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LGHL Ohio State women's basketball assistant coach Wesley Brooks hired to lead Utah State
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Ohio State women's basketball assistant coach Wesley Brooks hired to lead Utah State
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Angie Greenwood - Undrafted
The three-year assistant for head coach Kevin McGuff departs Columbus to lead his own program.
Monday night, as the women's basketball world focused on two blockbuster Elite Eight games, Utah State was announcing its next head coach. After three seasons with the Ohio State women's basketball program, assistant coach Wesley Brooks has left the Buckeyes to take over the head spot with the Utah State Aggies program.
At the Mountain West Tournament, former Utah State head coach Kayla Ard made headlines when she stepped up to the press conference table and let the media know that she was let go from the Aggies program. Now, three weeks later, the Buckeyes’ former assistant fills Ard’s place.
Not only does Brooks have experience coaching in that part of the country, but there is also a fairly substantial connection between Utah State and Ohio State. Brooks was hired by the Aggies’ new Athletic Director Diana Sabau who previously served as the deputy commissioner of the Big Ten Conference and the senior deputy athletic director at Ohio State.
Although there was no overlap between Sabau and Brooks at Ohio State, the connections in Columbus are impossible to overlook.
In 2021, Brooks joined Ohio State following an impressive career as an assistant. It began with the West Virginia Mountaineers, where Brooks served as a graduate assistant. Following his stint with the Mountaineers, Brooks spent time with Robert Morris, Texas Southern and North Texas.
Then, Brooks joined the Utah Utes’ coaching staff for two seasons. As an assistant, the Utes won 34 games in two seasons, along with two WNIT appearances. Before joining Ohio State though, Brooks spent time with the Buckeyes’ rivals up in Michigan.
Brooks assisted head coach Kim Barnes Arico for four seasons with the Maize and Blue; in those four seasons, the Wolverines made three NCAA Tournaments and were likely to make a fourth if the 2020 postseason hadn’t been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Assisting at Michigan, the Wolverines made the Sweet 16, which was the furthest the program had ever advanced in March Madness. Then, with the Scarlet and Gray, Brooks helped the Buckeyes reach achievements it had not touched since the early 1990s.
Joining head coach Kevin McGuff’s staff for the 2019-20 season, Brooks became a coach who was on the road more than any other member of the staff. On the court, Ohio State won a Big Ten regular season title, on its way to the first of two straight runs late into the NCAA Tournament. Last season, Ohio State didn’t win any conference hardware but made it to the Elite Eight.
For the Buckeyes this season, Brooks continued being on the bench each game, and also on the road as one of the team’s lead recruiters. Ohio State won the Big Ten regular-season title outright and at the same time added a strong group of recruits.
The incoming 2024 class features five freshmen, including the No. 1 point guard in the nation, McDonald’s All-American guard Jaloni Cambridge.
Now, Brooks is starting his own program in the Mountain West. The Utah State Aggies haven’t made the NCAA Tournament in program history, and have just two winning seasons in the past 20 years. Brooks now has the opportunity to build his own program and legacy as the eighth head coach in Aggies women’s basketball history.
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ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Angie Greenwood - Undrafted
The three-year assistant for head coach Kevin McGuff departs Columbus to lead his own program.
Monday night, as the women's basketball world focused on two blockbuster Elite Eight games, Utah State was announcing its next head coach. After three seasons with the Ohio State women's basketball program, assistant coach Wesley Brooks has left the Buckeyes to take over the head spot with the Utah State Aggies program.
!
Welcome our newest head coach, @coachwesbball!
https://t.co/gAgiyD0Vfi#AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/Ndull7bJB7
— USU Women's Hoops (@USUWBasketball) April 1, 2024
At the Mountain West Tournament, former Utah State head coach Kayla Ard made headlines when she stepped up to the press conference table and let the media know that she was let go from the Aggies program. Now, three weeks later, the Buckeyes’ former assistant fills Ard’s place.
Not only does Brooks have experience coaching in that part of the country, but there is also a fairly substantial connection between Utah State and Ohio State. Brooks was hired by the Aggies’ new Athletic Director Diana Sabau who previously served as the deputy commissioner of the Big Ten Conference and the senior deputy athletic director at Ohio State.
