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LGHL Ohio State’s BOOOOMing weekends gives it the No. 1 class in the country

Ohio State’s BOOOOMing weekends gives it the No. 1 class in the country
Gene Ross
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


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Four-star Ohio State TE commit Nate Roberts with position coach Keenan Bailey | @nateroberts2025 on Twitter

The Buckeyes added two more commitments to their 2025 class on Saturday.

With Saturday’s spring game now in the books, it marks the end of Ohio State’s spring practice period. While the action on the field will slow down significantly over the next few months, the Buckeyes will likely be busier than ever on the recruiting trail.

On top of continuing to build in both the 2025 and 2026 classes, Ohio State can also look to fill any remaining holes when the transfer portal window re-opens on Monday. Players will be able to enter the transfer portal now through April 30, with graduate transfers having until May 1.

We already know Ohio State will be losing running back Dallan Hayden during this window, and there is a good chance a few other names deeper on the depth chart will like to find a new home as well. On the flip side, the Buckeyes can potentially look to bulk up their offensive line, in addition to already having a Crystal Ball for UMass transfer RB Kay’Ron Lynch-Adams.

But before transfer portal madness 2.0 begins, let’s talk about another big weekend for Ohio State in the traditional recruiting sense. Ryan Day and his staff earned two commitments in the 2025 class on Saturday, and both are big editions.

Chronologically, the first new pledge for the Buckeyes is a name that has been linked to the program for quite some time now in four-star tight end Nate Roberts.


BREAKING: Four-Star TE Nate Roberts has Committed to Ohio State, he tells me for @on3recruits

The 6’4 235 TE from Washington, OK chose the Buckeyes over Oregon and Oklahoma

“This is the place to be, #GoBucks https://t.co/S7Wz1JJxj4 pic.twitter.com/jopVAMkEqb

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) April 13, 2024

Roberts comes in as the No. 5 TE and the No. 118 player nationally in the 2025 class, per the 247Sports Composite. The 6-foot-4 Oklahoma native picked Ohio State out of nearly 40 offers, having initially committed to Notre Dame last June before re-opening his recruitment in August. The Buckeyes ultimately beat out his other top five schools, which included Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Oregon and Penn State.

“I was always telling myself to stay home and to go 20 minutes away at Oklahoma, but the opportunities at Ohio State put them on top,” Roberts told On3. “It is the best fit for me. Over time, I made that decision. They can develop me into a next level tight end and get me where I need to be to be drafted into to the NFL.”

“Ohio State is where I want to be, and if I want to win a national championship, that is where I need to be,” Roberts said. “Ohio State proved to me I was their guy and my recruitment is 100% locked down and Ohio state is my place.”

Roberts knows what it takes to win, as his Washington Warriors went undefeated and won the state championship in both his sophomore and junior seasons. In those two seasons, Roberts hauled in a combined 1,521 yards and 19 total touchdowns. A multi-sport athlete, the tight end also played for Washington’s baseball team, and was a member of the school’s back-to-back Oklahoma 3A state championships in 2022-23.

On the other side of the ball, Ohio State landed a commitment from in-state safety Cody Haddad.


It wasn’t too long ago that the Cleveland native was a member of Wisconsin’s recruiting class, having committed to the Badgers on Jan. 17. However, things changed when the Ohio State offer rolled in on Jan. 20, and after de-committing from Wisconsin on April 1, he is now a member of the Buckeyes’ 2025 supremely talented group.

Officially listed as an athlete, Haddad ranks as the No. 30 ATH and No. 16 player out of Ohio per the 247Sports Composite, but his film shows a prospect with a much higher ceiling than his ranking would indicate. He is also a candidate to see his stock rise during his senior season, as an injury limited him to just four games as a junior. Even still, the nearly two dozen offers to his name and significant interest from the OSU defensive coaching staff should be enough to convince of his talent.

Here is what 247Sports national recruiting analyst Allen Trieu had to say of Haddad’s abilities:

“Shows good instincts and will come into the box and support the run but also shows he can match-up on receivers and play some man. Has a track background and that shows up with his ability to close on the ball. Receiver background shows up with ball skills. Plays physical football but still needs to add more weight and strength which will aid in playing that style in college. Should be a Power Five starter who can fit as a chess piece in any defensive scheme.”

The fifth defensive back and second safety in Ohio State’s 2025 class, Haddad’s relationship with new safeties coach Matt Guerrieri seemed to be the leading factor in him re-opening his recruitment and returning home to join the Buckeyes.

