Gene Ross
Guest
BOOOOM! Trajen Odom commits to Ohio State, another DL commitment on the way?
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Ohio State 2025 commit Trajen Odom (center) with coaches Larry Johnson (left) and LaAllen Clark (right). | via @traajenn on Twitter
Plus, a Buckeyes defensive back target commits elsewhere.
June has now come to a close, and it couldn’t have gone much better for Ohio State on the recruiting trail. The Buckeyes added eight new members to their 2025 class this past month, bringing the total to 21 commits for a group ranked No. 1 in the country. The latest addition came on Friday, when Larry Johnson secured another big name in his unit.
That commitment came from four-star defensive lineman Trajen Odom, the No. 31 DL and No. 284 player nationally per the 247Sports Composite.
The defensive tackle from North Carolina chose the Buckeyes out of a top six schools list that included Colorado, Georgia, Oregon, UCLA and USC. Listed at 6-foot-4, 285 pounds, Odom quickly became a priority target for Ohio State on the interior. Odom was originally offered by Johnson back in January, and after making his first visit to campus in March, returned again in May before his official visit on June 7. That OV, as well as his relationship with Johnson, was enough to sway him towards Columbus.
“Being in Columbus, the visit was great,” Odom told Eleven Warriors following his visit in March. “The atmosphere and the area were cool. I liked the relationships I built with coach Day, coach Johnson and the whole defensive staff was great. [...] A big thing is the developmental piece that coach Johnson has put into his players and everything. It’s really a brotherhood there and a great relationship between the players and staff.”
Odom’s commitment gives Ohio State now four total pledges along the defensive line, joining fellow recent commit Zion Grady as well as Zahir Mathis and London Merritt. The Buckeyes really need a big haul at the position in this class, especially with both Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau set to go pro after this upcoming season. Johnson is off to a great start, but there is still some more work to be done.
One of the bigger names still in play is none other than Ohio native Justin Hill. Ranked as the No. 7 EDGE and No. 72 overall prospect in the cycle, the Winton Woods product is a must-get for Ohio State. James Laurinaitis and Tim Walton, his primary recruiters with Hill being recruited as the ‘Jack’ position, will find out if their hard work has paid off when Hill announces his commitment this week on July 3.
There are no Crystal Ball predictions for Hill on 247Sports, but the Buckeyes are far and away the leader in the clubhouse according to On3, with all four RPMs in Ohio State’s favor — including from Steve Wiltfong in early June. Despite being an in-state prospect, it is certainly not a slam dunk for him to end up in Columbus, and the Buckeyes will have to seal the deal in a battle against Alabama, Oregon and USC for Hill’s services. The Ducks are likely Ohio State’s biggest competition in this one.
Elsewhere along the defensive line, Johnson and company are still working on Maxwell Roy, who is set to announce his commitment on Monday afternoon. The defensive tackle plays his prep ball at St. Joseph’s Prep in Pennsylvania, the same school that produced Marvin Harrison Jr. and Kyle McCord, in addition to current OSU running back commit Isaiah West. Roy, the No. 19 DL and No. 152 overall prospect per 247Sports, received a flurry of Crystal Ball predictions in Ohio State’s favor just last week, and they are the clear favorite over rival Michigan — the original favorite in Roy’s recruitment.
While pretty much everything has gone Ohio State’s way on the trail over the last month, there was one negative this past weekend, as defensive back target Dorian Brew committed to Oregon over the Buckeyes.
At one point considered a near-lock to Ohio State, the No. 5 CB and No. 27 overall prospect is instead taking his talents to Eugene. Despite being a five-star prospect, Brew would have been the No. 3 guy at the position in the Buckeyes’ class behind fellow five-stars Devin Sanchez (No. 1 CB) and Na’eem Offord (No. 2 CB). While Tim Walton obviously would have loved to add Brew to that group, it appears Brew would prefer to be the clear top dog elsewhere.
Ohio State certainly isn’t hurting for defensive backs in this class, with an elite corner duo of Sanchez and Offord as well as a trio of talented safeties in Faheem Delane, DeShawn Stewart and Cody Haddad. There are still clear targets out there at safety, including five-stars Tre McNutt and Jonah Williams. However, with their top remaining cornerback target now off the board, Tim Walton and the staff will have to look elsewhere for depth.
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
Ohio State 2025 commit Trajen Odom (center) with coaches Larry Johnson (left) and LaAllen Clark (right). | via @traajenn on Twitter
Plus, a Buckeyes defensive back target commits elsewhere.
June has now come to a close, and it couldn’t have gone much better for Ohio State on the recruiting trail. The Buckeyes added eight new members to their 2025 class this past month, bringing the total to 21 commits for a group ranked No. 1 in the country. The latest addition came on Friday, when Larry Johnson secured another big name in his unit.