Although there was no overlap between Sabau and Brooks at Ohio State, the connections in Columbus are impossible to overlook.
In 2021, Brooks joined Ohio State following an impressive career as an assistant. It began with the West Virginia Mountaineers, where Brooks served as a graduate assistant. Following his stint with the Mountaineers, Brooks spent time with Robert Morris, Texas Southern and North Texas.
Then, Brooks joined the Utah Utes’ coaching staff for two seasons. As an assistant, the Utes won 34 games in two seasons, along with two WNIT appearances. Before joining Ohio State though, Brooks spent time with the Buckeyes’ rivals up in Michigan.
Brooks assisted head coach Kim Barnes Arico for four seasons with the Maize and Blue; in those four seasons, the Wolverines made three NCAA Tournaments and were likely to make a fourth if the 2020 postseason hadn’t been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Assisting at Michigan, the Wolverines made the Sweet 16, which was the furthest the program had ever advanced in March Madness. Then, with the Scarlet and Gray, Brooks helped the Buckeyes reach achievements it had not touched since the early 1990s.
Joining head coach Kevin McGuff’s staff for the 2019-20 season, Brooks became a coach who was on the road more than any other member of the staff. On the court, Ohio State won a Big Ten regular season title, on its way to the first of two straight runs late into the NCAA Tournament. Last season, Ohio State didn’t win any conference hardware but made it to the Elite Eight.
For the Buckeyes this season, Brooks continued being on the bench each game, and also on the road as one of the team’s lead recruiters. Ohio State won the Big Ten regular-season title outright and at the same time added a strong group of recruits.
The incoming 2024 class features five freshmen, including the No. 1 point guard in the nation, McDonald’s All-American guard Jaloni Cambridge.
Now, Brooks is starting his own program in the Mountain West. The Utah State Aggies haven’t made the NCAA Tournament in program history, and have just two winning seasons in the past 20 years. Brooks now has the opportunity to build his own program and legacy as the eighth head coach in Aggies women’s basketball history.
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LGHL Few surprises so far among spring black stripe removals for Ohio State
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Few surprises so far among spring black stripe removals for Ohio State
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 Jason Mowry/Getty Images
The new Buckeyes who have officially had their helmet stripes removed so far are the ones you’d expect.
Through Student Appreciation Day on Saturday, six new Buckeyes have traded in their black helmet stripes for scarlet ones, continuing the tradition Urban Meyer made famous at Ohio State. Young men who arrive on campus have been issued helmets with black stripes, and have to earn their way to “official” Buckeye status by proving themselves to the group.
Of the six who have had their stripes removed so far this spring, four are transfers and one is prized five-star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who has been turning heads since his arrival.
Smith was the first to see his black stripe removed back on March 21. Having only taken part in four practices in the spring at that point, the true freshman set a new record for the fastest to shed the stripe, besting last year’s freshman phenom, Carnell Tate, who did it after five spring practices.
The second to lose his stripe was perhaps the most surprising of the six so far. Redshirt freshman and preferred walk-on receiver Brennen Schramm had his black stripe removed the same day as Smith. Schramm, an all-state player from Medina, Ohio in 2021 and 2022, isn’t a big name, but he racked up more than 3,000 yards receiving in high school, playing with current Penn State quarterback Drew Allar. Schramm eclipsed the 1,000-yard receiving mark in each of his final two seasons.
The next four to lose their stripes were all transfer players. The trend was started by safety Caleb Downs and running back Quinshon Judkins on March 26. Neither is even mildly surprising.
Downs was a freshman All-American at Alabama and the top portal player, finishing the 2023 season with more than 100 tackles to his credit — enough to lead the Crimson Tide in that category by 40 (!) tackles over second place. Judkins, a two-time 1,000-yard rusher who transferred in from Ole Miss, was the first SEC player since Herschel Walker 15 or more rushing touchdowns in his first two seasons. He’s only the third player in Ole Miss history to rack up consecutive 1,000-yard seasons.
Neither Downs nor Judkins are surprising candidates to lose their stripes early. The two who followed them are hardly shocking either.
