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LGHL Buckeyes offer two 2023 DMV prospects, check in on top California quarterback recruit
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Buckeyes offer two 2023 DMV prospects, check in on top California quarterback recruit
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Brooke LaValley/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
The Buckeyes send out two new offers on Wednesday to 2026 targets.
It’s clearly offer season for Ohio State’s coaching staff as Wednesday saw another pair of new names pick up offers from the Buckeyes. Evaluating players across the country at a pretty rapid rate, the Buckeyes are focusing on their pursuit of elite talent to add to the 2025 and 2026 classes.
As summer approaches, Ohio State appears poised and ready to bring in an incredible number of prospects for camps and visits in just a few weeks, which hopefully will result in some early summer fireworks.
So far, Ohio State is off to a strong start when it comes to their defensive line recruiting in the 2025 class. Boasting commitments from both Zahir Mathis and London Merritt, the Buckeyes still have work to do to land additional players. With likely at least two more players needed to complete their 2025 defensive line haul, OSU’s staff is keeping one eye on the current class, while also looking at 2026 guys as well.
On Wednesday, the Buckeyes sent out one of their latest offers to 2026 edge rusher, Zion Elee. A 6-foot-5, 225-pound athlete, Elee is the No. 38 player nationally and fifth best player at his position per the 247Sports Composite grades. The top player in Maryland for 2026 as well, as a DMV native, Buckeye fans have to feel good about the potential to land him, given Larry Johnson’s track record of landing elite pass rushers from the region.
With nearly 20 offers to his name, Zion currently has schools such as Florida State, Georgia, Penn State, Tennessee, and now Ohio State in the fold with others sure to come in the very near future.
Elee knows of those who have suited up for the Buckeyes before him from similar areas and now he too will hear the pitch of why Ohio State has done so well not only at his position but with other guys from his area. With this latest offer, Zion Elee is a name worth monitoring for the foreseeable future.
Sticking in the DMV, the Buckeyes weren’t done with the 2026 class as they also sent out an offer to offensive lineman, Immanuel Iheanacho. A big-time athlete at 6-foot-7, 340 pounds, it’s easy to see why the staff threw OSU’s name into the mix with the several others that have already followed suit.
The No. 92 player nationally and ninth best at his position per the 247Sports Composite grades, Iheanacho has Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Miami, Tennessee, and a host of other impressive schools already on his offer list. Looking like OSU’s next major national offensive line target, it sure would be nice to see Justin Frye land one of these top players at a critical position, which has been fairly tough for him to do in his first few seasons in Columbus.
At any rate, though Ohio State is working hard to take care of 2025’s offensive line haul first and foremost, certainly the staff is making top guys in 2026 a priority as well. Casting a wider net than in years past these latest two cycles, the staff is doing all they can to make sure the narrative of missing out on top national tackles is a thing of the past.
Chip Kelly is really getting after the quarterback recruiting this week as he already was able to stop in on Tuesday to watch four-star signal caller Brady Smigiel throw and yesterday he made another stop in California to check in with Ryder Lyons.
The No. 9 player nationally and second-best quarterback in the 2026 class per the 247Sports Composite grades, the Buckeyes and Kelly are wasting no time getting out to see him and others as well knowing their 2025 leader is already wrapped up.
It’s anyone’s guess right now as to who the Buckeyes will target the heaviest in the 2026 cycle for their quarterback of choice, but with multiple offers already dished out, and more to possibly come, Kelly and Day are putting in the hours to try and find “their guy.”
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
Brooke LaValley/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
The Buckeyes send out two new offers on Wednesday to 2026 targets.
It’s clearly offer season for Ohio State’s coaching staff as Wednesday saw another pair of new names pick up offers from the Buckeyes. Evaluating players across the country at a pretty rapid rate, the Buckeyes are focusing on their pursuit of elite talent to add to the 2025 and 2026 classes.
As summer approaches, Ohio State appears poised and ready to bring in an incredible number of prospects for camps and visits in just a few weeks, which hopefully will result in some early summer fireworks.
2026 edge rusher grabs OSU offer
So far, Ohio State is off to a strong start when it comes to their defensive line recruiting in the 2025 class. Boasting commitments from both Zahir Mathis and London Merritt, the Buckeyes still have work to do to land additional players. With likely at least two more players needed to complete their 2025 defensive line haul, OSU’s staff is keeping one eye on the current class, while also looking at 2026 guys as well.
