Gene Ross
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After missing on David Sanders Jr., Ohio State must alter its recruiting strategy in 2026 class
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
2026 OT Maxwell Riley | Mick Walker, 247Sports
The Buckeyes cannot afford similar results in the next cycle.
As was the expected result after the past few weeks, five-star offensive tackle David Sanders Jr. committed to Tennessee over the weekend. With Josh Petty committing to Georgia Tech earlier in the week, Ohio State’s top two remaining options along the offensive line are now both off the board. The Buckeyes are left with just a pair of commits at the position group in the 2025 class in Carter Lowe and Jake Cook in a cycle where they really needed to restock the cupboard.
While chasing those five-star national linemen like Sanders is always an uphill battle, Ohio State and Justin Frye have compounded the issue by having no real backup plan in the event that the North Carolina native committed elsewhere. Of the fewer than 30 total offensive linemen the Buckeyes have offered in this cycle — a net cast not nearly wide enough — just four players remain uncommitted, and only one of them has any real interest in Ohio State in three-star IOL Jayvon McFadden.
Now Frye finds himself on the hot seat — and for good reason. Ryan Day brought the former UCLA staffer in to replace an unwilling recruiter in Greg Studrawa, and has seen little to no increase in efforts from the new position coach. Ohio State offered far fewer players along the offensive line than the top tier programs they are competing against, and failed to even offer some of the talented prospects from within state borders like Wisconsin commit Nolan Davenport (No. 33 OT, No. 12 OH) or Kentucky commit Jermiel Atkins (No. 48 OT, No. 19 OH).
With Ohio State set to lose three if not four of its starting offensive lineman to graduation and/or the NFL Draft at the conclusion of this upcoming season, this leaves the Buckeyes in a pretty dire position. They will likely need to add multiple players through the transfer portal next offseason — something the program has also been hesitant to do despite lucking out on a late addition in Josh Simmons and taking a flyer on Seth McLaughlin.
That is a dangerous way to live, given that it is no guarantee the quality of player both that will be available and that Ohio State is willing to pursue. On top of that, offensive line is one of if not the hardest position to build via the transfer portal. If the Buckeyes want to actually get serious about improving a unit that has performed well below expectations over the past several seasons, the recruiting strategy — and effort — will need to improve in the 2026 class.
That will begin with locking down the guys who are right within your own backyard. Luckily, there are a handful of big time prospects along the offensive line in Ohio in the next cycle — three of the four of which already hold an Ohio State offer.
The top dog in the 2026 class at offensive tackle is Maxwell Riley. The 6-foot-5, 280-pound lineman ranks as the No. 6 OT and No. 37 player overall as the top prospect in Ohio per 247Sports’ rankings. With nearly 30 offers to his name from all the high-end programs, Riley is an absolute must-get for Ohio State. It will not be a slam dunk to get the Avon Lake native to Columbus, but the Buckeyes do currently hold the lone Crystal Ball prediction via Bill Kurelic — albeit, one that was cast in early 2023.
The other two in-state lineman with Ohio State offers thus far in the 2026 class are Sam Greer and Will Conroy. Greer, an Akron native, ranks as the No. 13 OT and No. 170 prospect nationally as the No. 6 player in Ohio per the 247Sports Composite. Conroy, who hails from Cleveland, is the No. 16 IOL and No. 13 player in the state per 247Sports. Greer was offered by the Buckeyes early on in April 2023, while Conroy earned his offer in January of this year.
With Greer, Ohio State can perhaps gain some ground through peer recruiting, as current 2025 commit Eli Lee as well as 2026 cornerback target Elbert Hill both attend the lineman’s high school, Archbishop Hoban — the same prep program that produced former OSU running back Chip Trayanum. As far as Conroy, the Buckeyes were left off the IOL’s top five schools list in July despite Conroy saying Ohio State was his “dream school” and having grown up rooting for the program, which is... concerning?
Another blue chip prospect within state lines who currently lacks an Ohio State offer is offensive tackle Adam Guthrie. Listed at 6-foot-7, 285 pounds, Guthrie ranks as the No. 16 OT and No. 215 player nationally as the No. 9 in-state prospect per the 247Sports Composite. The Miami Trace product holds over 30 offers to this point, but for whatever reason the Buckeyes have yet to enter the mix. That will obviously need to change — and soon.
Still, while the 2026 class presents a handful of talented options right within Ohio along the offensive line that seem prime for the taking, early indications once again show a concerning trend.
Ohio State has officially offered just 15 total players along the offensive line in the cycle to this point. Compare that to some of the other top schools in the Big Ten, like Michigan (32 offers), Oregon (37) and Penn State (55), as well as some of the top national programs like Alabama (33) and Georgia (40), and it once again paints a troubling picture for Frye’s efforts on the recruiting trail.
The pure number of offers you send out isn’t a direct reflection of the work being done behind the scenes, but it’s also a pretty bad look given the current circumstances of the position group and its failing recruiting strategy. If Frye is going to keep his job beyond this season, we are going to have to see some increased energy on top of some actual results at some point.
That work should start by locking down the top guys in Ohio, then taking aim at some of the top national prospects elsewhere. Ohio State cannot finish another cycle putting all of its eggs in one basket and coming up empty, especially at a position so crucial to winning at the highest level.
