• New here? Register here now for access to all the forums, download game torrents, private messages, polls, Sportsbook, etc. Plus, stay connected and follow BP on Instagram @buckeyeplanet and Facebook.

LGHL Ohio State Recruiting: Digging deeper on Buckeyes’ recent in-state wide receiver offer

Ohio State Recruiting: Digging deeper on Buckeyes’ recent in-state wide receiver offer
Caleb Houser
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


11972604.0.jpeg

Preston Bowman | 247Sports

The Ohio native received his offer from Ohio State shortly after committing to Kentucky.

Ohio State’s 2025 class currently features three wide receiver commits thanks to De’zie Jones, Quincy Porter, and Bodpegn Miller. Ohio State has been able to reel in three big-time play makers that come from a myriad of backgrounds recruiting wise. A well-rounded group at that, the Buckeyes still have at least one more spot open for the right guy, and several top targets are out there.

Ideally, Ohio State would love nothing more than to land the nation’s top receiver Dakorien Moore, but prying him away from other top suitors — mainly Texas — is going to be no easy task. The two other names that gained the most buzz are Vernell Brown and Jaime Ffrench. In a similar vein, neither of these players are guys to bank on, considering Brown is a Florida legacy and Ffrench has really cooled in the last month or so.

All of this said, it is pretty interesting to see Ohio State’s latest offer at the receiver position going out to in-state product, Preston Bowman. The timing of this latest development does make you wonder if the Buckeyes are looking elsewhere now, sensing they are not in the lead for any of the aforementioned trio of uncommitted prospects.


AGTG✝️ Blessed to received my 16th offer from THE Ohio State University @RecruitPN @ryandaytime @brianhartline @CoachJordan82 @mickdwalker @Birm @MattParkerLR @AllenTrieu @Bill_Kurelic pic.twitter.com/IzYUeHp0WX

— Preston Bowman ¹ (@PrestonBowman9) June 23, 2024

The No. 1251 player nationally and the 181st best receiver in the 2025 class per the 247Sports Composite, Bowman’s offer from the Buckeyes comes just one day after his commitment to Kentucky. This could be a scenario where Ohio State is trying to make up for lost time or for any number of reasons, but this offer going out when it did does warrant some extra attention with three guys already in the fold and not a ton of room left at the position.

Following the offer, Bowman did reaffirm his pledge to Kentucky. While that certainly means something, it’s hard to count out the Buckeyes knowing that they’re the home team, and also happen to be at the top of the college football landscape for developing his position. At any rate, telling Hartline “no” isn’t something this staff has heard much of if at all, and though Ohio State is definitely late, it’s hard to imagine they’re totally out of the running.


Ohio State offered Preston Bowman this morning. He says he is still solid with his Kentucky decision. @Bill_Kurelic @EdwardsCBS https://t.co/dMllQw63Bc

— Allen Trieu (@AllenTrieu) June 23, 2024

A development like this makes you wonder if Bowman would have been part of the class by now if the offer had come sooner, as he certainly showed interest when he attended various Ohio State camps. But even as a player committed elsewhere, the offer coming from the Buckeyes has to make him think a little more longer on the potential of staying closer to home.

Preston may very well stick with Kentucky, and it would be hard to fault him for doing so, but as the wide receiver recruiting for Ohio State continues to go through it’s changes, Bowman is one to keep a close eye on.

Continue reading...

LGHL Broken Records: Emeka Egbuka will break Ohio State career receiving yard mark

Broken Records: Emeka Egbuka will break Ohio State career receiving yard mark
Megan.Husslein
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


COLLEGE FOOTBALL: DEC 29 Goodyear Cotton Bowl - Missouri vs Ohio State

Photo by Matthew Visinsky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

He would need a 1,000-yard season in 2024.

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 records, the ones that have been broken, the ones that could be broken, and the ones that will never be broken. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”Broken Records” articles here.

This season’s Ohio State wide receivers and broken records are shaping up to be a nice pair. The expectations placed on this position group are sky high, and for good reason. One broken record I want to focus on in particular is Emeka Egbuka breaking the all-time career receiving yard mark at Ohio State.