On Wednesday, the Buckeyes sent out one of their latest offers to 2026 edge rusher, Zion Elee. A 6-foot-5, 225-pound athlete, Elee is the No. 38 player nationally and fifth best player at his position per the 247Sports Composite grades. The top player in Maryland for 2026 as well, as a DMV native, Buckeye fans have to feel good about the potential to land him, given Larry Johnson’s track record of landing elite pass rushers from the region.
With nearly 20 offers to his name, Zion currently has schools such as Florida State, Georgia, Penn State, Tennessee, and now Ohio State in the fold with others sure to come in the very near future.
Elee knows of those who have suited up for the Buckeyes before him from similar areas and now he too will hear the pitch of why Ohio State has done so well not only at his position but with other guys from his area. With this latest offer, Zion Elee is a name worth monitoring for the foreseeable future.
Another big-time lineman hears from Ohio State
Sticking in the DMV, the Buckeyes weren’t done with the 2026 class as they also sent out an offer to offensive lineman, Immanuel Iheanacho. A big-time athlete at 6-foot-7, 340 pounds, it’s easy to see why the staff threw OSU’s name into the mix with the several others that have already followed suit.
The No. 92 player nationally and ninth best at his position per the 247Sports Composite grades, Iheanacho has Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Miami, Tennessee, and a host of other impressive schools already on his offer list. Looking like OSU’s next major national offensive line target, it sure would be nice to see Justin Frye land one of these top players at a critical position, which has been fairly tough for him to do in his first few seasons in Columbus.
At any rate, though Ohio State is working hard to take care of 2025’s offensive line haul first and foremost, certainly the staff is making top guys in 2026 a priority as well. Casting a wider net than in years past these latest two cycles, the staff is doing all they can to make sure the narrative of missing out on top national tackles is a thing of the past.
Blessed to receive an offer The from Ohio State University! #AGTG #GoBucks #EFTF️ pic.twitter.com/JYYDdCbXjA
— Immanuel Iheanacho (@immanueli24) May 8, 2024
Quick Hits:
Chip Kelly is really getting after the quarterback recruiting this week as he already was able to stop in on Tuesday to watch four-star signal caller Brady Smigiel throw and yesterday he made another stop in California to check in with Ryder Lyons.
The No. 9 player nationally and second-best quarterback in the 2026 class per the 247Sports Composite grades, the Buckeyes and Kelly are wasting no time getting out to see him and others as well knowing their 2025 leader is already wrapped up.
It’s anyone’s guess right now as to who the Buckeyes will target the heaviest in the 2026 cycle for their quarterback of choice, but with multiple offers already dished out, and more to possibly come, Kelly and Day are putting in the hours to try and find “their guy.”
Continue reading...
LGHL Biggest Concern: Does Ohio State have enough (or any) offensive line depth?
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Biggest Concern: Does Ohio State have enough (or any) offensive line depth?
Josh Dooley 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
Will the Buckeyes’ lack of OL depth be the one thing that holds them back 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 our Biggest Concerns. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our Biggest Concerns here.
Ohio State’s offensive line play has been an issue for the past few seasons. I think few would argue with that opening statement. Even those wishing to make an argument were likely silenced by the team/OL’s Cotton Bowl performance. What is up for debate is how and why the Buckeyes’ OL play fell off in the manner that it did. Is subpar recruiting to blame? Poor coaching? Are players simply not developing?
The answer is likely (obviously?) all of the above. Former OSU OL coach Greg Studrawa was not known for his recruiting prowess, and Justin Frye has not been an upgrade over his predecessor, at least in the recruiting department. As for coaching and development, well, someone smarter than myself could and would do a much better job of breaking that down and/or identifying where things have gone sideways. However, I would at least bring up the four-tackle lineup of 2021 and suggest that maybe that experiment was the jumping-off point for some of the Buckeyes’ recent issues. If nothing else, it is both comical and painful to look back on.
Now, it hasn’t been all bad. Paris Johnson Jr., Dawand Jones, and Luke Wypler carried Ohio State’s 2022 OL unit and became coveted NFL prospects. That was two years ago, and only one football season has been played since then. But even in ’22, OSU’s rushing attack lacked efficiency and explosiveness. Things got worse in 2023, as OL communication and execution was severely lacking at times.
**I’m not glossing over or dismissing the influence of Ryan Day and/or his playcalling on the Buckeyes’ lackluster running game but we’ve already been there and done that, right? Ok, moving on.
