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LGHL Ohio State dishes out three new offers, 2025 QB commit shoots up recruiting boards

Ohio State dishes out three new offers, 2025 QB commit shoots up recruiting boards
Caleb Houser
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch

Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Buckeyes had a busy Wednesday, offering three new players in the future cycles.

Another week just means more chances for Ohio State to continue their recruiting pursuits. With more offers being dished out on Wednesday, the Buckeyes are still all over the country making their presence known and still evaluating players across several cycles.

Making headway in North Carolina on Wednesday, the Buckeyes were in to see defensive back prospect, Samari Matthews.

A 6-foot, 180 pound cornerback, Matthews is the No. 83 player nationally and the sixth best cornerback in the 2026 class per the 247Sports Composite. The latest school to join the mix, the DB does have over 30 offers to his name already, and from many of the top programs in college football such as Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Tennessee, USC, and a host of others.

No secret as to why the Buckeyes are now getting involved, with how well they have done in both the 2024 and 2025 classes with cornerback recruiting, it’s become a trend for Tim Walton to land the guys he’s after, and 2026 shouldn’t be any different.

With this offer now extended, look for Walton and Ohio State to start really building the relationship and working to get him to Columbus to see all that the Buckeyes have to offer.

Humble and blessed to have received an offer from @OhioStateFB. Thank you @MattGuerrieri @OGWalt_ @ryandaytime really appreciate it. @HoughFB @SC_DBGROUP @DeShawnBaker6 @ChadSimmons_ @adamgorney @RivalsFriedman @TomLoy247 @SWiltfong_ @NPCoachJeff @AnnaH247 @TomLuginbill pic.twitter.com/uwAppbVJWN

— Samari “Smoke” Matthews (@samari_matthews) May 22, 2024

Sticking right with the class of 2026 and the cornerback position, Ohio State wasn’t just making stops in North Carolina. Headed south one state away, the Buckeyes also made another offer to South Carolina native, J’Zavien Currence.

A 6-foot-3, 210 pound athlete, Currence is not your typical cornerback with his size and frame. He already has an impressive stature, and makes sense that he’s listed as a safety on his 247Sports profile. The No. 68 player nationally, Currence is the seventh best safety in the class and the top player in South Carolina per the 247Sports Composite.

Another dynamic offer list, over 30 schools have thrown their name into the fold, and Ohio State being the latest may be later than most, but certainly doesn’t hurt their chances as it’s been seen how well they’ve been doing on the defensive back side of things. Currence becomes another name to keep an eye on as Ohio State looks to lock down the rest of their 2025 haul and focus the majority of their attention on the next cycle on deck.


Moving away from the defensive side of the ball, Ohio State was active on the recruiting front with the offense as well as they sent out an offer to 2027 running back, Brayden Tyson. It’s not often you see the Buckeyes offering players two years down the pipeline, but clearly the staff and position coach Carlos Locklyn felt waiting wasn’t necessary.

A 6-foot, 215 pound athlete, Tyson is not yet ranked via 247Sports, but early offers from the likes of Florida State, Kentucky, Ole Miss, Oregon, Tennessee, and plenty of others show this is one target that will see a high ranking when the time comes. Playing in Georgia as well, odds are the caliber of talent he is facing early in his high school career is impressive enough to see why the list of schools just mentioned is already after his services.

Locklyn has plenty of work to do in this current 2025 class while he tries to land likely two and maybe even three at the position, but when relationships are everything in recruiting, it’s never a bad thing to early players that have a while before they decide anything final. Doing well in Georgia over the last several years doesn’t hurt either, and now there’s another name to look at when it comes to recruiting the Peach State and the unlimited talent they seem to produce each year.


Ohio State has offered Brookwood (Ga.) 2027 running back Brayden Tyson who running backs coach Carlos Locklyn last August while at Oregon.

Tyson rushed for 642 yards and four touchdowns as a freshman at the 7A level in Georgia.https://t.co/EJRgWXplUE https://t.co/2bK9ioNkZ9

— Mick Walker (@mickdwalker) May 22, 2024

Quick Hits

  • Rankings aren’t everything to this Ohio State staff, but it does tell a story for how a given target is being looked at. The Buckeyes tend to land some of the top-ranked guys at every position regardless of cycle and that’s no different in 2025.

Looking specifically at the quarterback spot, the Buckeyes didn’t have to go far with who they were trying to bring in as Ohio had not only one, but two big-time players and Tavien St. Clair is proving to be the right choice over and over.

Now the No. 2 player nationally per 247Sports, St. Clair has really shot up the ranks, and this latest update has the Buckeyes boasting once again another top player at the position.

St. Clair will continue to help this class overall not just with his commitment, but being a mainstay for guys wanting to follow a top signal caller in the 2025 cycle. It’s no surprise to see Ohio State continuing their run of elite quarterback recruiting under Ryan Day.