It definitely will not be easy for Egbuka. Michael Jenkins is the current record holder, as his career from 2000-03 netted him 2,898 receiving yards. Meanwhile, Egbuka has 1,857 yards through three seasons, good for 17th all-time.

I will do the math for you so you don’t have to. He will need 1,041 yards to tie Jenkins’ record. This is definitely possible for him, considering he put up 1,151 receiving yards in 2022, when both him and Marvin Harrison Jr. recorded 1,000-yard seasons that year. Egbuka is just one of nine OSU receivers to have a 1,000-yard season.

Can he do it again?

Ohio State v Michigan
Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

In order to do so, he will NEED to stay healthy for every game this season. Last year, he missed three games with an ankle injury, and wasn’t able to play to his full potential the remainder of the season. As a result, he only had 515 yards for all of 2023.

So, let’s look at what he has going for him this season in order to break the record. He (should be) fully healthy. He is the leader of this WR room now that MHJ has gone pro, making him WR1. Egbuka would sometimes be overshadowed by Marv, but do not forget how lethal this man was in 2022. I expect to see the same type of season for him this year.

Egbuka’s biggest competition from breaking this mark? His own teammates.

The Ohio State wide receiver room is so flooded with talent, who knows how many targets he will get? Between Carnell Tate, Brandon Inniss, Jeremiah Smith, etc., the wealth has to be spread. But, that is not to say that even with all of these guys on his team, he can’t have a high number of targets.

I have faith that new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly has a game plan to ensure all of his receivers feel the love.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: NOV 18 Minnesota at Ohio State
Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

It will not be an easy record to break. Even if he doesn’t become the all-time leader, I could see him breaking into the top five. Chris Olave is currently in fifth place with 2,711 yards, so Egbuka would need 854 yards.

Personally, I hope Egbuka finishes his collegiate career with a 1,000-yard season. He deserves it, and obviously the team would greatly benefit, too. Here’s to hoping for a ‘2022 Egbuka’ in 2024!

Continue reading...

LGHL BOOOM!! Four-star EDGE Zion Grady commits to Ohio State

BOOOM!! Four-star EDGE Zion Grady commits to Ohio State
Dan Hessler
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


GQynh_0WQAAqQlu.0.jpeg

2025 Edge Zion Grady | via @GradyZion on Twitter

The Buckeyes add a massive defensive piece to No. 1 ranked 2025 class.

Ohio State is dominating the college football recruiting rankings, and if it keeps at this pace, the Buckeyes could secure one of the best classes in recent memory.

Following a massive recruiting weekend featuring a handful of targets taking official visits to Ohio State — which resulted in the Buckeyes adding two in-state commits to its 2025 class — Ryan Day and the Ohio State coaching staff continued to reap the benefits of their hard work this summer.

The Buckeyes started the week off with a BOOM, as 2025 four-star edge Zion Grady (Enterprise, AL / Enterprise) announced his commitment to Ohio State.


Grady is the 19th member of Ohio State’s top-ranked 2025 recruiting class. He is also the third defensive line commit for the Buckeyes, joining the likes of four-star edge Zahir Mathis and four-star DL London Merritt. Defensive line is a position of importance for the Buckeyes in this year’s cycle, and adding Grady to the mix was a huge piece of the puzzle.

Grady first received and offer from the Buckeyes in February of this year, shortly after he decommitted from Alabama following Nick Saban’s retirement. Grady was able to make his first trip to Ohio State in May for a recruiting camp and liked what he saw. So much so, that he scheduled an official visit with the Buckeyes for this past weekend.

His official visit went as well as possible, and just one day after his weekend in Columbus, Grady announced his commitment to the Buckeyes.

Ohio State is still looking to add to its defensive line haul, and one of its top prospects, four-star DL Mike Autry, now looks more likely — albeit not by much. Autry is committed to Auburn, but the Alabama native is close with Grady and the Buckeyes could be more in play. He celebrated Grady’s announcement on X.


Congratulations brotha https://t.co/ca4ILxVsoc

— Malik Autry (@MalikAutry) June 24, 2024

Other recruits Ohio State is looking along the defensive front include Mariyon Dye, Jarquez Carter, Damien Shanklin, and Trajen Odom. Of this group, it seems the four-star DL Odom is the most likely to join Ohio State’s class.