Quarterback Will Howard and center Seth McLaughlin each had their stripes removed on Saturday, continuing this spring’s pattern of either nobody having their stripes removed or two guys earning the milestone.
Howard shedding his stripe might bring a little calm to an Ohio State fanbase that has quickly become used to high-level quarterback play, but seemed unsure about the Kansas State transfer. Although Howard didn’t have nearly the supporting cast that Kyle McCord had last year, the grad transfer put up similar numbers, with the added bonus that he has shown a willingness to go and get the tough yards with his legs when necessary.
An upgrade in talent around him and the combined tutelage of Ryan Day and Chip Kelly should improve Howard’s stats, and him becoming one of the first players to earn his stripe removal is a good sign.
McLaughlin, an Alabama transfer like Downs and quarterback Julian Sayin — who could see his stripe removed soon based on reports of his progress out of spring camp — is another unsurprising black stripe removal candidate. Like Howard’s, McLaughlin’s transfer drew mixed reviews online from Buckeye fans, who remembered a poor snap costing Alabama a scoring chance in the College Football Playoff against the hated Wolverines.
By coming in and working hard to get his stripe removed quickly, McLaughlin showed that he may yet win over his critics among the OSU faithful.
What does all of the above mean? In the grand scheme of things: not much. It simply means that the players one would reasonably expect to be impressing early are doing so. The four transfers and Smith are all projected to see a lot of snaps in 2024. As such, it’s encouraging that they have showed up and quickly put in the work to earn their way into becoming full-blooded Buckeyes.
Conversely, it doesn’t mean players who have yet to shed their stripes won’t have an impact this fall. It simply means they’ve got some work to do.
So, who’s next?
Julian Sayin seems to be getting close based on reports out of camp. The freshman is turning heads and seems to already be pushing the veterans, if not outright passing some of them. Fellow freshman quarterback Air Noland may not be next, but he could see his stripe removed this spring as well, although he’s not drawing as rave reviews as other signal callers in camp just yet.
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 Jason Mowry/Getty Images
The new Buckeyes who have officially had their helmet stripes removed so far are the ones you’d expect.
Through Student Appreciation Day on Saturday, six new Buckeyes have traded in their black helmet stripes for scarlet ones, continuing the tradition Urban Meyer made famous at Ohio State. Young men who arrive on campus have been issued helmets with black stripes, and have to earn their way to “official” Buckeye status by proving themselves to the group.
Of the six who have had their stripes removed so far this spring, four are transfers and one is prized five-star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who has been turning heads since his arrival.
Smith was the first to see his black stripe removed back on March 21. Having only taken part in four practices in the spring at that point, the true freshman set a new record for the fastest to shed the stripe, besting last year’s freshman phenom, Carnell Tate, who did it after five spring practices.
The second to lose his stripe was perhaps the most surprising of the six so far. Redshirt freshman and preferred walk-on receiver Brennen Schramm had his black stripe removed the same day as Smith. Schramm, an all-state player from Medina, Ohio in 2021 and 2022, isn’t a big name, but he racked up more than 3,000 yards receiving in high school, playing with current Penn State quarterback Drew Allar. Schramm eclipsed the 1,000-yard receiving mark in each of his final two seasons.
The next four to lose their stripes were all transfer players. The trend was started by safety Caleb Downs and running back Quinshon Judkins on March 26. Neither is even mildly surprising.
Downs was a freshman All-American at Alabama and the top portal player, finishing the 2023 season with more than 100 tackles to his credit — enough to lead the Crimson Tide in that category by 40 (!) tackles over second place. Judkins, a two-time 1,000-yard rusher who transferred in from Ole Miss, was the first SEC player since Herschel Walker 15 or more rushing touchdowns in his first two seasons. He’s only the third player in Ole Miss history to rack up consecutive 1,000-yard seasons.
Neither Downs nor Judkins are surprising candidates to lose their stripes early. The two who followed them are hardly shocking either.
Quarterback Will Howard and center Seth McLaughlin each had their stripes removed on Saturday, continuing this spring’s pattern of either nobody having their stripes removed or two guys earning the milestone.
