-
New here? Register here now for access to all the forums, download game torrents, private messages, polls, Sportsbook, etc. Plus, stay connected and follow BP on Instagram @buckeyeplanet and Facebook.
LGHL Ohio State makes shortlist for three-star defensive lineman, top linebacker sets official visit date
- News
- 0 Replies
Ohio State makes shortlist for three-star defensive lineman, top linebacker sets official visit date
Caleb Houser 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
The Buckeyes look like they’re still working hard to get the defensive side of the ball rolling in this 2024 class.
The Buckeyes currently own the second ranked class in the country in 2024, and with only 13 commits in the fold, there’s plenty of spots still up for grabs. Right now Ohio State only has two commits on defense, and that will take care of itself eventually, but the ball does need to get rolling there. There’s still another half of the class to be obtained, so the work never stops for this coaching staff on the recruiting trail.
Specifically speaking, the defensive line tends to be the position that gets a lot of its work done late in the game in terms of outcomes. Larry Johnson isn’t one to land a bunch of players early in the cycle, and while that’s not necessarily an issue, it just means he needs to win out in the end.
Last year that wasn’t the case for their top targeted guys on the outside. Still, LJ has proven himself over and over to be one of the best in the country at his craft, and as he continues working on the relationships he’s built in the 2024 class. On Wednesday, one target kept Ohio State in the mix after trimming his list of top schools.
2024 defensive tackle Jayden Jackson took to Twitter to share the latest news in his recruitment by narrowing it down to just five schools still left in it for his commitment. The 37th best player at his position per 247Sports, Jackson boasts a whopping 32 offers to his name, so cutting it all the way down to five shows a decision is getting closer. Keeping Texas, Miami, Oklahoma, Florida, and Ohio State still in the running, the Buckeyes have a real shot her for the IMG Academy product.
A three-star, Jackson might not have a rankings profile that jumps out like some of the other players the Buckeyes have landed in this class alone, but with the schools he has in his top five as well as programs like Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn State, Tennessee, USC, and several more extending Jackson an offer, the rankings might not do this prospect a whole lot of justice. Either way, Ohio State remains in the mix and it looks like it will stay that way for the long haul.
It was just last Friday that four-star linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa dropped his final top three schools. Including the Buckeyes alongside Notre Dame and USC, the St. John Bosco prep star is really getting down to decision time. The No. 104 player nationally and eighth best linebacker in the country per the 247Sports Composite, Viliamu-Asa would be a massive addition to a class that already has some stellar linebackers in the fold. Needing to reload the position room after this year, Ohio State is sticking on this recruitment until the very end hoping they’ll get the pick.
Fast forward to yesterday, the latest news for Viliamu-Asa is when his official visit to see the Buckeyes will be scheduled. Slated to be in Columbus June 23-25, the staff will have one more in-person opportunity to really show Kyngstonn why Ohio State is the best fit for him. You can guarantee James Lauriniatis will play a major role in his time spent seeing Ohio State for those few days.
Knowing the secondary and defensive line will be more of an extended time frame for who they’ll land commit wise, the Buckeyes would love nothing more than to wrap up their linebacker haul earlier in the process. Surely Jim Knowles will also do his fare share of rolling out the red carper while Viliamu-Asa is on site, but just over a month until this visit takes place, there’s still plenty of time to recruit and make sure he knows how valuable of a piece to this class he is.
A Cincinnati, Ohio native, Mahaffey took to Twitter to share his homecoming announcement, giving the Buckeyes another addition to their 2023 roster. Doing it with an Ohio guy certainly makes it that much more fun. Holtmann and crew have been putting in the work and though a few guys decided to leave, the replacements have kept Ohio State in solid position to have a bounce back year this coming season.
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
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
The Buckeyes look like they’re still working hard to get the defensive side of the ball rolling in this 2024 class.
Buckeyes make the cut for three-star defensive lineman
The Buckeyes currently own the second ranked class in the country in 2024, and with only 13 commits in the fold, there’s plenty of spots still up for grabs. Right now Ohio State only has two commits on defense, and that will take care of itself eventually, but the ball does need to get rolling there. There’s still another half of the class to be obtained, so the work never stops for this coaching staff on the recruiting trail.