Continue reading...
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
2026 OT Maxwell Riley | Mick Walker, 247Sports
The Buckeyes cannot afford similar results in the next cycle.
As was the expected result after the past few weeks, five-star offensive tackle David Sanders Jr. committed to Tennessee over the weekend. With Josh Petty committing to Georgia Tech earlier in the week, Ohio State’s top two remaining options along the offensive line are now both off the board. The Buckeyes are left with just a pair of commits at the position group in the 2025 class in Carter Lowe and Jake Cook in a cycle where they really needed to restock the cupboard.
While chasing those five-star national linemen like Sanders is always an uphill battle, Ohio State and Justin Frye have compounded the issue by having no real backup plan in the event that the North Carolina native committed elsewhere. Of the fewer than 30 total offensive linemen the Buckeyes have offered in this cycle — a net cast not nearly wide enough — just four players remain uncommitted, and only one of them has any real interest in Ohio State in three-star IOL Jayvon McFadden.
Now Frye finds himself on the hot seat — and for good reason. Ryan Day brought the former UCLA staffer in to replace an unwilling recruiter in Greg Studrawa, and has seen little to no increase in efforts from the new position coach. Ohio State offered far fewer players along the offensive line than the top tier programs they are competing against, and failed to even offer some of the talented prospects from within state borders like Wisconsin commit Nolan Davenport (No. 33 OT, No. 12 OH) or Kentucky commit Jermiel Atkins (No. 48 OT, No. 19 OH).
With Ohio State set to lose three if not four of its starting offensive lineman to graduation and/or the NFL Draft at the conclusion of this upcoming season, this leaves the Buckeyes in a pretty dire position. They will likely need to add multiple players through the transfer portal next offseason — something the program has also been hesitant to do despite lucking out on a late addition in Josh Simmons and taking a flyer on Seth McLaughlin.
That is a dangerous way to live, given that it is no guarantee the quality of player both that will be available and that Ohio State is willing to pursue. On top of that, offensive line is one of if not the hardest position to build via the transfer portal. If the Buckeyes want to actually get serious about improving a unit that has performed well below expectations over the past several seasons, the recruiting strategy — and effort — will need to improve in the 2026 class.
That will begin with locking down the guys who are right within your own backyard. Luckily, there are a handful of big time prospects along the offensive line in Ohio in the next cycle — three of the four of which already hold an Ohio State offer.
The top dog in the 2026 class at offensive tackle is Maxwell Riley. The 6-foot-5, 280-pound lineman ranks as the No. 6 OT and No. 37 player overall as the top prospect in Ohio per 247Sports’ rankings. With nearly 30 offers to his name from all the high-end programs, Riley is an absolute must-get for Ohio State. It will not be a slam dunk to get the Avon Lake native to Columbus, but the Buckeyes do currently hold the lone Crystal Ball prediction via Bill Kurelic — albeit, one that was cast in early 2023.
The other two in-state lineman with Ohio State offers thus far in the 2026 class are Sam Greer and Will Conroy. Greer, an Akron native, ranks as the No. 13 OT and No. 170 prospect nationally as the No. 6 player in Ohio per the 247Sports Composite. Conroy, who hails from Cleveland, is the No. 16 IOL and No. 13 player in the state per 247Sports. Greer was offered by the Buckeyes early on in April 2023, while Conroy earned his offer in January of this year.
With Greer, Ohio State can perhaps gain some ground through peer recruiting, as current 2025 commit Eli Lee as well as 2026 cornerback target Elbert Hill both attend the lineman’s high school, Archbishop Hoban — the same prep program that produced former OSU running back Chip Trayanum. As far as Conroy, the Buckeyes were left off the IOL’s top five schools list in July despite Conroy saying Ohio State was his “dream school” and having grown up rooting for the program, which is... concerning?
Another blue chip prospect within state lines who currently lacks an Ohio State offer is offensive tackle Adam Guthrie. Listed at 6-foot-7, 285 pounds, Guthrie ranks as the No. 16 OT and No. 215 player nationally as the No. 9 in-state prospect per the 247Sports Composite. The Miami Trace product holds over 30 offers to this point, but for whatever reason the Buckeyes have yet to enter the mix. That will obviously need to change — and soon.
Still, while the 2026 class presents a handful of talented options right within Ohio along the offensive line that seem prime for the taking, early indications once again show a concerning trend.
Ohio State has officially offered just 15 total players along the offensive line in the cycle to this point. Compare that to some of the other top schools in the Big Ten, like Michigan (32 offers), Oregon (37) and Penn State (55), as well as some of the top national programs like Alabama (33) and Georgia (40), and it once again paints a troubling picture for Frye’s efforts on the recruiting trail.
The pure number of offers you send out isn’t a direct reflection of the work being done behind the scenes, but it’s also a pretty bad look given the current circumstances of the position group and its failing recruiting strategy. If Frye is going to keep his job beyond this season, we are going to have to see some increased energy on top of some actual results at some point.
That work should start by locking down the top guys in Ohio, then taking aim at some of the top national prospects elsewhere. Ohio State cannot finish another cycle putting all of its eggs in one basket and coming up empty, especially at a position so crucial to winning at the highest level.
Continue reading...