Now, as Day’s team prepares for the 2024 season, they are left with no shortage of OL questions... At least in my opinion, which is why the big men up front are of great interest and/or concern.
What stands out or concerns me the most about Ohio State’s OL is not its presumed starting talent – although I do have questions – but rather the group’s very real (and thus very concerning) lack of proven depth. While OSU was surprisingly able to retain most of its 2023 roster, including 4/5 starting offensive linemen, the team did not add much in the way of OL help. Seth McLaughlin transferred in from Alabama with tons of great experience, but if he wins the Buckeyes’ starting center job, he will have supplanted Carson Hinzman in doing so. Since the latter is/was a returning starter, his potential relegation to the bench would drop the number of returning starters from four to three.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25435229/1817410653.jpg)
Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
It is also entirely possible that Hinzman retains the starting center job and bumps McLaughin to guard — or vice versa. If either of those scenarios play out, then Ohio State would actually boast five offensive linemen who have previously started somewhere.
But as I stated earlier, starting talent is not necessarily what OSU fans should be most fearful of. That would and/or should be depth. Or the Buckeyes’ lack thereof.
Ohio State’s group of expected OL backups/depth pieces includes the likes of Zen Michalski, Austin Siereveld, Joshua Padilla, Toby Wilson, and one or both of Luke Montgomery and/or Tegra Tshabola. Now at any point while you were reading the preceding sentence was your mind flooded with positive, impactful memories of these players’ stellar on-field performance in Columbus? Or anywhere?
No offense to any of the players mentioned above, but they are completely untested and unproven at the college level. Most of them have never even played a meaningful snap for the Scarlet and Gray. And we’re talking about (a few) guys with multiple years in the program... Not a single meaningful snap.
Some of that can be chalked up to playing behind the likes of Paris Johnson Jr. and/or Donovan Jackson, both multi-year starters. Some of it can be chalked up to Day and his coaches not putting backups on the field until/unless the Buckeyes are up 50. But at the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter. A collective lack of experience is a collective lack of experience. More worrisome is the fact that these second and third-string offensive linemen haven’t forced their way onto the field at any point. This is at least part of the reason that Day and Co. have chosen to look for outside help.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25435244/1793808300.jpg)
Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
But a guy like Josh Simmons shouldn’t even be at Ohio State! Don’t get me wrong, I am very, very, very happy that he is. This is by no means a shot at him or his talent. He was a stud down the stretch last season. That being said, it’s crazy that OSU felt compelled to go and get a right tackle from a 7-6 Mountain West team – with limited experience – to start at left tackle in Columbus... Three freaking months before the (2023) season began! I mean, what the heck are we talking about here!?
The Buckeyes should have depth on top of depth. I’m talking four stars behind five stars behind older five stars. But they don’t. I would argue that OL is the one position at which Ohio State has lagged behind (other CFB bluebloods such as Alabama, Georgia, and others) for several years now. Not necessarily in terms of development, but absolutely when it comes to recruiting. And unfortunately, I am not very confident in Frye’s ability to change the narrative.
However, if Frye is able to land David Sanders Jr., top-ranked OT and five-star in the 2025 class, then I might be willing to reconsider.
Recruiting issues aside, what happens if Simmons or Jackson gets dinged up and misses time on the left side? Throughout the spring, Josh Fryar, Luke Montgomery, Tegra Tshabola, and Hinzman all got reps with the first-team offense. But that was on the right side. How often is Michalski and/or Siereveld getting the same opportunity (on the left)?
Not saying that Ohio State’s coaches aren’t fully aware of the need to get all players reps, but is it possible that they are so focused on the right side that they’ve ignored at least developing depth on the left? Probably not. But it wasn’t until June of last year that they realized the team didn’t have a starting caliber left tackle for the then-upcoming season, so I'm just sayin’.
Take all of the above with a grain of salt, though, as I am an admitted pessimist. However, I also happen to believe that every other position group for OSU is chock full of talent and depth, to the point where I have no other concerns. So all of my pessimistic energy is laser-focused on the Buckeyes’ OL. But I will gladly eat crow if and/or when the group goes out and dominates.
Go Bucks!
Continue reading...
Josh Dooley 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
Will the Buckeyes’ lack of OL depth be the one thing that holds them back 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 our Biggest Concerns. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our Biggest Concerns here.
Ohio State’s offensive line play has been an issue for the past few seasons. I think few would argue with that opening statement. Even those wishing to make an argument were likely silenced by the team/OL’s Cotton Bowl performance. What is up for debate is how and why the Buckeyes’ OL play fell off in the manner that it did. Is subpar recruiting to blame? Poor coaching? Are players simply not developing?
