Changing face of Buckeyes - The Review
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Changing face of Buckeyes
The Review
5 Buckeyes just missed out on the fourth national playoff spot. The game is big to the Buckeyes who are playing — or may be playing — in their last college game. “After this game, I'm hoping I can celebrate in Dallas,” said Baker, who was third on ...

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Ohio State: Elyria's own Tracy Sprinkle set for finale with Buckeyes - Chronicle Telegram
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Ohio State: Elyria's own Tracy Sprinkle set for finale with Buckeyes
Chronicle Telegram
The fifth-year senior gets ready to take the field for the Buckeyes for the last time in the Cotton Bowl against No. 8 USC on Friday night. “I'm trying to enjoy my last moments while I can,” said Sprinkle, a former Elyria High standout who won the 2012 ...


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Ohio State made an offer to a 3-star defensive tackle from Texas
Geoff Hammersley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Lloyd Murray Jr., like current Buckeye quarterback J.T. Barrett, hails from Wichita Falls.

As the Ohio State Buckeyes are gearing up for their showdown in the Cotton Bowl with the USC Trojans, the Scarlet and Gray are continuing on the recruiting trail. Ahead of Friday night’s game at AT&T Stadium, the Bucks are still looking at building great recruiting classes for the future. (And one of those pieces to the future success may once again come from Wichita Falls.)

Another from Wichita Falls


Current OSU quarterback J.T. Barrett is from Wichita Falls, Texas. According to the Wichita Falls website, the city has over 104,000 for its population and is considered the “Gateway to Texas.”

With that being said, another native of that Texas city has a chance to be a Buckeye. 2019 three-star defensive tackle Lloyd Murray Jr. (Wichita Falls / Hirschi) made the offer known on Tuesday afternoon.


Right now, the 247sports composite has Murray listed as the 858th best prospect, 53rd ranked DT, and 108th best prospect out of Texas for 2019. Already, a handful of elite programs have made him offers. Florida State, Alabama and Auburn are just a few of the 23 schools that have thrown their hat into the ring for the Texan. Before Ohio State came calling, Georgia Tech was the last program to offer a spot—doing so back on Dec. 18, according to Murray’s 247sports profile page. And a couple weeks before the Yellow Jackets made a move, the Michigan Wolverines made an offer for Murray, too.

Even though Murray is just a sophomore, he has a couple years worth of stats already in the books. According to 247sports, in 2016, he had 19 tackles, with four of them counting as tackles for losses. This past season, he doubled his tackle total and recorded 40 of them. He also doubled his TFLs to eight, and earned two sacks.

On Hudl, Murray Jr. has a highlight reel from his sophomore season. That video clip is embedded below.

The focus shifts


As Ohio State made an offer on Tuesday, that was preceded by good news on Christmas evening. Four-star running back Miles Friday, a member of the 2020 class, posted on Twitter of the 11 schools that he’s focusing on as he goes into his junior year.

On that list were the Buckeyes.


Likewise, Ohio State’s Cotton Bowl opponent made the list for Friday, as did the Clemson Tigers—a team that beat the Bucks last season.

Not every school on Friday’s list has made him an offer, though. According to 247sports, the RB holds 19 offers, which includes the likes of Alabama. However, Clemson, Nebraska and USC are some schools that didn’t seem to register an offer on his profile page.

That’s normal, as Friday is a 2020 prospect and doesn’t have a grade yet. But if ‘Bama and OSU have entered the race this early, then they must see something in the IMG Academy product.

Quarterback coach Ryan Day and running back coach Tony Alford have taken the lead on his recruitment, according to 247sports.

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Buckeyes offer Texas star from Barrett's home town - 247Sports
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Buckeyes offer Texas star from Barrett's home town
247Sports
The Buckeyes are in Dallas getting ready for the Cotton Bowl and also working on recruiting. Today they offered a scholarship to Wichita Falls (Texas) 2019 defensive tackle Lloyd Murray. Blessed to receive an offer from THE Ohio State University ...


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Billy Price: The goal isn't to win a national title every year - 247Sports
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Billy Price: The goal isn't to win a national title every year
247Sports
DALLAS – Ohio State fans were disappointed when the Buckeyes were not ranked as one of the top four teams in the country by the College Football Playoff selection committee following conference championship weekend. This decision to rank Alabama No. 4 ...
Newberry: Barrett reflects as he gets ready for final college gameTimes Record News

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Ohio State: Elyria's own Tracy Sprinkle set for finale with Buckeyes - Chronicle Telegram
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State: Elyria's own Tracy Sprinkle set for finale with Buckeyes
Chronicle Telegram
The fifth-year senior gets ready to take the field for the Buckeyes for the last time in the Cotton Bowl against No. 8 USC on Friday night. “I'm trying to enjoy my last moments while I can,” said Sprinkle, a former Elyria High standout who won the 2012 ...