Howard shedding his stripe might bring a little calm to an Ohio State fanbase that has quickly become used to high-level quarterback play, but seemed unsure about the Kansas State transfer. Although Howard didn’t have nearly the supporting cast that Kyle McCord had last year, the grad transfer put up similar numbers, with the added bonus that he has shown a willingness to go and get the tough yards with his legs when necessary.
An upgrade in talent around him and the combined tutelage of Ryan Day and Chip Kelly should improve Howard’s stats, and him becoming one of the first players to earn his stripe removal is a good sign.
McLaughlin, an Alabama transfer like Downs and quarterback Julian Sayin — who could see his stripe removed soon based on reports of his progress out of spring camp — is another unsurprising black stripe removal candidate. Like Howard’s, McLaughlin’s transfer drew mixed reviews online from Buckeye fans, who remembered a poor snap costing Alabama a scoring chance in the College Football Playoff against the hated Wolverines.
By coming in and working hard to get his stripe removed quickly, McLaughlin showed that he may yet win over his critics among the OSU faithful.
What does all of the above mean? In the grand scheme of things: not much. It simply means that the players one would reasonably expect to be impressing early are doing so. The four transfers and Smith are all projected to see a lot of snaps in 2024. As such, it’s encouraging that they have showed up and quickly put in the work to earn their way into becoming full-blooded Buckeyes.
Conversely, it doesn’t mean players who have yet to shed their stripes won’t have an impact this fall. It simply means they’ve got some work to do.
So, who’s next?
Julian Sayin seems to be getting close based on reports out of camp. The freshman is turning heads and seems to already be pushing the veterans, if not outright passing some of them. Fellow freshman quarterback Air Noland may not be next, but he could see his stripe removed this spring as well, although he’s not drawing as rave reviews as other signal callers in camp just yet.
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LGHL Buckeyes’ BOOMing weekend also involved an insightful scrimmage
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Buckeyes’ BOOMing weekend also involved an insightful scrimmage
Matt Tamanini 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
All the Buckeye news thats fit to re-print.
Look, we get it. Your days are busy and you don’t have time to read all of the stories and tweets from the three dozen websites dedicated to covering Ohio State athletics, or the 237 Buckeye beat writers churning out hot takes and #content on a daily basis. But that’s ok, that’s what your friends at Land-Grant Holy Land are here for.
Monday through Friday, we’ll be collecting all of the articles, tweets, features, interviews, videos, podcasts, memes, photos, and whatever else we stumble across on the interwebz and putting them in our daily “Why is this News?” article. That way, you’ll have a one-stop shop for all of the most important Buckeye news, jokes, and analysis.
You’re welcome!
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
Ohio State has BOOOOMing weekend, picks up four commitments in three days
Gene Ross, Land-Grant Holy Land
Oregon running backs coach Carlos Locklyn expected to leave for Ohio State, per reports
James Crepea, The Oregonian
Recruiting thoughts and stuff from huge Ohio State spring weekend (paywall)
Jeremy Birmingham, Dotting the Eyes
Recruits react and buzz from huge recruiting weekend that included Student Appreciation Day scrimmage
Bill Kurelic, Bucknuts
Ohio State diary: What we saw during spring practice No. 8 (paywall)
Bill Landis, Dotting the Eyes
Ryan Day Excited About Ohio State’s Depth at Running Back
Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors
Unpacking observations from Student Appreciation Day (paywall)
Andy Backstrom, Lettermen Row
QB Brown sharp: 5 takeaways from Ohio State’s open spring practice
Bill Rabinowitz, The Columbus Dispatch
Jeremiah Smith, C.J. Hicks and Quinshon Judkins Among Top Standouts at Ohio State Student Appreciation Day
Andy Anders, Eleven Warriors
Projecting Buckeyes offensive depth chart midway through spring (paywall)
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
Projecting Buckeyes defensive depth chart midway through spring (paywall)
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
Turning heads | Ohio State freshman WR Smith making push to become a starter
Bill Rabinowitz, The Columbus Dispatch
Suspended for a year, Bennett Christian worked hard to improve in 2023: ‘I grew a lot during the season’
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts
Which transfers have been linked with Ohio State? Here’s a list
Adam Jardy: The Columbus Dispatch
Ohio State women’s basketball guard Diana Collins enters transfer portal
Thomas Costello, Land-Grant Holy Land
You’re Nuts: Offseason priorities for Ohio State men’s basketball
Justin Golba and Connor Lemons, Land-Grant Holy Land
Men’s Tennis: No. 1 Buckeyes Blank Hoosiers 7-0
Ohio State Athletics
Men’s Swim & Dive: Ohio State Places 13th at 2024 NCAA Championships
Ohio State Athletics
Women’s Tennis: No. 12 Buckeyes Shut Out Rutgers, 4-0
Ohio State Athletics
Softball: Buckeyes Earn 6-0 Shutout Win Over Northwestern In Series Finale
Ohio State Athletics
Baseball: Ohio State Falls to Purdue, 7-1, in Series Finale
Ohio State Athletics
lolz...
