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LGHL Buckeyes make top four for 2026 QB, offer their latest prospect on the court
- News
- 0 Replies
Buckeyes make top four for 2026 QB, offer their latest prospect on the court
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Jonas Williams | 247Sports
Ohio State is still in the mix for a four-star quarterback.
Ohio State’s quarterback recruiting has been atop of the college football landscape under Ryan Day, and being the most pivotal position, that leads to much of the success the Buckeyes have had on the field. Knowing you need an elite talent in every class, more times than not the staff has pulled in one of those top signal callers. Certainly in 2025 they struck gold with in-state five-star Tavien St. Clair.
The stable of the current roster boasts an embarrassment of riches, and with St. Clair next in line to arrive on campus, joining the likes of Julian Sayin and Air Noland, you could say the future is pretty bright. That leads to the 2026 cycle, and while it’s still early, Ohio State is seeing a significant number of players they have offered choose elsewhere.
Offering 12 players at the position to this point, nine of those 2026 QB’s have already committed to the school of their choice, leaving the Buckeyes with only a few more options before having to offer more. Yes, the transfer portal is certainly an area where the staff can look if they miss out, but the priority of developing a high school prospect is the goal as the portal is never a guaranteed outlet.
All that said, on Thursday Jonas Williams released his top four schools as one of the few remaining uncommitted quarterbacks, and Ohio State found their name in the mix.
A 6-foot-3, 185 pound athlete, Williams is the No. 96 player nationally and the eighth best quarterback in the class per the 247Sports Composite. The top player in Illinois, Williams holds nearly 30 offers to his name, so getting down to just four programs he’s considering shows he is another prospect well on their way of getting closer to making a decision.
In addition to Ohio State, Williams is keeping Alabama, LSU, and Oregon in the mix, with plans to see all four of his finalists this fall. Knowing Ohio State’s desire to lock in a quarterback of the class early to be a leader in helping build the rest of that cycle, these visit plans will be a priority for the Buckeyes as they look to find their guy. Fortunately, Day has earned some trust over the years, and very rarely does the roster not end up without a top-tier talent under center. 2026 should be no different when all is said and done.
A Cincinnati Winton Woods product, the Buckeyes were the third school to offer, joining both Cincinnati and Xavier as the first few. His recruiting interest continues to grow quickly, as Missouri also offered yesterday.
At 6-foot-5, 185 pounds, Mercer has an impressive frame for the next level, but when you take into consideration he’s only a current high school freshman, it becomes that much exciting to see what he will be with three more years of development and interest.
For the Buckeyes, getting in on a rising top in-state talent is a recipe the staff will always use to their advantage, and hopefully this is a name Jake Diebler can lock in early as he continues to recruit for the future classes Ohio State will bring in.
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
Jonas Williams | 247Sports
Ohio State is still in the mix for a four-star quarterback.
Ohio State’s quarterback recruiting has been atop of the college football landscape under Ryan Day, and being the most pivotal position, that leads to much of the success the Buckeyes have had on the field. Knowing you need an elite talent in every class, more times than not the staff has pulled in one of those top signal callers. Certainly in 2025 they struck gold with in-state five-star Tavien St. Clair.
The stable of the current roster boasts an embarrassment of riches, and with St. Clair next in line to arrive on campus, joining the likes of Julian Sayin and Air Noland, you could say the future is pretty bright. That leads to the 2026 cycle, and while it’s still early, Ohio State is seeing a significant number of players they have offered choose elsewhere.
Offering 12 players at the position to this point, nine of those 2026 QB’s have already committed to the school of their choice, leaving the Buckeyes with only a few more options before having to offer more. Yes, the transfer portal is certainly an area where the staff can look if they miss out, but the priority of developing a high school prospect is the goal as the portal is never a guaranteed outlet.
All that said, on Thursday Jonas Williams released his top four schools as one of the few remaining uncommitted quarterbacks, and Ohio State found their name in the mix.
A 6-foot-3, 185 pound athlete, Williams is the No. 96 player nationally and the eighth best quarterback in the class per the 247Sports Composite. The top player in Illinois, Williams holds nearly 30 offers to his name, so getting down to just four programs he’s considering shows he is another prospect well on their way of getting closer to making a decision.