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Buckeye super fan couple credits OSU football with bringing them together - NBC4i.com
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Buckeye super fan couple credits OSU football with bringing them together
NBC4i.com
DUBLIN, OH (WCMH) — Buckeyes fans will soon make their way to Arlington, Texas for the Cotton Bowl, and one Dublin couple will be making the trip as one of the countless bowl games they have attended over the last forty years. Jeff and Cathy Sankey ...

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Ohio State football: Buckeyes 'talked about' taking redshirt off Tate Martell this season - Landof10.com
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Ohio State football: Buckeyes 'talked about' taking redshirt off Tate Martell this season
Landof10.com
Tate Martell-Ohio State-Buckeyes-Cotton Bowl Tate Martell had some reps with Ohio State starters during a practice for the Cotton Bowl. (David Jablonski/Cox Media Group). The Buckeyes aren't going to need him against the Trojans and aren't going to ...
Like LeBron James, Ohio State Buckeyes missed their families on Christmas - and they aren't proscleveland.com
Behind-the-scenes effort helps the Buckeyes prepare for the Cotton BowlThe Ohio State University News
Jack Looks Back: Buckeyes and Trojans very appealing match-upThe Columbus Dispatch
Dallas News (blog) -Akron Beacon Journal -Toledo Blade
all 124 news articles »

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Like LeBron James, Ohio State Buckeyes missed their families on Christmas - and they aren't pros - cleveland.com
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Like LeBron James, Ohio State Buckeyes missed their families on Christmas - and they aren't pros
cleveland.com
DALLAS -- At Parris Campbell's home, they open presents Christmas morning from youngest to oldest. It starts with Campbell's younger sister, Jeriah, who is 9, then moves to Parris and his older, Kayla, as they take turns back and forth. Then it's on to ...
Ohio State football: Buckeyes 'talked about' taking redshirt off Tate Martell this seasonLandof10.com
Behind-the-scenes effort helps the Buckeyes prepare for the Cotton BowlThe Ohio State University News
Jack Looks Back: Buckeyes and Trojans very appealing match-upThe Columbus Dispatch
Dallas News (blog) -Akron Beacon Journal -Toledo Blade
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Ohio State’s J.T. Barrett prepares for final game; not interested in coaching
Ian Cuevas via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Barrett’s legacy at Ohio State will be a great one, but he has a chance to put the cherry on top with a win.

“I am not sad or excited or anything. I have been here a while, guys. People joke around and say I have played college football for seven years. I think that's a little extreme but the same thing when I think about it is just grateful for the opportunity to be at a place like Ohio State.”

- J.T. Barrett via Doug Lemerises, Cleveland.com


J.T. Barrett has had quite the career at Ohio State and will have a chance to go out with a bang against the USC Trojans in the Cotton Bowl. Barrett is the first Buckeye quarterback to go 4-0 against Michigan, and has amassed a 37-6 record as a starter. He has the most career touchdowns in Big Ten history (145 and counting), surpassing Drew Brees and never looking back. He’s been heavily criticized since the 2014 season, but his record speaks for itself and Urban Meyer has consistently praised and backed his redshirt senior quarterback.

If Barrett can get the job done against the Trojans and help the Buckeyes (who just missed out on a playoff spot) get the win, it will go an extra mile in helping secure his legacy as one of the best quarterbacks in school history.

“It's not normal. We've looked at the great running backs we've had. Carlos Hyde was certainly not ready to play as a young player. Zeke Elliott was not -- he got pretty good real fast. But his freshman year was nothing compared to (Dobbins). And Weber took a minute to get to where he's had to get and he's fantastic right now. (It takes) a lot of maturity to be able to handle that position as a freshman.”

- Urban Meyer via Bill Livingston, Cleveland.com


There’s so much potential surrounding freshman running back J.K. Dobbins. He came in this season and started the Indiana game, something that not many (if any) were expecting, and took over the Buckeyes rushing attack. He broke Maurice Clarett’s freshman record for a first game with 181 yards against the Hoosiers. Dobbins finished the season with 1,364 yards on 181 carries and seven touchdowns. In the Big Ten championship game, Dobbins had 174 yards and was the game’s MVP.