The answer is likely (obviously?) all of the above. Former OSU OL coach Greg Studrawa was not known for his recruiting prowess, and Justin Frye has not been an upgrade over his predecessor, at least in the recruiting department. As for coaching and development, well, someone smarter than myself could and would do a much better job of breaking that down and/or identifying where things have gone sideways. However, I would at least bring up the four-tackle lineup of 2021 and suggest that maybe that experiment was the jumping-off point for some of the Buckeyes’ recent issues. If nothing else, it is both comical and painful to look back on.
Now, it hasn’t been all bad. Paris Johnson Jr., Dawand Jones, and Luke Wypler carried Ohio State’s 2022 OL unit and became coveted NFL prospects. That was two years ago, and only one football season has been played since then. But even in ’22, OSU’s rushing attack lacked efficiency and explosiveness. Things got worse in 2023, as OL communication and execution was severely lacking at times.
**I’m not glossing over or dismissing the influence of Ryan Day and/or his playcalling on the Buckeyes’ lackluster running game but we’ve already been there and done that, right? Ok, moving on.
Now, as Day’s team prepares for the 2024 season, they are left with no shortage of OL questions... At least in my opinion, which is why the big men up front are of great interest and/or concern.
What stands out or concerns me the most about Ohio State’s OL is not its presumed starting talent – although I do have questions – but rather the group’s very real (and thus very concerning) lack of proven depth. While OSU was surprisingly able to retain most of its 2023 roster, including 4/5 starting offensive linemen, the team did not add much in the way of OL help. Seth McLaughlin transferred in from Alabama with tons of great experience, but if he wins the Buckeyes’ starting center job, he will have supplanted Carson Hinzman in doing so. Since the latter is/was a returning starter, his potential relegation to the bench would drop the number of returning starters from four to three.
It is also entirely possible that Hinzman retains the starting center job and bumps McLaughin to guard — or vice versa. If either of those scenarios play out, then Ohio State would actually boast five offensive linemen who have previously started somewhere.
But as I stated earlier, starting talent is not necessarily what OSU fans should be most fearful of. That would and/or should be depth. Or the Buckeyes’ lack thereof.
Ohio State’s group of expected OL backups/depth pieces includes the likes of Zen Michalski, Austin Siereveld, Joshua Padilla, Toby Wilson, and one or both of Luke Montgomery and/or Tegra Tshabola. Now at any point while you were reading the preceding sentence was your mind flooded with positive, impactful memories of these players’ stellar on-field performance in Columbus? Or anywhere?
No offense to any of the players mentioned above, but they are completely untested and unproven at the college level. Most of them have never even played a meaningful snap for the Scarlet and Gray. And we’re talking about (a few) guys with multiple years in the program... Not a single meaningful snap.
Some of that can be chalked up to playing behind the likes of Paris Johnson Jr. and/or Donovan Jackson, both multi-year starters. Some of it can be chalked up to Day and his coaches not putting backups on the field until/unless the Buckeyes are up 50. But at the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter. A collective lack of experience is a collective lack of experience. More worrisome is the fact that these second and third-string offensive linemen haven’t forced their way onto the field at any point. This is at least part of the reason that Day and Co. have chosen to look for outside help.
But a guy like Josh Simmons shouldn’t even be at Ohio State! Don’t get me wrong, I am very, very, very happy that he is. This is by no means a shot at him or his talent. He was a stud down the stretch last season. That being said, it’s crazy that OSU felt compelled to go and get a right tackle from a 7-6 Mountain West team – with limited experience – to start at left tackle in Columbus... Three freaking months before the (2023) season began! I mean, what the heck are we talking about here!?
The Buckeyes should have depth on top of depth. I’m talking four stars behind five stars behind older five stars. But they don’t. I would argue that OL is the one position at which Ohio State has lagged behind (other CFB bluebloods such as Alabama, Georgia, and others) for several years now. Not necessarily in terms of development, but absolutely when it comes to recruiting. And unfortunately, I am not very confident in Frye’s ability to change the narrative.
However, if Frye is able to land David Sanders Jr., top-ranked OT and five-star in the 2025 class, then I might be willing to reconsider.