“They offered me there and for me, it was kind of a shock,” Haddad told Lettermen Row back in February. “I was like ‘Wow I’ve been here two times and didn’t get shown any love the first two visits’ and then Coach G came in and kind of opened the eyes of the other coaches. Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles loved my film and came to the school before that visit in January.”

With both Haddad and Roberts in the fold, the Buckeyes are up to 13 total commitments. Surpassing Notre Dame, who has 19 commits, Ohio State now owns the No. 1 recruiting class in the country in 2025. In addition, the Buckeyes also lay claim to the highest average player rating at 94.69. There is still work to be done, of course, for Ryan Day and his staff, but this cycle is off to an incredibly strong start — especially on the defensive side of the ball.

Quick Hits

  • While there was never any doubt this commitment would hold based on he and his family’s public comments about Ohio State as well as their peer recruiting efforts, five-star cornerback commit Devin Sanchez announced on Saturday that he would no longer be taking visits elsewhere as his recruitment is fully closed.

My recruitment is finally closed. I won’t be taking anymore visits!#THE25
BIA!!! pic.twitter.com/X97rf7OrMn

— Devin Sanchez (@Devin2416) April 14, 2024

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LGHL Former Oregon Duck Chance Gray commits to Ohio State women’s basketball

Former Oregon Duck Chance Gray commits to Ohio State women’s basketball
ThomasCostello
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


NCAA Womens Basketball: Oregon at Colorado

Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

The Buckeyes add a three-point shooting guard from the transfer portal, out of Cincinnati

For Ohio State women’s basketball, the transfer period’s been decidedly one-sided since it opened on March 18. Following a Second Round exit in the NCAA Tournament, the Buckeyes lost three players to the transfer portal. Guards Rikki Harris, Emma Shumate and Diana Collins all left Columbus, seeking new opportunities. On Sunday, Ohio State added a deep shooting sophomore in Chance Gray, filling one of the vacated spots.

On social media, the Cincinnati, Ohio native announced her commitment to the Buckeyes, with at least two seasons of eligibility remaining.


So excited to be a buckeye!!❤️❤️ #home #Committed @OhioStateWBB pic.twitter.com/8xYQ78i9T0

— chance gray (@chancegrayy) April 14, 2024

Since entering the NCAA ranks with the Oregon Ducks, Gray started all 66 games she appeared in for the soon-to-be Big Ten side. In the 22/23 season, Gray won a spot on the Pac-12 All-Freshman team. That year, Gray averaged 10.3 points and 2.2 assists with the Ducks.

This season, Gray increased her productivity across the board. Gray scored 13.9 points per game and had 3.0 assists per game. Both good enough for second best in scoring and first in assists for the Ducks.

In terms of finding a like-for-like comparison in Ohio State, Gray’s play mirrors that of now graduated guard Jacy Sheldon. Like the former Buckeye, Gray can score at all three levels. The guard can pull up from deep, averaging the same amount of threes made per game as Sheldon with 1.9, and use her speed and ball handling to charge towards the basket.

With two years, the ceiling is high for Gray to excel in head coach Kevin McGuff’s system. It’s also the return of a player who McGuff recruited prior to her introductory 22/23 season. Gray had an official visit to Ohio State as a high school recruit, and included the Buckeyes in her top 11 schools before choosing the Ducks.

The decision to come to Columbus helps shore up perimeter shooting for Coach McGuff. An area that McGuff shared is a place the Buckeyes needed to improve, the addition of Gray doesn’t improve the team but helps fill a void left by Sheldon’s offensive production.

Gray is the second Oregon Duck to transfer to Ohio State in the last three years. Before the 21/22 season, Ohioan Taylor Mikesell joined a team that recruited her in high school out of the Ducks. What followed was the most consistent force on offense for the Buckeyes in her final two years of eligibility.

With Gray, the Buckeyes now have a backcourt featuring two guards with NCAA experience in Gray and redshirt graduate senior Madison Greene. Plus the addition of the No. 2 overall recruit, and No. 1 point guard, in the 2024 recruiting class in Jaloni Cambridge.

May 1st is when the transfer portal season ends for NCAA women’s basketball. Expect the Buckeyes to add more than Gray in the coming weeks. Another interesting transfer prospect out of Oregon is another Ohioan in forward Grace VanSlooten. Although the Toledo, Ohio native didn’t have an official visit with the Buckeyes during her high school recruitment, she’s a name to watch.

Also, Kentucky Forward Ajae Petty. The former LSU Tiger and Kentucky Wildcat has one year remaining and had an official visit to Ohio State this weekend. With the Tigers, Petty averaged a double-double this season, with 14.2 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. Another potential transfer who would improve an area of struggle for the Buckeyes, this time with rebounding.