Continue reading...
Matt Tamanini 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
All the Buckeye news thats fit to re-print.
Look, we get it. Your days are busy and you don’t have time to read all of the stories and tweets from the three dozen websites dedicated to covering Ohio State athletics, or the 237 Buckeye beat writers churning out hot takes and #content on a daily basis. But that’s ok, that’s what your friends at Land-Grant Holy Land are here for.
Monday through Friday, we’ll be collecting all of the articles, tweets, features, interviews, videos, podcasts, memes, photos, and whatever else we stumble across on the interwebz and putting them in our daily “Why is this News?” article. That way, you’ll have a one-stop shop for all of the most important Buckeye news, jokes, and analysis.
You’re welcome!
For your Earholes...
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
On the Gridiron
Ohio State has BOOOOMing weekend, picks up four commitments in three days
Gene Ross, Land-Grant Holy Land
️Oregon running backs coach Carlos Locklyn expected to leave for Ohio State, per reports
James Crepea, The Oregonian
Recruiting thoughts and stuff from huge Ohio State spring weekend (paywall)
Jeremy Birmingham, Dotting the Eyes
Recruits react and buzz from huge recruiting weekend that included Student Appreciation Day scrimmage
Bill Kurelic, Bucknuts
Ohio State diary: What we saw during spring practice No. 8 (paywall)
Bill Landis, Dotting the Eyes
Ryan Day Excited About Ohio State’s Depth at Running Back
Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors
Unpacking observations from Student Appreciation Day (paywall)
Andy Backstrom, Lettermen Row
QB Brown sharp: 5 takeaways from Ohio State’s open spring practice
Bill Rabinowitz, The Columbus Dispatch
Jeremiah Smith, C.J. Hicks and Quinshon Judkins Among Top Standouts at Ohio State Student Appreciation Day
Andy Anders, Eleven Warriors
Projecting Buckeyes offensive depth chart midway through spring (paywall)
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
Projecting Buckeyes defensive depth chart midway through spring (paywall)
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
Turning heads | Ohio State freshman WR Smith making push to become a starter
Bill Rabinowitz, The Columbus Dispatch
Suspended for a year, Bennett Christian worked hard to improve in 2023: ‘I grew a lot during the season’
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts
On the Hardwood
Which transfers have been linked with Ohio State? Here’s a list
Adam Jardy: The Columbus Dispatch
Ohio State women’s basketball guard Diana Collins enters transfer portal
Thomas Costello, Land-Grant Holy Land
You’re Nuts: Offseason priorities for Ohio State men’s basketball
Justin Golba and Connor Lemons, Land-Grant Holy Land
Outside the Shoe and Schott
Men’s Tennis: No. 1 Buckeyes Blank Hoosiers 7-0
Ohio State Athletics
Men’s Swim & Dive: Ohio State Places 13th at 2024 NCAA Championships
Ohio State Athletics
Women’s Tennis: No. 12 Buckeyes Shut Out Rutgers, 4-0
Ohio State Athletics
Softball: Buckeyes Earn 6-0 Shutout Win Over Northwestern In Series Finale
Ohio State Athletics
Baseball: Ohio State Falls to Purdue, 7-1, in Series Finale
Ohio State Athletics
And now for something completely different...
lolz...