Specifically speaking, the defensive line tends to be the position that gets a lot of its work done late in the game in terms of outcomes. Larry Johnson isn’t one to land a bunch of players early in the cycle, and while that’s not necessarily an issue, it just means he needs to win out in the end.
Last year that wasn’t the case for their top targeted guys on the outside. Still, LJ has proven himself over and over to be one of the best in the country at his craft, and as he continues working on the relationships he’s built in the 2024 class. On Wednesday, one target kept Ohio State in the mix after trimming his list of top schools.
2024 defensive tackle Jayden Jackson took to Twitter to share the latest news in his recruitment by narrowing it down to just five schools still left in it for his commitment. The 37th best player at his position per 247Sports, Jackson boasts a whopping 32 offers to his name, so cutting it all the way down to five shows a decision is getting closer. Keeping Texas, Miami, Oklahoma, Florida, and Ohio State still in the running, the Buckeyes have a real shot her for the IMG Academy product.
A three-star, Jackson might not have a rankings profile that jumps out like some of the other players the Buckeyes have landed in this class alone, but with the schools he has in his top five as well as programs like Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn State, Tennessee, USC, and several more extending Jackson an offer, the rankings might not do this prospect a whole lot of justice. Either way, Ohio State remains in the mix and it looks like it will stay that way for the long haul.
Bucks ready to see a top linebacker target
It was just last Friday that four-star linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa dropped his final top three schools. Including the Buckeyes alongside Notre Dame and USC, the St. John Bosco prep star is really getting down to decision time. The No. 104 player nationally and eighth best linebacker in the country per the 247Sports Composite, Viliamu-Asa would be a massive addition to a class that already has some stellar linebackers in the fold. Needing to reload the position room after this year, Ohio State is sticking on this recruitment until the very end hoping they’ll get the pick.
Fast forward to yesterday, the latest news for Viliamu-Asa is when his official visit to see the Buckeyes will be scheduled. Slated to be in Columbus June 23-25, the staff will have one more in-person opportunity to really show Kyngstonn why Ohio State is the best fit for him. You can guarantee James Lauriniatis will play a major role in his time spent seeing Ohio State for those few days.
Knowing the secondary and defensive line will be more of an extended time frame for who they’ll land commit wise, the Buckeyes would love nothing more than to wrap up their linebacker haul earlier in the process. Surely Jim Knowles will also do his fare share of rolling out the red carper while Viliamu-Asa is on site, but just over a month until this visit takes place, there’s still plenty of time to recruit and make sure he knows how valuable of a piece to this class he is.
Quick Hits
- Moving to the hardwood, on Wednesday the Basket-Bucks saw good news as they landed another player from the transfer portal in former Penn State small forward, Evan Mahaffey.
A Cincinnati, Ohio native, Mahaffey took to Twitter to share his homecoming announcement, giving the Buckeyes another addition to their 2023 roster. Doing it with an Ohio guy certainly makes it that much more fun. Holtmann and crew have been putting in the work and though a few guys decided to leave, the replacements have kept Ohio State in solid position to have a bounce back year this coming season.
First, I would like to thank God for this opportunity. Second, I want to thank Penn State and the amazing people that made my freshman year great! With that being said, I have decided to further my academic and athletic career at The Ohio State University! #BuckeyeNationpic.twitter.com/gVtlJBZ9Bs
— Evan Mahaffey (@EvanMahaffey5) May 3, 2023
Continue reading...
2025 FL WR Dallas Wilson (Florida Signee)
- By pnuts34
- Football Recruiting
- 8 Replies
247
Rivals
Twitter
HudL
Class: 2025
School: Tampa(FL) Tampa Tech
Position: WR
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 193lbs
Login to view embedded media
Rivals
HudL
Class: 2025
School: Tampa(FL) Tampa Tech
Position: WR
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 193lbs
Login to view embedded media
LGHL Biggest Concerns Week: Ohio State fans have major concerns following Spring Game
- News
- 0 Replies
Biggest Concerns Week: Ohio State fans have major concerns following Spring Game
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Ben Jackson/Getty Images
You ask, we answer. Sometimes we ask, others answer. And then other times, we ask, we answer.
