
2027 NJ TE Colt Lumpris (Verbal Offer)
- By pnuts34
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Class: 2027
Position: TE
School: Lawrenceville(NJ) Lawrenceville
Height: 6-foot-6
Weight: 235lbs
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Class: 2027
Position: TE
School: Lawrenceville(NJ) Lawrenceville
Height: 6-foot-6
Weight: 235lbs
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2027 NJ TE JT Geraci (Verbal Offer)
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Class: 2027
Position: TE
School: Ramsey (NJ) Don Bosco Prep
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 230 lbs
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Class: 2027
Position: TE
School: Ramsey (NJ) Don Bosco Prep
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 230 lbs
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2027 OK S Semaj Stanford (Verbal Offer)
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Class: 2027
Position: S
School: Tulsa(OK) Broken Arrow
Height: 5-foot-11
Weight: 185lbs
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Class: 2027
Position: S
School: Tulsa(OK) Broken Arrow
Height: 5-foot-11
Weight: 185lbs
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2028 NC LB Skylar Alston (Verbal Offer)
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Class: 2028
Position: LB
School: Raleigh (NC) Cardinal Gibbons
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 210 lbs
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Class: 2028
Position: LB
School: Raleigh (NC) Cardinal Gibbons
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 210 lbs
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2028 IL DL Caleb Tucker (Verbal Offer)
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2027 CA WR Blake Wong (Verbal Offer)
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Class: 2027
Position: WR
School: Norco (CA) Norco
Height: 6'2
Weight: 175 lbs
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Class: 2027
Position: WR
School: Norco (CA) Norco
Height: 6'2
Weight: 175 lbs
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2027 OK CB Bryson Brown (Verbal Offer)
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Class: 2027
Position: CB
School: Tulsa(OK) Broken Arrow
Height: 6ft
Weight: 185lbs
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Class: 2027
Position: CB
School: Tulsa(OK) Broken Arrow
Height: 6ft
Weight: 185lbs
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2027 PA RB Kelvin Morrison (Verbal Offer)
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Class: 2027
Position: RB
School: Hermitage (PA) Hickory
Height: 5-foot-11
Weight: 175lbs
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LGHL Most Telling Stat: Ohio State’s red zone defense was pivotal in national title run
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Most Telling Stat: Ohio State’s red zone defense was pivotal in national title run
Michael Citro via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Matthew Visinsky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Getting stops in the red zone was critical in Ohio State’s 2024 national championship season.
From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about the numbers that will be most important for the Buckeyes this college football season. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all our “Most Telling Stat” articles here.
Of all the statistical areas in which the 2024 Ohio State Buckeyes excelled last season, perhaps the most critical was opponents’ red zone conversion rate.
The Silver Bullets held opponents to scoring points on just 60.53% of their trips into the red zone, per CFBStats.com. That was second best nationally to Army’s 60%, and Ohio State’s stops were against much better offensive competition — especially in the postseason.
The Buckeyes allowed opponents to get into the red zone 38 times in 2024, which was tied for 24th nationally — not terrible, but not elite. However, once OSU’s opposition got into scoring position, the Buckeyes stepped up and got the job done. The Buckeyes allowed 23 total scores in those 38 situations, which is tied with Mississippi for the fewest, with Ole Miss having faced 32 such situations, giving Ohio State the better percentage of stops.
Additionally, Ohio State permitted just 16 touchdowns out of those 23 scores, forcing seven field goals and getting 15 stops. So, opponents got into the end zone in less than half of their trips into the red zone against the Buckeyes.
Those 16 touchdowns surrendered against the opposition in the red zone were the fewest among FBS teams, tied with Ole Miss and Northern Illinois.
Where the Buckeyes excelled was in getting stops at the goal line, which is one of the most difficult asks of any defense. The most shining example of the Buckeyes’ prowess with their backs against their own goal line came in the Cotton Bowl, when Ohio State fended off the Texas Longhorns partly on execution and partly on reputation.
That decisive stand began with 3:56 to play, with a Texas first-and-goal situation at the OSU 1-yard line in a one-touchdown game.
That was the most high-profile goal-line stand of the season, but it wasn’t the only one.
Ohio State stopped one such red zone trip in the regular season meeting with Oregon and held the Ducks to field goals on two others. The Buckeyes held Nebraska without a point on another goal-line stand, and did the same twice to Penn State, with the second of those coming late in the game — after which the Buckeyes squeezed the clock dry with the run game.
Ohio State also had stops at the goal line against Purdue and Northwestern. Against Michigan, the Buckeyes held one such foray into the red zone to a field goal and stopped two others — one on fourth down, and one on a Sawyer interception.
The Silver Bullets did it again in the fourth quarter of the College Football Playoff title game against Notre Dame.