CLASS OF 2025 5-STARS

1⃣ Bryce Underwood, QB (LSU commit)
2⃣ Tavien St. Clair, QB (Ohio State commit)
3⃣ David Sanders Jr., OT
4⃣ Devin Sanchez, CB (Ohio State commit)
5⃣ Dakorien Moore, WR

FULL RANKINGS https://t.co/FSTsC35EJV pic.twitter.com/LcCwiMoYs1

— 247Sports (@247Sports) May 22, 2024

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LGHL Ohio State baseball preps for B1G Tournament, men’s tennis suffers upset

Ohio State baseball preps for B1G Tournament, men’s tennis suffers upset
Jami Jurich
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Buckeyes.0.jpeg

@OhioStateBASE Twitter

Get all of the details on Buckeye spring sports.

Whether you’re looking to get on the tennis train, take a few laps around the track, or root, root, root for the Buckeyes’ baseball and softball teams, here at LGHL, we’re keeping you up-to-date on what’s happening with all your Buckeye sports teams.


Tennis


The No. 1 overall Ohio State men’s tennis team suffered a heartbreaking defeat in the NCAA Semifinals this weekend at the hands of No. 4 TCU. The season-ending loss was only their second of the year.

The loss came on the heels of a brutal quarterfinal match, in which OSU outlasted Columbia in the Quarterfinals—the Buckeyes’ longest match of the season—to win, 4-2. OSU took the doubles point, along with singles wins from JJ Tracy, Cannon Kingsley, and Alexander Bernard.

@OhioStateMTEN Twitter
Alexander Bernard gets the job done against Columbia to advance the Buckeyes to the semifinals.

The win sent OSU to the Semifinals for the third consecutive year, for their second matchup with the Horned Frogs this year. OSU came out on top earlier in the season, but this time it was TCU’s turn for victory, winning 4-2.

The Buckeyes took the doubles point thanks to victories from the duos of Andrew Lutschaunig and Justin Boulais and Jack Anthrop and Kingsley.

OSU’s lone singles point came from Anthrop, who got it done against TCU’s Lui Maxted.

Five individual men’s players, along with three women’s players, are still slated to compete in the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championship in Stillwater, Oklahoma, this week.

For the men, Tracy and Cash will compete in doubles while Tracy, Boulais, Kingsley, and Anthrop opened competition on Monday in the Singles Championship with victories for the Buckeyes. All four won their opening round matches to advance to the second round.


Winner!! pic.twitter.com/OE5s5EJQoq

— Ohio State M Tennis (@OhioStateMTEN) May 20, 2024

On the women’s side, Irina Cantos Siemers, Luciana Perry, and Sydni Ratliff are competing.

Cantos Siemers, currently ranked No. 17, and Perry, currently ranked No. 50, both posted straight-set victories to advance to the round of 32 in the Singles Championship on Monday. Perry will be joined by Ratliff on Tuesday to compete in the Doubles Championship.


Irina Cantos Siemers is moving on in the @NCAATennis Singles Championship!#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/xV81nqtAUV

— Ohio State Women’s Tennis (@OhioStateWTEN) May 20, 2024

Baseball


The Buckeye baseball team wrapped up the regular season by taking two of three on the road at Rutgers this past weekend.

The series opener was a hard-fought 10-inning battle, a relatively low-scoring game throughout. The Buckeyes took an early 1-0 lead in the first, tacked on another run in the second, and held onto the lead into the sixth, despite not earning a hit until the third inning.

A two-run homer for the Scarlet Knights in the sixth gave them a 2-1 edge, which they held onto through eight. But with two outs in the top of the ninth, the Buckeyes dug deep. Nick Giamarusti was walked to get on base. Trey Lipsey singled to give OSU two runners, and a throwing error sent Giamarusti home to tie the game at three-all.

OSU held the Scarlet Knights scoreless in the bottom of the ninth, sending the game into extra innings. With two runners on in the top of the 10th, Matthew Graveline blasted a home run to give the Buckeyes a 6-3 advantage. Rutgers would not score again and the Buckeyes took Game 1 of the series.


The go-ahead 3️⃣-run home run that the Buckeyes never looked back on! #B1GBaseball x @OhioStateBASE pic.twitter.com/yB5dU3tB4g

— Big Ten Baseball (@B1Gbaseball) May 17, 2024

Graveline led the team with two hits and three RBIs on the day, while sophomore pitcher Blaine Wynk earned the win, with two strikeouts and four hits in 3.0 scoreless innings to end the game.

On Friday, the game was close through seven, but the Buckeye bats got hot in the eighth, with OSU taking the game, 11-5, no extra innings needed this time.

The Buckeyes again scored a run in the first, this time off a Tyler Pettorini RBI single, though Rutgers tied it up, 1-1, in the bottom of the first and added another run in the second to take a one-run lead.

The Buckeyes added another run in the top of the third. With back-to-back singles from Lipsey and Henry Kaczmar, Kaczmar got caught stealing second, but Lipsey managed to get home, tying the game at two runs apiece.

