Caleb Houser
Guest
BOOM! Ohio State lands transfer DE Beau Atkinson to help anchor defensive line
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Buckeyes add to their already impressive roster with a major transfer addition.
With spring ball in the books and the summer months still a few weeks away, it’s time for the Buckeyes’ coaching staff to get back on the road. Taking time to prioritize recruiting efforts more times than not, Ryan Day and his crew have one goal in mind, and that’s adding elite talent to their already impressive 2026 class.
While majority of the attention on Wednesday was spent on prep recruiting work, Ohio State got serious good news late Wednesday night via the portal when the Buckeyes landed the commitment of North Carolina transfer target, Beau Atkinson.
One the top players to enter the portal at his position, Atkinson immediately became a name the program was going to contact, and quickly a visit was scheduled for the former Tar Heel to see Columbus and all that Ohio State has to offer. Scheduling a trip to visit Georgia as well, the Buckeyes won out in the end and it’s a major feat for a team that wanted to add depth along their defensive line.
A 6-foot-6, 260 pound edge rusher, Atkinson tallied 54 tackles and 11 sacks in the past two seasons, and now has the chance to really bloom under Larry Johnson. This definitely is the news Ohio State was hoping for, and while an interior guy remains another goal, you can’t undersell how big of a win this is for the program.
The Ohio State coaching staff has been out on the recruiting trail, and the Buckeyes are once again in full recruiting mode. Using this time to check in on their top targets, it’s also a chance for this staff to offer new names. Wednesday provided that when running backs coach Carlos Locklyn spent time in Virginia making multiple important stops.
Stopping by Woodberry Forest High School, Locklyn was in to see class of 2027 prospect Junior Saunders, and made the visit well worth his time by making him the latest player to earn an Ohio State offer.
A 6-foot-6, 270 pound offensive tackle, Saunders is currently the No. 366 player nationally and 35th best tackle per the 247Sports Composite grades, and clearly checks all the boxes. Double-digit offers to his name and from the likes of Florida State, Maryland, North Carolina, Penn State, Tennessee, and Virginia Tech, the Buckeyes getting involved is sure to have others taking a closer look.
Not ironically, seeing the Hokies as one of the programs to offer makes sense as to why Tyler Bowen would have this strong of interest now in his new position at Ohio State. Locklyn may have been the one to deliver the news, but this is a Bowen recruitment all the way. Seeing the momentum he’s having, it wouldn’t be a surprise at all to see Saunders immediately have Ohio State at the forefront of his mind with this new offer in hand.
Jackson Cantwell is the top player in the country for the 2026 class per the 247Sports Composite and rightfully so. A 6-foot-7, 300 pound offensive tackle, Cantwell is a five-star in every aspect and has not been shy about his recruiting process as of late. Wanting to come to a decision sooner rather than later, Jackson has made real progress towards an end destination, and Wednesday saw another update that will make his top schools wait just a little bit longer.
Previously set to announce on April 30, Cantwell broke that news earlier this month when his original top schools list was narrowed down to four from six. Keeping Georgia, Miami, Ohio State, and Oregon in the fold, Michigan and Missouri were left out of his mid-April update, which now leads to the latest in his recruitment giving way to a May 13 decision date.
Taking to his social media yesterday, Cantwell announced that he was adding a visit on May 10 to see Georgia, and pushed back his commitment by two weeks to ensure he was doing right by his process. Still deciding between the same four schools, Ohio State is remaining, but the other three programs look to be more of a threat for his commitment.
A lone prediction has Jackson slated to Miami per the 247Sports Crystal Ball, and it does look as if Miami or Georgia may have the inside track here, but in recruiting in 2025 anything can happen in two weeks time. At any rate, there’s a new date worth watching to see if Ohio State really has a chance at landing the top-ranked player in this current cycle.
The No. 86 player nationally and sixth ranked tight-end per the 247Sports Composite grades, Bailey has Mack on his big board and wasted no time in making sure he knows how much of a priority he is for this 2026 class. With nearly 50 offers to his name, the Buckeyes are certainly in the mix here and these in-home visits never hurt.
Ohio State sees Gray as a major piece to their 2026 class, and while they are in a good spot currently, these visits are the staff doing all they can to ensure he knows just how important he is to the class as a whole.
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
Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Buckeyes add to their already impressive roster with a major transfer addition.
With spring ball in the books and the summer months still a few weeks away, it’s time for the Buckeyes’ coaching staff to get back on the road. Taking time to prioritize recruiting efforts more times than not, Ryan Day and his crew have one goal in mind, and that’s adding elite talent to their already impressive 2026 class.