That commitment came from four-star defensive lineman Trajen Odom, the No. 31 DL and No. 284 player nationally per the 247Sports Composite.
The defensive tackle from North Carolina chose the Buckeyes out of a top six schools list that included Colorado, Georgia, Oregon, UCLA and USC. Listed at 6-foot-4, 285 pounds, Odom quickly became a priority target for Ohio State on the interior. Odom was originally offered by Johnson back in January, and after making his first visit to campus in March, returned again in May before his official visit on June 7. That OV, as well as his relationship with Johnson, was enough to sway him towards Columbus.
“Being in Columbus, the visit was great,” Odom told Eleven Warriors following his visit in March. “The atmosphere and the area were cool. I liked the relationships I built with coach Day, coach Johnson and the whole defensive staff was great. [...] A big thing is the developmental piece that coach Johnson has put into his players and everything. It’s really a brotherhood there and a great relationship between the players and staff.”
Odom’s commitment gives Ohio State now four total pledges along the defensive line, joining fellow recent commit Zion Grady as well as Zahir Mathis and London Merritt. The Buckeyes really need a big haul at the position in this class, especially with both Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau set to go pro after this upcoming season. Johnson is off to a great start, but there is still some more work to be done.
One of the bigger names still in play is none other than Ohio native Justin Hill. Ranked as the No. 7 EDGE and No. 72 overall prospect in the cycle, the Winton Woods product is a must-get for Ohio State. James Laurinaitis and Tim Walton, his primary recruiters with Hill being recruited as the ‘Jack’ position, will find out if their hard work has paid off when Hill announces his commitment this week on July 3.
There are no Crystal Ball predictions for Hill on 247Sports, but the Buckeyes are far and away the leader in the clubhouse according to On3, with all four RPMs in Ohio State’s favor — including from Steve Wiltfong in early June. Despite being an in-state prospect, it is certainly not a slam dunk for him to end up in Columbus, and the Buckeyes will have to seal the deal in a battle against Alabama, Oregon and USC for Hill’s services. The Ducks are likely Ohio State’s biggest competition in this one.
Elsewhere along the defensive line, Johnson and company are still working on Maxwell Roy, who is set to announce his commitment on Monday afternoon. The defensive tackle plays his prep ball at St. Joseph’s Prep in Pennsylvania, the same school that produced Marvin Harrison Jr. and Kyle McCord, in addition to current OSU running back commit Isaiah West. Roy, the No. 19 DL and No. 152 overall prospect per 247Sports, received a flurry of Crystal Ball predictions in Ohio State’s favor just last week, and they are the clear favorite over rival Michigan — the original favorite in Roy’s recruitment.
While pretty much everything has gone Ohio State’s way on the trail over the last month, there was one negative this past weekend, as defensive back target Dorian Brew committed to Oregon over the Buckeyes.
At one point considered a near-lock to Ohio State, the No. 5 CB and No. 27 overall prospect is instead taking his talents to Eugene. Despite being a five-star prospect, Brew would have been the No. 3 guy at the position in the Buckeyes’ class behind fellow five-stars Devin Sanchez (No. 1 CB) and Na’eem Offord (No. 2 CB). While Tim Walton obviously would have loved to add Brew to that group, it appears Brew would prefer to be the clear top dog elsewhere.
Ohio State certainly isn’t hurting for defensive backs in this class, with an elite corner duo of Sanchez and Offord as well as a trio of talented safeties in Faheem Delane, DeShawn Stewart and Cody Haddad. There are still clear targets out there at safety, including five-stars Tre McNutt and Jonah Williams. However, with their top remaining cornerback target now off the board, Tim Walton and the staff will have to look elsewhere for depth.
Quick Hits
- Ohio State running back target Shekai Mills-Knight released his top eight schools over the weekend, with the Buckeyes making the cut alongside Alabama, Auburn, Miami, Michigan, Missouri, Ole Miss and Tennessee. Mills-Knight, the No. 31 RB and the No. 13 player out of his home state of Tennessee, would be an excellent addition to a group that already includes Bo Jackson and the aforementioned West. Of note, Mills-Knight was position coach Carlos Locklyn’s first official offer upon his arrival at Ohio State.
Committing soonwhere’s home ?? pic.twitter.com/sGcdGDe21c
— Shekai Mills-Knight️ (@sk_begreat) June 29, 2024
- Ohio State will also be hoping to add to its recruiting class on the basketball side of things on Monday, with four-star shooting guard Dorian Jones set to announce his commitment. The Cleveland native is the No. 12 SG and No. 72 overall prospect per the 247Sports Composite, and is set to choose between Ohio State, Michigan, Missouri and Rutgers.
Continue reading...