Recruiting issues aside, what happens if Simmons or Jackson gets dinged up and misses time on the left side? Throughout the spring, Josh Fryar, Luke Montgomery, Tegra Tshabola, and Hinzman all got reps with the first-team offense. But that was on the right side. How often is Michalski and/or Siereveld getting the same opportunity (on the left)?
Not saying that Ohio State’s coaches aren’t fully aware of the need to get all players reps, but is it possible that they are so focused on the right side that they’ve ignored at least developing depth on the left? Probably not. But it wasn’t until June of last year that they realized the team didn’t have a starting caliber left tackle for the then-upcoming season, so I'm just sayin’.
Take all of the above with a grain of salt, though, as I am an admitted pessimist. However, I also happen to believe that every other position group for OSU is chock full of talent and depth, to the point where I have no other concerns. So all of my pessimistic energy is laser-focused on the Buckeyes’ OL. But I will gladly eat crow if and/or when the group goes out and dominates.
Go Bucks!
Continue reading...
2026 GA S Nassir McCoy (Verbal Offer)
- By pnuts34
- Football Recruiting
- 4 Replies
247
Rivals
Twitter
HudL
Class: 2026
School: Buford(GA) Buford
Position: S
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 175lbs
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Rivals
HudL
Class: 2026
School: Buford(GA) Buford
Position: S
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 175lbs
Login to view embedded media
LGHL Bucketheads Podcast: Andy Backstrom from Lettermen Row joins the show and Sean Stewart commits
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Bucketheads Podcast: Andy Backstrom from Lettermen Row joins the show and Sean Stewart commits
justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
We talk with Andy about all things Buckeye hoops, including an interview he did with Stewart and his dad
“Bucketheads” is LGHL’s men’s basketball podcast, hosted by Connor Lemons and Justin Golba. In every episode, they give you the latest scoop on the Ohio State Buckeyes and everything else happening in college hoops.
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
For Episode 119 of Bucketheads, Connor and Justin welcome Andy Backstrom, the Ohio State beat writer for On3 Sports and Lettermen Row, to the program to discuss all things Ohio State men’s basketball.
First, Duke transfer Sean Stewart has committed to Ohio State, joining the 2024 transfer class of Meechie Johnson, Micah Parrish, and Aaron Bradshaw. We discuss what Stewart brings to the Buckeyes and his upside.
Also, we discuss our concerns about the Buckeyes, Felix Okpara going to Tennessee, and Roddy Gayle going to Michigan. And, of course, Justin gives a quick Kent State update/rant.
Make sure to like, subscribe, comment, and leave a review on the show!
Connect with the Podcast:
Twitter: @BucketheadsLGPN
Connect with Connor:
Twitter: @lemons_connor
Connect with Justin:
Twitter: @justin_golba
Connect with Andy:
Twitter: @andybackstrom
Continue reading...
justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
We talk with Andy about all things Buckeye hoops, including an interview he did with Stewart and his dad
“Bucketheads” is LGHL’s men’s basketball podcast, hosted by Connor Lemons and Justin Golba. In every episode, they give you the latest scoop on the Ohio State Buckeyes and everything else happening in college hoops.
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
For Episode 119 of Bucketheads, Connor and Justin welcome Andy Backstrom, the Ohio State beat writer for On3 Sports and Lettermen Row, to the program to discuss all things Ohio State men’s basketball.
First, Duke transfer Sean Stewart has committed to Ohio State, joining the 2024 transfer class of Meechie Johnson, Micah Parrish, and Aaron Bradshaw. We discuss what Stewart brings to the Buckeyes and his upside.
Also, we discuss our concerns about the Buckeyes, Felix Okpara going to Tennessee, and Roddy Gayle going to Michigan. And, of course, Justin gives a quick Kent State update/rant.
Make sure to like, subscribe, comment, and leave a review on the show!
Connect with the Podcast:
Twitter: @BucketheadsLGPN
Connect with Connor:
Twitter: @lemons_connor
Connect with Justin:
Twitter: @justin_golba
Connect with Andy:
Twitter: @andybackstrom
Continue reading...
2026 MD DE Zion Elee (Maryland Verbal)
- By pnuts34
- Football Recruiting
- 17 Replies
247
Rivals
Twitter
HudL
Class: 2026
Position: DE
School: Baltimore (MD) St. Frances Academy
Height: 6-foot-5
Weight: 225lbs
Login to view embedded media
Rivals
HudL
Class: 2026
Position: DE
School: Baltimore (MD) St. Frances Academy
Height: 6-foot-5
Weight: 225lbs
Login to view embedded media