The future is bright for the running back as he becomes a sophomore next season, and perhaps down the line could be considered a contender for the Heisman Trophy should he continue his dominance. From the jump cuts, to the vision and speed, Dobbins seems to have nearly every part that the Buckeyes need from a running back. And it seems like so far, it’s a match made in heaven.

“The team [Ohio State] that fell just short of the No. 4 spot this year should have a good chance to leave no doubt about its playoff profile in 2018.”

- Adam Rittenberg, ESPN


ESPN is already looking ahead to next season a bit by taking a look at who the top contenders will be for the next College Football Playoff. For the sake of the article, Adam Rittenberg left out the current top four (Clemson, Oklahoma, Georgia, and Alabama). Ohio State came first on the list, and for good reason. Urban Meyer’s squad barely missed out on the playoffs this season and return a lot of talent in 2018. The biggest question mark will be at quarterback, but Dwayne Haskins looked the part against Michigan and many called for him to be the starter against Wisconsin in the Big Ten championship game.

There’s a lot of talent returning on both sides of the ball, and the Buckeyes could receive even more hype if certain players were to return instead of declaring for the NFL Draft. Sam Hubbard, Denzel Ward, and Jerome Baker are the biggest names to stick out and have eligibility remaining after this season if they don’t declare. But, Ohio State still returns J.K. Dobbins, Mike Weber, Nick Bosa, Tuf Borland, and could return most of the receiving core: Parris Campbell, K.J. Hill, Terry McLaurin and Binjimen Victor.

STICK TO SPORTS

• The Space Station crew watched Star Wars: The Last Jedi from orbit.
• The 39 games to be looked forward to in 2018.
• The pre-2017 entertainment that got us through 2017.

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Ohio State football: Buckeyes 'talked about' taking redshirt off Tate Martell this season - Springfield News Sun
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Ohio State football: Buckeyes 'talked about' taking redshirt off Tate Martell this season
Springfield News Sun
We were fortunate enough to stay healthy and we didn't need it.” The Buckeyes aren't going to need him against the Trojans and aren't going to waste that entire year on a bowl game. But Martell has proven to be an invaluable member of the scout team ...


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Which teams are ready to crash next year's playoff party? - ESPN
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Which teams are ready to crash next year's playoff party?
ESPN
The College Football Playoff semifinals are less than a week away, so let's dive into ... which teams could end up in next year's top four! To make this more interesting, I'm going to examine the playoff contenders not appearing in next week's ...


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It’s not the playoff, but USC provides an excellent test for Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl
Colton Denning via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


We spoke with Conquest Chronicles about the Trojans, defending Sam Darnold and Ronald Jones, and more!

USC’s 2017 season should sound familiar to Ohio State fans. The Trojans came into the year as a trendy playoff pick, lost early, rebounded, had an embarrassing road loss, won their conference, but ultimately missed out on the playoff.


On this episode of the Hangout in the Holy Land, Conquest Chronicle’s Brendan Kearney chats with Colton Denning about USC’s season, whether it’s a disappointment that they missed out on the playoff, and how the Trojans match up with Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl.

Brendan tells us why the key to slowing down the USC offense starts with RB Ronald Jones and not QB Sam Darnold, whether their receivers can take advantage of one-on-one coverage, why the key to the game is how successful Ohio State’s run game is, and more!

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Watch: Buckeyes get feisty in Pop-a-Shot competition - 247Sports
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Watch: Buckeyes get feisty in Pop-a-Shot competition
247Sports
You know the Ohio State players are competitive on the field with the opposition, but what about off the field with each other? Apparently this team is very competitive, no matter the arena. On Tuesday afternoon, Buckeyes Terry McLaurin, Parris ...


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Buckeyes Roundball Roundup: An easy win and a loss to angry UNC team - Waiting For Next Year
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Buckeyes Roundball Roundup: An easy win and a loss to angry UNC team
Waiting For Next Year
After leading by as many as 22 points in the first half, the Buckeyes held a 44-23 halftime lead against the Bulldogs. While giving the entire bench playing time in the second half, Ohio State still outscored The Citadel, 50-42, in the final 20 minutes ...


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Ohio State football: Future QB situation becoming more interesting for Buckeyes - Landof10.com
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Ohio State football: Future QB situation becoming more interesting for Buckeyes
Landof10.com
That would be a blow for the Buckeyes in terms of depth, particularly given his knowledge of the system, flashes of his ability to deliver off the bench in the past and his maturity. Would that change the starting situation? Probably not, given the ...


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The Latest Ohioan to Side with the Buckeyes Could Play a Pivotal Role Despite Three-Star Status - Eleven Warriors
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The Latest Ohioan to Side with the Buckeyes Could Play a Pivotal Role Despite Three-Star Status
Eleven Warriors
It's been commonplace for Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes to bring in the country's most touted athletes and then spending anywhere from a few months to a couple years trying to determine where they best fit. The “athlete” role has become more and more ...