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2025 SC TE Mikkel Skinner (Kentucky Signee)
- By pnuts34
- Football Recruiting
- 2 Replies
LGHL Ohio State has BOOOOMing weekend, picks up four commitments in three days
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- 0 Replies
Ohio State has BOOOOMing weekend, picks up four commitments in three days
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Four-star 2025 DL London Merritt | @merritt_london on Twitter
The Buckeyes have added four members to their 2025 class since Friday.
Ohio State knew coming into the weekend that a massive recruiting opportunity was on its hands. On Saturday, the Buckeyes hosted Student Appreciation Day, opening up practice and allowing for those in attendance at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center to take in the team’s scrimmage. With many top recruits on hand for the event as well, Ryan Day and his staff fully cashed in, landing four big commitments in just a three-day span.
The first new addition to the 2025 class made things official before the festivities even really kicked off, as four-star defensive lineman London Merritt announced his commitment to Ohio State on Friday afternoon.
Originally from Georgia, the 6-foot-2, 255-pound edge rusher currently plays his prep ball at IMG Academy in Florida. Ranked as the No. 10 DL and the No. 101 player nationally per the 247Sports Composite, Merritt was first offered by Ohio State back in January of 2023. This latest trip to Columbus was his fourth time in town, and he is set to return to campus in June for his official visit.
“I wanted to choose a program that mirrors my hunger and pursuit for greatness and Ohio State is the perfect place for me,” Merritt told On3. “At the end of the day, [Larry Johnson] wants me to be the best player, best person and best man I can be.”
Here is some of what 247Sports’ Andrew Ivins had to say of Merritt in his scouting report of the young defensive lineman:
“Jolts offensive tackles and tight ends with a formidable punch and can pick up quick wins by sliding and dipping his way around blockers, although the sack total doesn’t always show for it. Flashes some instincts as a run defender and uses impressive short-area quickness to make stops in pursuit as he changes course and keeps the legs pumping.”
Next up chronologically, and a recruitment that at one point looked to have been lost to Florida, was the commitment of four-star linebacker Tarvos Alford on Saturday.
A big win for newly minted position coach James Laurinaitis, the 6-foot-2 Alford checks in as the No. 8 LB and No. 63 player overall in the 2025 class per the 247Sports Composite. Named TC Palms Defensive Player of the Year in 2023, the Florida native racked up 114 tackles to go along with six PBUs, four sacks and a pick, helping Vero Beach reach the regional semifinals of Florida’s 4S playoffs.
Like Merritt, Alford has also been to Columbus a number of times prior to this past weekend, including for a multi-day camp this past June and for the Buckeyes’ 38-3 win over Michigan State in November. Choosing Ohio State over his other finalists in Florida, Florida State, UCF and Tennessee, Alford cited the coaching staff and the tightly knit locker room as leading factors in his decision.
“The brotherhood. The atmosphere is different there.” told Bucknuts. “Coach Laurinaitis is a huge factor. The relationship we have, how we have connected. Coach Day is a huge factor too. I’ve talked to him for a long period of time.”
Just a few hours later, Ohio State added a player on the offensive side of the football when four-star wide receiver De’Zie Jones announced his commitment to the program.
After the de-commitment of Jayvan Boggs just last week, Jones becomes the lone receiver commit for Brian Hartline thus far in the 2025 class. The 6-foot New Jersey native currently ranks as the No. 49 WR in the country and the No. 10 player in his home state, per the 247Sports Composite. After setting the record for single-season receiving yards at DePaul Catholic by a sophomore in 2022 with over 1,000, Jones hauled in 52 catches for 851 yards and six touchdowns in 10 games as a junior.
“What stands out to me is how much they develop their receivers and it proves over the years.” Jones told On3. “They produce the best and I want to be next up, so learning from nice players will get me better. Also, they produce tons of DB talent, so going up against them every day will get me better. The culture over there is beautiful, can’t ask for better.”
