Four-star RB includes Ohio State among top five schools​

The Buckeyes continue to see positive momentum in the 2025 class.
By Gene Ross@Gene_Ross23 Oct 30, 2023, 5:01am EDT


Ohio State is a perfect 8-0 as we reach the two-thirds mark of the 2023 college football season. The Buckeyes’ coaching staff is focused on maintaining that zero in the loss column through the end of the year, but they also have to keep up the efforts on the recruiting trail in order to keep up the high standards set in Columbus.
While Ryan Day and company were out earning a win on the field on Saturday with a 24-10 victory over Wisconsin, they also inched closer to earning a win off the field this weekend when 2025 four-star running back Donovan Johnson included the Buckeyes among his top five schools.

With nearly 30 offers to his name, cutting the list down to just five is no easy task, but shows that Johnson is really moving along in the recruiting process and has a handful of schools that have really stood out above the rest to this point. Ohio State was one of those programs, joining the likes of Georgia, Florida State, Tennessee and USC. Johnson spoke to On3 about his final five schools and why each of them made the cut. Here is what he had to say about the Buckeyes:
“I have a lot of love for Coach Tony Alford. He is my dog. We talk all the time and I love what he has done over the last decade with the running backs he has coached. We have that great relationship and I working to get there for a game this season.”
Johnson is currently rated as the No. 9 running back in the country and the No. 113 player overall in the 2025 class, per the 247Sports Composite. Originally a native of Savannah, GA, Johnson transferred to prep powerhouse IMG Academy in Florida ahead of his sophomore season. The 6-foot, 205-pound RB received his official Ohio State offer all the way back in May of 2022, and attended a camp in Columbus later that June.

Also a track athlete, Johnson qualified for the AAU Junior Olympics and has been clocked running a 22.47 in the 200 and a 51.58 400 as a freshman in spring of 2022. The talented ballcarrier made his varsity team as a freshman, totaling 1,336 yards and 10 touchdowns while averaging 8.1 yards per carry — good enough to earn him a spot in the FBU Freshman All-American Bowl. Ohio State has had some prior success recruiting IMG players, most recently landing wide receiver Carnell Tate in the 2023 class.
While there is no timetable set for a decision just yet, and it sounds like Johnson will want to take his official visits before making his pledge, he has not ruled out a commitment coming prior to the spring.
“Anything could happen at any time,” Johnson told On3. “I am searching for that family atmosphere. It is about my bond with the staff, how I feel around the head coach and running back and what culture fits me best. The academics will be important too. I want to major in engineering, so the overall development on and off the field will help me make my decision.”
As a native of Georgia, the Bulldogs would probably be considered the slight favorite as of right now, but with no Crystal Ball predictions logged and Ohio State making Johnson’s top five schools, you certainly can’t count out the Buckeyes in this recruitment.

buckeyeintn said:

Michael Wiley with his 2nd TD for Arizona tonight. I didn't realize he had any eligibility left. What is he now, 45?

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Just a year older than Bo Nix.

buckeyebri said:

Did he really pick Oklahoma over us….hmmmmmm

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We didn’t really “want him” he was a plan B. Happy for him to get at a great school like Oklahoma

Can't wait for my free Q phone. My iphone is feeling a bit dated.

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Finally re-watched this game, and saw most of the 4th quarter for the first time.

Were the replay on Penn State’s TD and on Miyan’s TD the only ones for the entire game? I don’t remember any others, and the play-by-play only lists those 2. That’s surprising these days.

He said what seems to be the common refrain with this. Nobody is saying it's right to do, they are either saying it happens everywhere ( with no proof of this scale), or it happens and you have to do something about it.

However, nobody, including Quinn, that he thinks what Scum does/did was the right thing to do.

Just blanket saying everybody does it is bad journalism.

They just look better with Okpara i the game. Big time shot blocker, runs the court, played excellent defense on Holmes forcing a couple travels. I was hoping Dayton would play Holmes more to get a better gage. Dayton seemed content to just let OSU run away with it the last 5 with a bunch of bench players in the game. Holmes only played 16 mins total. But they know what they have with him and are trying to fit the pieces together.

Tomateaux Quinoa Gumbeaux said:

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This man was more successful than Jimbo at College Station.

Let that sink in.

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But does he run a tight ship?

were they Romanians or Romanis?

Fourth year in MLS and they finished the regular season with the best record in the league.

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visited for Penn St game

Tomateaux Quinoa Gumbeaux said:

That is just a uniforms thread. This one is an UNIQUE uniforms thread.

It’s like the difference between tomato gumbo and tomato QUINOA gumbo!

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I always forget something I learned in Leesville, LA. You never try to explain things or reason with anyone from Louisiana. They just won't get it...however, that might have just been the Leesville, Deridder, Alexandria, and Lake Charles areas.

Thank you!! Awesome as always!

Merih said:

Penix with two picks and struggling against 1-5 ASU.

Marv has to be Heisman front runner come tomorrow

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Jake said:

Saw some folks talking MHJ as the Heisman front runner but I don't think that's the case. I don't like it any more than you, but fucking McCarthy is ahead of MHJ. Heisman voters aren't exactly nuanced. It used to be RB + good team = Heisman. These days it's QB + good team = Heisman.

Heisman WRs are hard to come by with those voters.

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No surprise here.

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I'm still waiting for North Carolina to be punished for having grad assistants take tests/write papers for the UNC players.

Thank you!

Gizmo said:

About to move to Colorado Springs, curious of any watch locations (I'm not an alum, if that matters), looks like the only Colorado locations in this thread were all Denver.

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Hopefully this helps:
https://happeningnext.com/event/michigan-vs-ohio-state-watch-party-eid3a09hk4crb

https://gamewatch.info/teams/ohio-state-buckeyes/cities/colorado-springs-co

darbypitcher22 said:

Was about to say UCLA is better...

but they will still get shellacked in a few weeks by USC. Its just become an annual tradition

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scott91575 said:

You shouldn't underestimate Lane Kiffin's ability to suck.

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Funny to think that USC began that season ranked #1 and ended it unranked while losing to triple option Georgia Tech in the El Paso Sun Bowl.