The Irish trailed by 16 points and drove just inside the OSU 10-yard line to the 8 for a first down. Ohio State’s Kenyatta Jackson Jr. stopped Riley Leonard for a 1-yard loss on first down. Leonard threw incomplete on second and third downs. Marcus Freeman decided to kick a field goal despite trailing by 16 with 9:31 to play, and Mitch Jeter missed the 27-yard attempt.
While Ohio State might have been able to win the national championship without such a stout red-zone defense, the Buckeyes would have had to do it a different way, which would have put more pressure on quarterback Will Howard and the offense in tighter games.
The Buckeyes would have had a much more difficult time beating Penn State, and that in turn would have at least forced the Buckeyes to go on the road in the CFP if they made it at all.
That’s why I find the team’s opponent red-zone conversion percentage the most telling stat of the 2024 season.
Continue reading...
Michael Citro via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Matthew Visinsky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Getting stops in the red zone was critical in Ohio State’s 2024 national championship season.
From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about the numbers that will be most important for the Buckeyes this college football season. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all our “Most Telling Stat” articles here.
Of all the statistical areas in which the 2024 Ohio State Buckeyes excelled last season, perhaps the most critical was opponents’ red zone conversion rate.
The Silver Bullets held opponents to scoring points on just 60.53% of their trips into the red zone, per CFBStats.com. That was second best nationally to Army’s 60%, and Ohio State’s stops were against much better offensive competition — especially in the postseason.
The Buckeyes allowed opponents to get into the red zone 38 times in 2024, which was tied for 24th nationally — not terrible, but not elite. However, once OSU’s opposition got into scoring position, the Buckeyes stepped up and got the job done. The Buckeyes allowed 23 total scores in those 38 situations, which is tied with Mississippi for the fewest, with Ole Miss having faced 32 such situations, giving Ohio State the better percentage of stops.
Additionally, Ohio State permitted just 16 touchdowns out of those 23 scores, forcing seven field goals and getting 15 stops. So, opponents got into the end zone in less than half of their trips into the red zone against the Buckeyes.
Those 16 touchdowns surrendered against the opposition in the red zone were the fewest among FBS teams, tied with Ole Miss and Northern Illinois.
Where the Buckeyes excelled was in getting stops at the goal line, which is one of the most difficult asks of any defense. The most shining example of the Buckeyes’ prowess with their backs against their own goal line came in the Cotton Bowl, when Ohio State fended off the Texas Longhorns partly on execution and partly on reputation.
That decisive stand began with 3:56 to play, with a Texas first-and-goal situation at the OSU 1-yard line in a one-touchdown game.
- First Down: Jerrick Gibson ran up the middle for no gain, stopped by J.T. Tuimoloau and Arvelle Reese.
- Second Down: Having failed up the middle, and possibly swayed by Ohio State’s success up the gut in short yardage all season, Texas went with a toss play left on second and goal. Quintrevion Wismer was slowed in the backfield by Caleb Downs and dropped for a 7-yard loss by Lathan Ransom.
- Third Down: Forced into a passing situation, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian called a pass play on third-and-goal from the 8-yard line, with Jack Sawyer’s loop inside creating pressure and an incomplete pass.
- Fourth Down: Sawyer sacked Quinn Ewers, forced a fumble, recovered it, and ran it back 83 yards for a touchdown to ice the game.
That was the most high-profile goal-line stand of the season, but it wasn’t the only one.
Ohio State stopped one such red zone trip in the regular season meeting with Oregon and held the Ducks to field goals on two others. The Buckeyes held Nebraska without a point on another goal-line stand, and did the same twice to Penn State, with the second of those coming late in the game — after which the Buckeyes squeezed the clock dry with the run game.
Ohio State also had stops at the goal line against Purdue and Northwestern. Against Michigan, the Buckeyes held one such foray into the red zone to a field goal and stopped two others — one on fourth down, and one on a Sawyer interception.
The Silver Bullets did it again in the fourth quarter of the College Football Playoff title game against Notre Dame.
The Irish trailed by 16 points and drove just inside the OSU 10-yard line to the 8 for a first down. Ohio State’s Kenyatta Jackson Jr. stopped Riley Leonard for a 1-yard loss on first down. Leonard threw incomplete on second and third downs. Marcus Freeman decided to kick a field goal despite trailing by 16 with 9:31 to play, and Mitch Jeter missed the 27-yard attempt.
While Ohio State might have been able to win the national championship without such a stout red-zone defense, the Buckeyes would have had to do it a different way, which would have put more pressure on quarterback Will Howard and the offense in tighter games.
The Buckeyes would have had a much more difficult time beating Penn State, and that in turn would have at least forced the Buckeyes to go on the road in the CFP if they made it at all.
That’s why I find the team’s opponent red-zone conversion percentage the most telling stat of the 2024 season.
Continue reading...