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Ezekiel Elliott returns, Eli Apple’s saga continues in Week 16 of the NFL
Alexis Chassen via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Plus, one Buckeye offensive lineman finally got some recognition.

There is only one week left of the NFL regular season, and as some players are starting to turn their sights on the playoffs, others are looking to finish the season out strong. With a litany of games to fill the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day slates, former Ohio State players continued to make headlines at the next level.

Here’s how Buckeyes in the NFL fared in Week 16:

Zeke’s return


He’s baaaaack. Despite essentially refusing to answer questions about his suspension, or how he spent his time during that six-game suspension, running back Ezekiel Elliott was back at practice in the days leading up to the Cowboys Week 16 game. His return wasn’t enough to get a win — the Cowboys fell to the Seahawks 21-12, but Elliott was right back into the thick of things.

Zeke finished the day just three yards shy of 100 rushing yards, in addition to four catches for 21 yards. His 97 rushing yards came on 24 carries, but he didn’t make it into the endzone during his homecoming.

Someone who had seen a big increase in number of snaps and targets in Zeke’s absence, was another Buckeye rusher, Rod Smith. Now that Elliott is back in the lineup, Smith’s production was definitely reduced, with only two carries for 10 yards, and three receptions for 23 yards -- and no trips to the endzone.

Apple’s complicated saga


It’s been a long, strange season for Giants’ CB Eli Apple. From conflicts within the DB room in New York, to dealing with his Mom needing brain surgery, Apple has stayed among the headlines for the team’s decision to first keep him inactive, and now to bench him.

In Week 16, Apple was back at practice, but was subsequently benched by the Giants. After the game, the Buckeye noted it was a “coaches decision” to limit him to special team snaps against the Cardinals.

“I left that to the defensive coaches. He was going to get in there in some dime situations,” Spagnuolo said, via NJ.com. “The guys that have been in there have been playing together for a little bit, the continuity has been good. We probably need to try to get him in there, but we’ll see how this week goes and we’ll make that decision.”

There was another report out of NJ.com this week, claiming that Apple’s personal strife far exceeds just the brain surgery of his Mother, Annie Apple. The report claims there’s been a big rift in the family, and that following the split of Annie and his step-father, one of his biggest male role models is now a non-factor in his life — and notably, in his career.

O-line recognition


The Panthers clinched a spot in the playoffs with their Week 16 win over the Buccaneers, and one of the highlights was former Buckeye, left guard Andrew Norwell. Pro Football Focus named Norwell their highest graded player of the game (90.5 overall) and gave him the game ball for the matchup.

Plays of the Week

Marshon Lattimore


Well, folks. It’s not everyday that someone snags an interception with his butt, yet, here we are. Lattimore had arguably the best play of the year when he nabbed a turnover when the ball bounced on his backside and he secured it with his leg. He finished the Christmas Eve game against the Atlanta Falcons with six total tackles and four pass breakups, in addition to his butt interception.

Cameron Heyward


The former Buckeye DE had himself a day for the Steelers. Heyward claimed four total tackles, 2.0 sacks and a forced fumble on Christmas Day against the Texans. He’s now netted 12 total sacks on the season, with four games in which he nabbed two in one outing.

Michael Thomas (Honorable Mention)


Week after week, the former Buckeye receiver continues to prove that you, in fact, can’t guard Mike. With his five catches for 66 yards on Sunday against the Falcons, Thomas bested his career-high receiving yard (1,137 from his rookie season), and has already claimed 1,151 receiving yards with one more regular season to play.

Other notables

• Some former Silver Bullets had good weeks in the NFL, with Darron Lee claiming 8 total tackles, Kurt Coleman snagging 10 total tackles, Joey Bosa with 4 total tackles, and Malcolm Jenkins with 7 total tackles and a forced fumble.
• Safety Tyvis Powell was brought up to the active roster for the San Francisco 49ers last week, and in Week 16 made three total tackles in some of his first playing time in the 2017 season.
• Niners running back Carlos Hyde claimed 54 rushing yards and a touchdown in Week 16, in addition to 19 receiving yards.
• Despite being limited in practice in the week ahead of Week 16, Saints’ wideout Ted Ginn Jr. had a big day with 76 receiving yards and a touchdown, in addition to 14 rushing yards.

Injury Report and Inactives

• Chargers’ QB Cardale Jones was, yet again, a healthy scratch. With the offseason to train with Philip Rivers and team, Jones could work his way into the No. 2 QB spot and start being activated for games next season.