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 fans are not exactly known for being level-headed, so it’s no surprise that following last month’s spring game, some folks have some intense emotions about the team based on what they saw in the 15th and final practice of the spring.
Last week, we asked Buckeye fans to share their thoughts on what they saw from Ryan Day’s team before heading into the offseason and unsurprisingly, there were some points of concern. While I agree with some of the responses to our LGHL Asks and SB Nation Reacts survey, I am a little bit surprised by the intensity of some of the results.
Check out the results below and make sure to sign up for the email surveys at the bottom of this article.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24626931/OhioState_1_042823.png)
Obviously, the wide receiver position at Ohio State is always going to be one of the best on the team, but it is arguably the best in the country this year with three incredible true freshmen coming in to complement the returning studs. But, at this point — not to under-appreciate how special what Brian Hartline has done is — it’s almost to be expected, so the fact that the Buckeyes might have the two best wide receivers in the country... again ... isn’t a surprise.
So, I would have gone with the defensive line, because it feels like that group has finally turned the corner. After about five years of being good, but not great, it feels like they are ready to turn the corner. If J.T. Tuimoloau can take another step forward after a super solid sophomore season and Jack Sawyer can reach his potential when he’s finally moved back to his natural position at defensive end, there is a lot of havoc to be wreaked. Then, when you throw in Mike Hall Jr., Ty Hamilton, and Tyleik Williams in the middle, that has the potential to be unbelievably problematic for opposing offensive lines.
I am always a bit wary about how Larry Johnson rotates his guys (rotating is fine, but, LJ, in crucial situations, let’s get the No. 1s on the field), so if he can just keep his top players out there for the majority of the most important snaps, this line could make a huge difference for the team.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24626932/OhioState_2_042823.png)
I mean, is there really any other option? The offensive line is in trouble, and unfortunately, it didn’t have to be. To see Dawand Jones and Luke Wypler fall as they did in the NFL Draft last weekend has to give fans a few extra pangs of regret. With those guys back, the offensive line would have been in much better shape than it is now and — while it still would have been a bit thin in terms of depth — could have been a source of comfort given that whoever starts at quarterback next season will be essentially new to the responsibility.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I think that there is talent in that room and that position coach Justin Frye is capable of getting them into shape by the time September rolls around, but there really is no other position group on the team that even rivals my level of concern for the offensive line.
Adding San Diego State transfer Josh Simmons should help the depth, and he has starting experience, but I’m not sure that’s enough to alleviate any of doubt that I feel about that group right now.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24626933/OhioState_3_042823.png)
This is the result that I am most surprised about, but perhaps it has more to do with general concern, rather than stuff learned from the Spring Game. I think the concerns coming into the game were pretty clear and the results of the game itself didn’t really change that for me, but maybe for folks who hadn’t been completely dialed into spring practice reports, the offensive line and quarterback situations hadn’t been completely clear.
We’ve discussed the offensive line already, but one thing that I want to say about the QB competition is that we shouldn’t worry. Neither Justin Fields nor C.J. Stroud had lights-out performances in their first OSU spring games and things worked out pretty well for them. While I am not yet ready to say that Kyle McCord is at their levels (though I will be happy to see him get there), he is clearly talented and has four months of work to go before he takes his first snaps as OSU’s starter — unless Devin Brown has an unbelievable offseason.
He’s a former five-star prospect and has worked with Day and Corey Denis for two years and has probably thrown more balls to Marvin Harrison Jr. than any other quarterback in the world, so that’s got to count for something right?
In Day’s time at Ohio State, he’s never not had an incredible QB behind center, so I feel pretty confident that whether it’s McCord or Brown, whoever is the starting quarterback will be fantastic... now we just have to hope that the offensive line can give them time to do their thing.