Jones becomes just the third offensive player in Ohio State’s 2025 class, joining five-star QB Tavien St. Clair and four-star OT Carter Lowe. Of course, Hartline remains in the mix for a number of big names at the wide receiver spot in the cycle, most notably including five-star Jaime Ffrench and five-star LSU commit Dakorien Moore.
Joining Jones on the New Jersey to Ohio pipeline on Sunday was four-star defensive back DeShawn Stewart, who rounded out the quartet of commitments for the program over the weekend.
A teammate of Jones at DePaul Catholic, the 6-foot-2 Stewart ranks as the No. 24 safety and the No. 8 player out of New Jersey in the 2025 class, per the 247Sports Composite. Stewart did not make the trip to Columbus this past weekend, but did receive a visit from a strong contingent of Ohio State coaches back in January, including position coach Matt Guerrieri alongside Ryan Day, Tim Walton and Brian Hartline. Stewart becomes the first official commitment for Guerrieri in his new role.
“The brotherhood and atmosphere they carry it’s like no other,” Stewart said speaking to Bucknuts about his decision to commit to Ohio State. “That school is going to bring the absolute best out of me mark my words.”
This past season, Stewart totaled 56 tackles and 19 pass breakups for the Spartans, playing mostly at cornerback despite projecting as a safety at the next level.
“I see myself playing anywhere in the back end (in college), cornerback, strong safety or nickel,” Stewart told Eleven Warriors. “But I’d definitely describe myself as a free safety. (My strongest attribute) is my eyes, discipline and knowing where receivers are lining up and how to get leverage. Also reading the quarterback and knowing where the ball is going to go. I’d say I have pretty good tackling skills, too.”
With this latest run of commitments, bringing the Buckeyes’ total to 11, Ohio State now holds the No. 2 class in the country, and is No. 1 in the nation in average player rating at 95.15. This has a chance to be a really special group for Ryan Day and his staff, as Ohio State is still in contention for a good deal of five-star prospects, including the aforementioned Ffrench and Moore as well as offensive tackle David Sanders Jr., cornerback Dorian Brew and safeties Trey McNutt and Faheem Delane, in addition to numerous high four-star guys as well.
The sky is the limit for this Ohio State recruiting class, but this past weekend was another big step forward as the Buckeyes look to keep building momentum ahead of the 2024 season both on the field and on the trail.
Continue reading...
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Four-star 2025 DL London Merritt | @merritt_london on Twitter
The Buckeyes have added four members to their 2025 class since Friday.
Ohio State knew coming into the weekend that a massive recruiting opportunity was on its hands. On Saturday, the Buckeyes hosted Student Appreciation Day, opening up practice and allowing for those in attendance at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center to take in the team’s scrimmage. With many top recruits on hand for the event as well, Ryan Day and his staff fully cashed in, landing four big commitments in just a three-day span.
The first new addition to the 2025 class made things official before the festivities even really kicked off, as four-star defensive lineman London Merritt announced his commitment to Ohio State on Friday afternoon.
Originally from Georgia, the 6-foot-2, 255-pound edge rusher currently plays his prep ball at IMG Academy in Florida. Ranked as the No. 10 DL and the No. 101 player nationally per the 247Sports Composite, Merritt was first offered by Ohio State back in January of 2023. This latest trip to Columbus was his fourth time in town, and he is set to return to campus in June for his official visit.
“I wanted to choose a program that mirrors my hunger and pursuit for greatness and Ohio State is the perfect place for me,” Merritt told On3. “At the end of the day, [Larry Johnson] wants me to be the best player, best person and best man I can be.”
Here is some of what 247Sports’ Andrew Ivins had to say of Merritt in his scouting report of the young defensive lineman:
“Jolts offensive tackles and tight ends with a formidable punch and can pick up quick wins by sliding and dipping his way around blockers, although the sack total doesn’t always show for it. Flashes some instincts as a run defender and uses impressive short-area quickness to make stops in pursuit as he changes course and keeps the legs pumping.”
Next up chronologically, and a recruitment that at one point looked to have been lost to Florida, was the commitment of four-star linebacker Tarvos Alford on Saturday.