In addition to Ohio State, Williams is keeping Alabama, LSU, and Oregon in the mix, with plans to see all four of his finalists this fall. Knowing Ohio State’s desire to lock in a quarterback of the class early to be a leader in helping build the rest of that cycle, these visit plans will be a priority for the Buckeyes as they look to find their guy. Fortunately, Day has earned some trust over the years, and very rarely does the roster not end up without a top-tier talent under center. 2026 should be no different when all is said and done.
Quick Hits
- Ohio State basketball is staying on the recruiting grind of their own, and earlier this week they sent out their latest offer to in-state product, Kameron Mercer.
A Cincinnati Winton Woods product, the Buckeyes were the third school to offer, joining both Cincinnati and Xavier as the first few. His recruiting interest continues to grow quickly, as Missouri also offered yesterday.
At 6-foot-5, 185 pounds, Mercer has an impressive frame for the next level, but when you take into consideration he’s only a current high school freshman, it becomes that much exciting to see what he will be with three more years of development and interest.
For the Buckeyes, getting in on a rising top in-state talent is a recipe the staff will always use to their advantage, and hopefully this is a name Jake Diebler can lock in early as he continues to recruit for the future classes Ohio State will bring in.
Continue reading...
LGHL You’re Nuts: Is it time to be done with “Crystal Balls” in recruiting?
- News
- 0 Replies
You’re Nuts: Is it time to be done with “Crystal Balls” in recruiting?
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK
Is the predicting game for the experts, or for the fans?
When four-star guard Dorian Jones committed to Ohio State two weeks ago, it happened under a relative cloud of uncertainty. Ohio State, Rutgers, and Missouri fans all felt like there was a possibility he might pick up their hat, because very little had gotten out about which way Jones was leaning.
One recruiting website had Jones “leaning” towards the Scarlet Knights, while other sites remained neutral and left his page blank — empty of crystal balls or predictions. Jones ultimately wound up a Buckeye, but it truly wasn’t concrete until that very moment.
Two days later, a longtime Ohio State football target, Justin Hill, committed to Alabama after being crystal balled to the Buckeyes earlier in the cycle. Losing a high four-star in-state recruit to Alabama understandably did not sit well with Ohio State fans. But what seemed to tick off people even more than Hill spurning Ohio State for the Crimson Tide was the fact that recruiting experts predicted he would choose Ohio State just weeks earlier.
But in the hours before Hill’s decision, many of those CB’s “flipped” to Alabama. Then, Hill chose the Crimson Tide. News of his decision spread in the hours before he actually announced his decision, and technically the experts were correct with their Alabama prediction... right?
Last week, Connor and Justin each picked which Ohio basketball recruit will be next to commit to the Ohio State men’s basketball program. Justin went with 2025 four-star guard Jerry Easter — originally from Toledo but now playing at Link Academy in Missouri. Connor picked 2026 forward TJ Crumble, a Cleveland kid playing for Richmond Heights.
Connor’s pick of Crumble was the most popular choice, getting 61% of the reader votes. 24% picked “someone else”, while the final 15% sided with Justin, who picked Easter.
Connor- 77
This week, we’re discussing the crystal ball recruiting tool. Is all the ruckus that is causes really worth it in the end? Are the “experts” actually as accurate as they claim if they’re flipping those predictions in the final hour once they hear something that contradicts what they previously said?
They’re never going away, but it’s at least something to discuss.
I don’t have an incredibly strong opinion on this, and I do understand the benefit that crystal balls bring. they are mostly conversation starters, and so insiders can pat themselves on the back, but I do see the benefit.
I just don’t really care. High school athletes get one chance to have their moment and make their decision. Crystal balls take away from their moment when fans already know where they are going.
It reduces viewership of the decision videos, which means fewer people celebrate with the recruit and the athlete. This is the only time in their lives they will get this moment, and it would be nice if they could have that for themselves.