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NCAA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Ohio State fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
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
Photo by Ben Jackson/Getty Images
You ask, we answer. Sometimes we ask, others answer. And then other times, we ask, we answer.
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 fans are not exactly known for being level-headed, so it’s no surprise that following last month’s spring game, some folks have some intense emotions about the team based on what they saw in the 15th and final practice of the spring.
Last week, we asked Buckeye fans to share their thoughts on what they saw from Ryan Day’s team before heading into the offseason and unsurprisingly, there were some points of concern. While I agree with some of the responses to our LGHL Asks and SB Nation Reacts survey, I am a little bit surprised by the intensity of some of the results.
Check out the results below and make sure to sign up for the email surveys at the bottom of this article.
Question 1: Following the spring game, what position group are you most excited about?
Obviously, the wide receiver position at Ohio State is always going to be one of the best on the team, but it is arguably the best in the country this year with three incredible true freshmen coming in to complement the returning studs. But, at this point — not to under-appreciate how special what Brian Hartline has done is — it’s almost to be expected, so the fact that the Buckeyes might have the two best wide receivers in the country... again ... isn’t a surprise.
So, I would have gone with the defensive line, because it feels like that group has finally turned the corner. After about five years of being good, but not great, it feels like they are ready to turn the corner. If J.T. Tuimoloau can take another step forward after a super solid sophomore season and Jack Sawyer can reach his potential when he’s finally moved back to his natural position at defensive end, there is a lot of havoc to be wreaked. Then, when you throw in Mike Hall Jr., Ty Hamilton, and Tyleik Williams in the middle, that has the potential to be unbelievably problematic for opposing offensive lines.
I am always a bit wary about how Larry Johnson rotates his guys (rotating is fine, but, LJ, in crucial situations, let’s get the No. 1s on the field), so if he can just keep his top players out there for the majority of the most important snaps, this line could make a huge difference for the team.
Question 2: Following the spring game, what position group are you most concerned about?
I mean, is there really any other option? The offensive line is in trouble, and unfortunately, it didn’t have to be. To see Dawand Jones and Luke Wypler fall as they did in the NFL Draft last weekend has to give fans a few extra pangs of regret. With those guys back, the offensive line would have been in much better shape than it is now and — while it still would have been a bit thin in terms of depth — could have been a source of comfort given that whoever starts at quarterback next season will be essentially new to the responsibility.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I think that there is talent in that room and that position coach Justin Frye is capable of getting them into shape by the time September rolls around, but there really is no other position group on the team that even rivals my level of concern for the offensive line.
Adding San Diego State transfer Josh Simmons should help the depth, and he has starting experience, but I’m not sure that’s enough to alleviate any of doubt that I feel about that group right now.
Question 3: Did the spring game change how you feel about the 2023 team?
This is the result that I am most surprised about, but perhaps it has more to do with general concern, rather than stuff learned from the Spring Game. I think the concerns coming into the game were pretty clear and the results of the game itself didn’t really change that for me, but maybe for folks who hadn’t been completely dialed into spring practice reports, the offensive line and quarterback situations hadn’t been completely clear.
We’ve discussed the offensive line already, but one thing that I want to say about the QB competition is that we shouldn’t worry. Neither Justin Fields nor C.J. Stroud had lights-out performances in their first OSU spring games and things worked out pretty well for them. While I am not yet ready to say that Kyle McCord is at their levels (though I will be happy to see him get there), he is clearly talented and has four months of work to go before he takes his first snaps as OSU’s starter — unless Devin Brown has an unbelievable offseason.
He’s a former five-star prospect and has worked with Day and Corey Denis for two years and has probably thrown more balls to Marvin Harrison Jr. than any other quarterback in the world, so that’s got to count for something right?
In Day’s time at Ohio State, he’s never not had an incredible QB behind center, so I feel pretty confident that whether it’s McCord or Brown, whoever is the starting quarterback will be fantastic... now we just have to hope that the offensive line can give them time to do their thing.
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NCAA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Ohio State fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
Continue reading...