A big win for newly minted position coach James Laurinaitis, the 6-foot-2 Alford checks in as the No. 8 LB and No. 63 player overall in the 2025 class per the 247Sports Composite. Named TC Palms Defensive Player of the Year in 2023, the Florida native racked up 114 tackles to go along with six PBUs, four sacks and a pick, helping Vero Beach reach the regional semifinals of Florida’s 4S playoffs.
Like Merritt, Alford has also been to Columbus a number of times prior to this past weekend, including for a multi-day camp this past June and for the Buckeyes’ 38-3 win over Michigan State in November. Choosing Ohio State over his other finalists in Florida, Florida State, UCF and Tennessee, Alford cited the coaching staff and the tightly knit locker room as leading factors in his decision.
“The brotherhood. The atmosphere is different there.” told Bucknuts. “Coach Laurinaitis is a huge factor. The relationship we have, how we have connected. Coach Day is a huge factor too. I’ve talked to him for a long period of time.”
Just a few hours later, Ohio State added a player on the offensive side of the football when four-star wide receiver De’Zie Jones announced his commitment to the program.
After the de-commitment of Jayvan Boggs just last week, Jones becomes the lone receiver commit for Brian Hartline thus far in the 2025 class. The 6-foot New Jersey native currently ranks as the No. 49 WR in the country and the No. 10 player in his home state, per the 247Sports Composite. After setting the record for single-season receiving yards at DePaul Catholic by a sophomore in 2022 with over 1,000, Jones hauled in 52 catches for 851 yards and six touchdowns in 10 games as a junior.
“What stands out to me is how much they develop their receivers and it proves over the years.” Jones told On3. “They produce the best and I want to be next up, so learning from nice players will get me better. Also, they produce tons of DB talent, so going up against them every day will get me better. The culture over there is beautiful, can’t ask for better.”
Jones becomes just the third offensive player in Ohio State’s 2025 class, joining five-star QB Tavien St. Clair and four-star OT Carter Lowe. Of course, Hartline remains in the mix for a number of big names at the wide receiver spot in the cycle, most notably including five-star Jaime Ffrench and five-star LSU commit Dakorien Moore.
Joining Jones on the New Jersey to Ohio pipeline on Sunday was four-star defensive back DeShawn Stewart, who rounded out the quartet of commitments for the program over the weekend.
A teammate of Jones at DePaul Catholic, the 6-foot-2 Stewart ranks as the No. 24 safety and the No. 8 player out of New Jersey in the 2025 class, per the 247Sports Composite. Stewart did not make the trip to Columbus this past weekend, but did receive a visit from a strong contingent of Ohio State coaches back in January, including position coach Matt Guerrieri alongside Ryan Day, Tim Walton and Brian Hartline. Stewart becomes the first official commitment for Guerrieri in his new role.
“The brotherhood and atmosphere they carry it’s like no other,” Stewart said speaking to Bucknuts about his decision to commit to Ohio State. “That school is going to bring the absolute best out of me mark my words.”
This past season, Stewart totaled 56 tackles and 19 pass breakups for the Spartans, playing mostly at cornerback despite projecting as a safety at the next level.
“I see myself playing anywhere in the back end (in college), cornerback, strong safety or nickel,” Stewart told Eleven Warriors. “But I’d definitely describe myself as a free safety. (My strongest attribute) is my eyes, discipline and knowing where receivers are lining up and how to get leverage. Also reading the quarterback and knowing where the ball is going to go. I’d say I have pretty good tackling skills, too.”
With this latest run of commitments, bringing the Buckeyes’ total to 11, Ohio State now holds the No. 2 class in the country, and is No. 1 in the nation in average player rating at 95.15. This has a chance to be a really special group for Ryan Day and his staff, as Ohio State is still in contention for a good deal of five-star prospects, including the aforementioned Ffrench and Moore as well as offensive tackle David Sanders Jr., cornerback Dorian Brew and safeties Trey McNutt and Faheem Delane, in addition to numerous high four-star guys as well.
The sky is the limit for this Ohio State recruiting class, but this past weekend was another big step forward as the Buckeyes look to keep building momentum ahead of the 2024 season both on the field and on the trail.
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