It is a short explanation, but it is really the only point I want to make. Other than that, I have no issue with the crystal balls. I just think the athletes should get more shine.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25527810/ball.png)
I understand the frustration fans have when an “expert” predicts that a great recruit is going to their school, and then is either flat-out wrong or pivots at the last second to a different answer to keep their pristine rating intact. It’s also frustrating when information leaks ahead of time and can potentially spoil someone’s announcement.
But at the same time, these writers at 247Sports, Rivals, On3, and so on are correct way more often than not. This ritual of top-tier prospects getting a stack of crystal balls to one school in the days leading up to their announcement isn’t something new — it’s just gotten more attention recently because of Justin Hill. And while they’re correct over 90% of the time (typically), the decision is never final until the player themselves announce where they’re going.
There’s a reason that, even when it seems pretty obvious where someone is going, thousands of people still tune it to watch a live stream of a high schooler sitting at a table in a dusty gymnasium with four hats sitting in front of them.
On top of that, recruiting is a huge sect of college sports writing, and the crystal ball/prediction portion of the beat is a big part of what drives subscriptions that continue to fund these websites. Even if you don’t love writers puffing out their “96.7% accuracy rating”, the insight they gather throughout the entire year is what contributes and leads into that eventual prediction or crystal ball. It’s a big part of these recruiting websites, and I just don’t see them ending any time soon.
It also feels like there’s a little bit of transfer portal-ish syndrome going on here. When a great player transfers away from a program, people curse their name and say they weren’t worth a damn anyway. When your team gets a great transfer, you brag about it for days.
When your team/school gets a crystal ball for a big time player, fans celebrate. When that CB goes a different direction (or the CB flips at the last minute), people complain and say we should just get rid of them altogether. That’s just how it is.
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
Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK
Is the predicting game for the experts, or for the fans?
When four-star guard Dorian Jones committed to Ohio State two weeks ago, it happened under a relative cloud of uncertainty. Ohio State, Rutgers, and Missouri fans all felt like there was a possibility he might pick up their hat, because very little had gotten out about which way Jones was leaning.
One recruiting website had Jones “leaning” towards the Scarlet Knights, while other sites remained neutral and left his page blank — empty of crystal balls or predictions. Jones ultimately wound up a Buckeye, but it truly wasn’t concrete until that very moment.
Two days later, a longtime Ohio State football target, Justin Hill, committed to Alabama after being crystal balled to the Buckeyes earlier in the cycle. Losing a high four-star in-state recruit to Alabama understandably did not sit well with Ohio State fans. But what seemed to tick off people even more than Hill spurning Ohio State for the Crimson Tide was the fact that recruiting experts predicted he would choose Ohio State just weeks earlier.
But in the hours before Hill’s decision, many of those CB’s “flipped” to Alabama. Then, Hill chose the Crimson Tide. News of his decision spread in the hours before he actually announced his decision, and technically the experts were correct with their Alabama prediction... right?
Last week, Connor and Justin each picked which Ohio basketball recruit will be next to commit to the Ohio State men’s basketball program. Justin went with 2025 four-star guard Jerry Easter — originally from Toledo but now playing at Link Academy in Missouri. Connor picked 2026 forward TJ Crumble, a Cleveland kid playing for Richmond Heights.
Connor’s pick of Crumble was the most popular choice, getting 61% of the reader votes. 24% picked “someone else”, while the final 15% sided with Justin, who picked Easter.
After 160 weeks:
Connor- 77
Justin- 63
Other- 16
(There have been four ties)
This week, we’re discussing the crystal ball recruiting tool. Is all the ruckus that is causes really worth it in the end? Are the “experts” actually as accurate as they claim if they’re flipping those predictions in the final hour once they hear something that contradicts what they previously said?
They’re never going away, but it’s at least something to discuss.
This week’s question: Is it time to be done with crystal balls?
Justin: Yes
I don’t have an incredibly strong opinion on this, and I do understand the benefit that crystal balls bring. they are mostly conversation starters, and so insiders can pat themselves on the back, but I do see the benefit.
I just don’t really care. High school athletes get one chance to have their moment and make their decision. Crystal balls take away from their moment when fans already know where they are going.