Grady is the No. 6 edge prospect in the 247Sports Composite Rankings and he is the No. 66 overall prospect. He is also the No. 6 recruit out of Alabama.

Quick Hits

  • Switching from the gridiron to the hardwood, Jake Diebler and the Ohio State men’s basketball team was also making headlines on Monday. The Buckeyes saw two blue-chip recruits include them in their updated top-schools lists.

The No. 1 center in the 2025 class, Malachi Moreno placed Ohio State in his top eight schools, and four-star shooting guard Dorian Jones has Ohio State in his top four schools and will be announcing his commitment July 1.


NEWS: 4⭐️ Dorian Jones, a 6-foot-4 SG in the 2025 class, is down to four schools and will announce his college decision on July 1st, a source tells @On3Recruits.https://t.co/Mf3Yl2y6A6 pic.twitter.com/lBeftpsHcZ

— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) June 24, 2024

NEWS: 7-footer Malachi Moreno, a top-20 recruit in the 2025 class, is down to eight schools, he tells @On3Recruits.

The rising senior is the No. 1 ranked center in the country, per On3. https://t.co/RxZUQJO8XR pic.twitter.com/iLE7ljYSZZ

— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) June 24, 2024
  • Ohio State has long been viewed as the leaders for 2025 four-star running back Jordon Davison. He took his official visit to Ohio State this past weekend, but news following the visit is not all positive for the Buckeyes.

On Monday, Ohio State insider for 247Sports Bill Kurelic removed he prediction for Davison in favor of the Buckeyes. This does not mean the Buckeyes are completely out of the running for Davison, but it does feel like Davison is leaning more towards schools like Michigan, Oregon and Alabama.

Ohio State has two RBs committed in its 2025 class already in four-star Bo Jackson and three-star Isaiah West, but the Buckeyes are looking to add likely three members at the position to this year’s class.

Continue reading...

LGHL Silver Bullets Podcast: Buckeyes in the NFL, Caleb Downs the running back, and more offseason news

Silver Bullets Podcast: Buckeyes in the NFL, Caleb Downs the running back, and more offseason news
Michael Citro
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


COLLEGE FOOTBALL: DEC 29 Goodyear Cotton Bowl - Missouri vs Ohio State

Photo by Matthew Visinsky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

A look at all the major OSU football news from the past month.


A lot has happened this offseason on the Ohio State football front, and we’ve reconvened to discuss much of it. We start this show with a discussion of former Buckeyes around the NFL. Michael Hall Jr. has signed with the Browns, and there are new homes for Gareon Conley and Steele Chambers. Which are in good situations?

There has been a lot of talk recently about Caleb Downs taking snaps at running back. Is this a good idea? We talk about the things Chip Kelly has said and debate whether or not a two-way Downs is the way the Buckeyes should go.

Some of the 2024 kickoff times have dropped, and we talk about the Buckeyes opening up the season with MACtion against Akron and Western Michigan, as well as why Ohio State may not have many night games. Speaking of the schedule, Grambling has replaced UConn on the 2025 slate. One less-than-stellar contest has taken the place of another.

What’s the deal with Billy Fessler becoming an analyst with the Buckeyes? Chip Kelly knows him well, and we think this is a good move that will make Kelly more comfortable.

Ohio State commit Tavien St. Clair had a big performance at the Elite 11. We talk about him winning the accuracy contest and how his career might unfold in Columbus.

Finally, we break down Phil Steele’s preseason All-American teams, which include seven Buckeyes across his three squads. We discuss who was maybe too high, too low, or snubbed altogether. It’s all conjecture, of course, but it makes for fun debate.

We’ll continue coming at you monthly in the college football offseason, with plans to return to our weekly schedule in August 2024. We’d love to hear from you, so please reach out with your feedback and questions below in the comments section or send us an email.

Be sure to subscribe, rate, review, share, and follow the show over on Twitter at @SilvrBulletsPod.

As always, thanks for listening!

Continue reading...

Filter

Back
Top