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LGHL Ohio State’s men’s lacrosse teams hosts Johns Hopkins on Sunday

Ohio State’s men’s lacrosse teams hosts Johns Hopkins on Sunday
Brett Ludwiczak
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Ohio State v Michigan

Photo by Jaime Crawford/Getty Images

The Buckeyes will recognize their senior class prior to tonight’s game against the Blue Jays.

Ohio State’s men’s lacrosse team has faced a brutal stretch so far this year, as they are playing the third toughest schedule in the country. Things won’t get any easier on Sunday when they host Johns Hopkins, who come to Columbus as the fifth-ranked team in the country.

With tonight’s battle with the Blue Jays, the Buckeyes will have played four of the top-five teams in this week’s USILA poll this season, and six of the top 10 teams. Despite playing so many tough opponents, Ohio State is still 6-6 on the year and tied with Michigan, Rutgers, and Penn State for third in the Big Ten. In their last game, the Buckeyes lost 8-7 to Maryland, who was ranked ninth in the country at the time.

Tonight’s meeting will be the 18th all-time between the two schools. Johns Hopkins holds a 10-7 edge in the series, but Ohio State has had the upper hand since becoming conference foes with the Blue Jays, posting a 7-5 record. Last year these teams met in Baltimore, with Johns Hopkins winning 17-8. The last time these two teams met in Columbus was back in 2022, with Ohio State defending their home turf with a 12-10 victory.

Even though Ohio State won’t be playing their last regular season home game of the year, the Buckeyes will be honoring their senior class on Sunday. There will be a ceremony starting at approximately 6:05 p.m. ET to honor the 15 seniors on this year’s team. The senior class has won 30 games in their Ohio State careers, including four wins over Michigan. Along with the victories, the seniors were part of the 2022 team that made the NCAA Tournament, which was Ohio State’s first appearance in the tournament since 2017.

This year’s Ohio State squad relies heavily on a very stout defense. The Buckeyes are only allowing 9.42 goals per game, which leads the Big Ten and is ranked seventh in the country. Freshman Caleb Fyock has started 11 games in goal for Ohio State this year, posting a 9.27 goals against average, which is fifth-best in the country. After growing up in Maryland, Fyock will be fired to take on a team from his home state.

Along with how good the Buckeyes have been at keeping the ball out of their net, Ohio State has done a great job at taking the ball away from their opponents this year. The 107 turnovers the Buckeyes have caused are the team’s most since 2012. Senior Marcus Hudgins leads the team with 19 caused turnovers this year, which ranks third in the Big Ten. Ohio State also tops the Big Ten with 33.67 ground balls per game.

On the offensive end, Alex Marinier became the first Ohio State player to score 20 goals this year, and is leading the team with 22 goals. The junior’s best performance of the year came two weeks ago when he scored a career-high five goals in a 14-8 win at Rutgers. Marinier leads the team with 24 points on the season.

Sitting just behind Marinier is Ed Shean, who has dished out a team-high 10 assists as part of his 23 points this year. Ben Mayer is nearing the 20-goal mark this season, as he enters tonight’s game with 18 tallies. Gannon Matthews, Jack McKenna, and Shean are the other Buckeyes who have scored at least 10 goals this season.

Johns Hopkins enters tonight’s contest on a three-game winning streak, beating Rutgers, Michigan, and Penn State during that span. Even in their three losses, the Blue Jays have been impressive, losing to Denver and Navy in overtime, and 14-13 to Syracuse last month. Despite being a fixture in the NCAA Tournament, Johns Hopkins hasn’t been able to win it all since back in 2007, the last of their nine NCAA Tournament titles since 1972.

Ohio State’s defense is going to have their hands full against a Blue Jays offense that can put goals on the scoreboard. Leading the charge for Johns Hopkins is Garrett Degnon, who has scored 34 goals so far this season. The graduate student has been on a tear pretty much all season, scoring at least three goals in the last six games, and nine games overall. Jacob Angelus is leading the team in overall points with 29 assists and 47 points overall. Johns Hopkins has six players with at least 10 goals this season.

The Buckeyes can’t afford to allow Johns Hopkins to build an early lead, since Ohio State is a team that lacks the offensive firepower to play from behind. Not only do the Blue Jays have more scoring weapons that you’ll see from Ohio State, but they also have a strong goalie. Chayse Ierlan has played all but four minutes this year for the Blue Jays, allowing just under 10 goals per game. What the Buckeyes need to do is try and build a multiple goal lead and then rely on their defense to keep Johns Hopkins at bay.



Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
TV: Big Ten Network

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