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Jack Looks Back: Buckeyes and Trojans very appealing match-up - The Columbus Dispatch
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Jack Looks Back: Buckeyes and Trojans very appealing match-up
The Columbus Dispatch
The Buckeyes' last victory was 42-21 in the Rose Bowl following the 1973 season, Archie Griffin's sophomore season. Seven of the games were Rose Bowl encounters, with USC holding a 4-3 edge. Ohio State captured two undefeated-untied national titles ...
USC relishes Rose Bowl East vs. BuckeyesDallas News (blog)
Ohio State football podcast: Cotton Bowl a legacy game for Buckeyes QB JT BarrettLandof10.com
Many departing players will change the face of BuckeyesUSA TODAY
10TV -247Sports -Toledo Blade
all 109 news articles »

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Buckeyes in the NFL: Week 16 - 247Sports
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Buckeyes in the NFL: Week 16
247Sports
Once again, Ohio State had a number of talented players that moved on from last year's team to the NFL, including seven who got selected on draft day back in April. Those players join a large pool of former Buckeyes stars that are now playing in "the ...


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Behind-the-scenes effort helps the Buckeyes prepare for the Cotton Bowl - The Ohio State University News
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Behind-the-scenes effort helps the Buckeyes prepare for the Cotton Bowl
The Ohio State University News
It's been a busy month for Sean McNamara. The fourth-year marketing and communications student graduated from The Ohio State University last week. And he could join the Buckeyes on the field celebrating a victory in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic ...
USC relishes Rose Bowl East vs. BuckeyesDallas News (blog)
Ohio State Recruiting Notebook: The latest in Buckeyes recruiting ...Landof10.com
Many departing players will change the face of BuckeyesUSA TODAY
Toledo Blade -Fort Worth Star Telegram -247Sports
all 65 news articles »

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That's how you know OSU is different. When we start employing folks from extremely successful and visible PROFESSIONAL organizations to take over the same spot here at tOSU.

Ohio State football: Buckeyes get LeBron shoes for Christmas; JK Dobbins wants more - Landof10.com
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Ohio State football: Buckeyes get LeBron shoes for Christmas; JK Dobbins wants more
Landof10.com
Ohio State football is the No. 1 topic in Wake Up every day — but we cover news, notes and analysis from across Buckeyes sports. Join us each morning to get caught up on everything you missed in the world of Ohio State football, recruiting, basketball ...

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Ohio State offers 2019 5-star big man
Dan Hessler via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Chris Holtmann and the basketball Buckeyes offer one of the top talents in the 2019 recruiting class.

Chris Holtmann and the Ohio State basketball program are putting the Buckeyes’ name in the hat for one of the top prospects in the 2019 recruiting class. This past weekend it was reported that the Buckeyes presented five-star Armando Bacot (Richmond, VA/Trinity Episcopal School) with an offer.

Bacot is one of the premiere big men in his class. He has a rare combination of size and athleticism that will give him the ability to play as either a power forward or a center. The 247Sports Composite Rankings have him listed as the No. 4 center in the class as well as the No. 17 overall player regardless of position, and he is the top prospect from the talent-rich state of Virginia.

The five-star talent has not flown under the radar in any sense of the phrase. Despite having just two years of high school basketball under his belt, Bacot has accumulated an impressive offer sheet. With a reported 37 scholarship offers, Bacot will have to choose between programs like Duke, North Carolina, Louisville, Georgetown, Kansas, Kentucky, Virginia, Virginia Tech, VCU, Villanova, Florida State, Clemson, Oregon, USC, UCLA, Maryland, Illinois, Iowa, and now Ohio State.


The offer was first reported by Corey Evans of Rivals.com.

The Buckeyes have some stiff competition for Bacot, and currently Duke is the favorite to land the elite big, holding 100 percent of the 247Sports Crystal Ball Expert predictions.

Currently, Ohio State has yet to secure a commitment for its 2019 recruiting class, but it is early and the coaching staff is targeting some of the bigger names in the class. While the team’s ability on the court is not yet up to the level of play as some of the other schools targeting Bacot, Holtmann has proven in the short time he has been at Ohio State that he can recruit with the best of them.

Holtmann knows that on-court success begins with recruiting and he will have plenty of time to build an elite 2019 recruiting class. Look for Holtmann and the Ohio State basketball coaching staff to try to get Bacot on campus in the coming year. If they are able to get a visit or more out of him, the team’s chances in securing a commitment from the elite prospect grow exponentially.

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