It reduces viewership of the decision videos, which means fewer people celebrate with the recruit and the athlete. This is the only time in their lives they will get this moment, and it would be nice if they could have that for themselves.
It is a short explanation, but it is really the only point I want to make. Other than that, I have no issue with the crystal balls. I just think the athletes should get more shine.
Connor: No
I understand the frustration fans have when an “expert” predicts that a great recruit is going to their school, and then is either flat-out wrong or pivots at the last second to a different answer to keep their pristine rating intact. It’s also frustrating when information leaks ahead of time and can potentially spoil someone’s announcement.
But at the same time, these writers at 247Sports, Rivals, On3, and so on are correct way more often than not. This ritual of top-tier prospects getting a stack of crystal balls to one school in the days leading up to their announcement isn’t something new — it’s just gotten more attention recently because of Justin Hill. And while they’re correct over 90% of the time (typically), the decision is never final until the player themselves announce where they’re going.
There’s a reason that, even when it seems pretty obvious where someone is going, thousands of people still tune it to watch a live stream of a high schooler sitting at a table in a dusty gymnasium with four hats sitting in front of them.
On top of that, recruiting is a huge sect of college sports writing, and the crystal ball/prediction portion of the beat is a big part of what drives subscriptions that continue to fund these websites. Even if you don’t love writers puffing out their “96.7% accuracy rating”, the insight they gather throughout the entire year is what contributes and leads into that eventual prediction or crystal ball. It’s a big part of these recruiting websites, and I just don’t see them ending any time soon.
It also feels like there’s a little bit of transfer portal-ish syndrome going on here. When a great player transfers away from a program, people curse their name and say they weren’t worth a damn anyway. When your team gets a great transfer, you brag about it for days.
When your team/school gets a crystal ball for a big time player, fans celebrate. When that CB goes a different direction (or the CB flips at the last minute), people complain and say we should just get rid of them altogether. That’s just how it is.
Continue reading...
Colorado State Rams (official thread)
- By ScriptOhio
- College Football
- 11 Replies
Colorado State coach Jay Norvell accuses Ole Miss, Texas A&M of tampering with star WR Tory Horton
Jay Norvell called out several Power Four programs for trying to poach his star players.
247sports.com
Colorado State coach Jay Norvell accuses Ole Miss, Texas A&M of tampering with star WR Tory Horton
Jay Norvell called out several Power Four programs for trying to poach his star players.
College football coaches are becoming increasingly vocal in directly calling out tampering as the issue remains persistent in the transfer portal era. Colorado State head coach Jay Norvell most recently accused two SEC programs of trying to poach star wide receiver Tory Horton, who is one of the top returning players in the country at that position in 2024.
"I've had every team in America try to take Tory Horton from us," Norvell said this week at Mountain West Media Days. "From Texas A&M to Ole Miss, I mean, they've all been on him."
Tampering is prohibited under NCAA regulations, but the lack of enforcement against power programs is a growing concern. Norvell discussed the challenge Group of Five schools face in keeping top players from entering the transfer portal and leaving for opportunities at Power Four programs.
"If our elite players can stay in this conference, we can send a lot of really good players to the National Football League," Norvell continued. "Like I said, because of the way we recruit — we're recruiting NFL players. We're fighting like hell to keep them at our school for the next four years. If we can do that, we're gonna be pretty good. But that's the challenge. I think the running back at Boise (State), I think Tory Horton, those guys are as good as you want to find in the country at their positions. I really believe that."
Horton ranked 11th nationally in receiving yards per game (94.7) last season. He caught 96 passes for 1,136 yards and eight touchdowns for Colorado State. Horton led the Mountain West in receptions and finished second in yards receiving.
Norvell also mentioned Colorado State quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi received a sizable offer to transfer to a Big 12 school.
"He said a guy from Kansas State called him, offered him $600,000 because they lost their quarterback, if he got in the portal," Norvell said. "And I'm not accusing Kansas State of anything. I'm just telling you what the kid told me. If they don't want their name thrown in it, I think they should probably get a handle on their people. But there's a lot of that going on in college football, and that's just the way things are right now."
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