Rutgers made it 4-2 off a two-RBI double in the fourth, while the Buckeyes answered with three runs of their own in the fifth to give OSU a 5-4 edge.


TOP 5 | The Buckeyes are back in the lead, 5-4, after a two-RBI single from @TPettorini!#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/BR8MMHabkd

— Ohio State Baseball (@OhioStateBASE) May 17, 2024

Both teams went scoreless from that point forward until the Buckeyes tacked on a few insurance runs in the eighth. With the bases loaded, Josh Stevenson was walked to send Joseph Mershon home. Mitchell Okuley scored when Isaac Cadena reached on an error. Hunter Rosson made it home off a sacrifice fly from Lipsey, and then with two outs and the bases once again loaded, Pettorini drew a walk to send Stevenson home. The Buckeyes led, 9-4, at the end of the eighth.

Stevenson wasn’t done yet—he went yard in the ninth, bringing Okuley home with him to make the score 11-4. While Rutgers added a run in the bottom of the ninth, they couldn’t overcome the deficit.

Kaczmar and Pettorini led with four hits, while Pettorini also added a team-high four RBIs. Colin Purcell pitched the no-decision, while the win went to Chase Herrell, who gave up just one hit in 3.2 scoreless innings.

In the final game of the regular season, Rutgers got the job done in seven after a brutal, seven-run second inning, defeating the Buckeyes, 12-1. Ohio State’s lone run came in the third, a solo home run from Graveline. It was the Buckeyes’ only hit of the day.


TOP 3 | RIGHT OVER THE WALL @MGraveline09 hits his second home run of the week to put the Buckeyes on the board!#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/MWX1Iz73is

— Ohio State Baseball (@OhioStateBASE) May 18, 2024

Justin Eckhardt took the loss on the mound, giving up four runs on three hits in 1.1 innings.

Now, Ohio State gears up to face No. 2 Nebraska in the first round of the Big Ten Baseball Tournament this afternoon at 3 p.m. ET in Omaha. It is the first time the Buckeyes have made the Big Ten Tournament since 2019.

The Buckeyes enter the tournament with a No. 7 seed. The winner will take on the winner of the Indiana-Purdue game, while the loser will take on the loser of the same match in an elimination game later in the week.

Tuesday’s game will air on the Big Ten Network.


Softball


Despite a disappointing end to their season in the 2024 Big Ten Softball Tournament, the OSU softball team earned itself some National Fastpitch Coaches Association honors to add to their Big Ten Conference postseason recognition.

Tegan Cortelletti was named second-team all-region, while Allison Smith, Jasmyn Burns, and Kami Kortokrax (who was recently named first-team All-Big Ten) were named to the all-region third-team.

It was Kortokrax’s second career honor and the first for the other three.


Golf


After a spectacular final round of the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional last week, the Ohio State men’s golf team earned itself a spot at the NCAA Championship for the third consecutive season.

With a final round score of 284 (-7) and 22 birdies in the final round alone, they earned themselves fourth place in the regional. The top five teams advanced to head to Carlsbad, California for the championship.

Individually, Neal Shipley finished the final round at 72 for a three-round score of three-under-par to earn a top-10 finish, his sixth of the season.


️ TICKET PUNCHED ️
Headed to Cali!! #GoBucks #NCAAGolf pic.twitter.com/r6hoezYc72

— Ohio State Mens Golf (@OhioStateMGOLF) May 15, 2024

The NCAA Championship will take place from May 24-29.


Track & Field


The Buckeye track & field team is in preparation to head to Kentucky this Wednesday through Saturday (May 22-25) for the NCAA East First Round.

They are sending 34 entries, including All-Big Ten First Team members Leah Bertrand, Nya Bussey, Fatouma Conde, Columba Effiong, and Hayden Tobias, along with All-Big Ten Second Team members Faith Bender, Aniya Mosley, Chanler Robinson, Bryannia Murphy, Shaun Miller Jr., Noah Carmichael, Mason Louis, Shohaan Singh, and Antonio Hanson.

The NCAA East First Round meet will be streamed live on ESPN+.


Rowing


The No. 12 Ohio State rowing team finished fourth at the Big Ten Championship Regatta behind champion Michigan, No. 2 Indiana, and No. 3 Rutgers.

The Buckeyes managed third-place finishes in the third varsity four and fourth varsity eight competitions and second place in the first varsity four. They won the individual boat victory in the second varsity four competition.

The NCAA D1 Rowing Selection Show will take place tonight at 5 p.m. ET to determine which teams head to Bethel, Ohio for the NCAA Championships from May 31-June 2.

Three Buckeyes also earned Big Ten Honors over the weekend. Senior Jamie Harris was named to the All-Big Ten First Team, while Tess Thompson and Olivia Clotten earned All-Big Ten Second Team Honors. Claire Holtyn won Ohio State’s Big Ten Sportsmanship Award.

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