BOOM! Buckeyes add North Carolina transfer
While majority of the attention on Wednesday was spent on prep recruiting work, Ohio State got serious good news late Wednesday night via the portal when the Buckeyes landed the commitment of North Carolina transfer target, Beau Atkinson.
One the top players to enter the portal at his position, Atkinson immediately became a name the program was going to contact, and quickly a visit was scheduled for the former Tar Heel to see Columbus and all that Ohio State has to offer. Scheduling a trip to visit Georgia as well, the Buckeyes won out in the end and it’s a major feat for a team that wanted to add depth along their defensive line.
A 6-foot-6, 260 pound edge rusher, Atkinson tallied 54 tackles and 11 sacks in the past two seasons, and now has the chance to really bloom under Larry Johnson. This definitely is the news Ohio State was hoping for, and while an interior guy remains another goal, you can’t undersell how big of a win this is for the program.
2027 Virginia native lands OSU offer
The Ohio State coaching staff has been out on the recruiting trail, and the Buckeyes are once again in full recruiting mode. Using this time to check in on their top targets, it’s also a chance for this staff to offer new names. Wednesday provided that when running backs coach Carlos Locklyn spent time in Virginia making multiple important stops.
Stopping by Woodberry Forest High School, Locklyn was in to see class of 2027 prospect Junior Saunders, and made the visit well worth his time by making him the latest player to earn an Ohio State offer.
A 6-foot-6, 270 pound offensive tackle, Saunders is currently the No. 366 player nationally and 35th best tackle per the 247Sports Composite grades, and clearly checks all the boxes. Double-digit offers to his name and from the likes of Florida State, Maryland, North Carolina, Penn State, Tennessee, and Virginia Tech, the Buckeyes getting involved is sure to have others taking a closer look.
Not ironically, seeing the Hokies as one of the programs to offer makes sense as to why Tyler Bowen would have this strong of interest now in his new position at Ohio State. Locklyn may have been the one to deliver the news, but this is a Bowen recruitment all the way. Seeing the momentum he’s having, it wouldn’t be a surprise at all to see Saunders immediately have Ohio State at the forefront of his mind with this new offer in hand.
Cantwell updates recruitment with new commitment plans
Jackson Cantwell is the top player in the country for the 2026 class per the 247Sports Composite and rightfully so. A 6-foot-7, 300 pound offensive tackle, Cantwell is a five-star in every aspect and has not been shy about his recruiting process as of late. Wanting to come to a decision sooner rather than later, Jackson has made real progress towards an end destination, and Wednesday saw another update that will make his top schools wait just a little bit longer.
Previously set to announce on April 30, Cantwell broke that news earlier this month when his original top schools list was narrowed down to four from six. Keeping Georgia, Miami, Ohio State, and Oregon in the fold, Michigan and Missouri were left out of his mid-April update, which now leads to the latest in his recruitment giving way to a May 13 decision date.
Taking to his social media yesterday, Cantwell announced that he was adding a visit on May 10 to see Georgia, and pushed back his commitment by two weeks to ensure he was doing right by his process. Still deciding between the same four schools, Ohio State is remaining, but the other three programs look to be more of a threat for his commitment.
A lone prediction has Jackson slated to Miami per the 247Sports Crystal Ball, and it does look as if Miami or Georgia may have the inside track here, but in recruiting in 2025 anything can happen in two weeks time. At any rate, there’s a new date worth watching to see if Ohio State really has a chance at landing the top-ranked player in this current cycle.
Quick Hits
- Not the only offensive position coach on the road Wednesday, tight ends coach Keenan Bailey put in the miles as he too took time to check in on some top targets, making a stop in Illinois for four-star prospect, Mack Sutter.
The No. 86 player nationally and sixth ranked tight-end per the 247Sports Composite grades, Bailey has Mack on his big board and wasted no time in making sure he knows how much of a priority he is for this 2026 class. With nearly 50 offers to his name, the Buckeyes are certainly in the mix here and these in-home visits never hurt.
- One more stop worth mentioning, Locklyn as seen was fairly busy on Wednesday and that included a stop to check in on major Ohio State target, Darius Gray. The No. 29 player nationally and second best interior offensive lineman per the 247Sports Composite, Gray has been closely linked to the Buckeyes as of late.
Ohio State sees Gray as a major piece to their 2026 class, and while they are in a good spot currently, these visits are the staff doing all they can to ensure he knows just how important he is to the class as a whole.
Continue reading...