Caleb Houser
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Buckeyes offer pair of California targets, top 2026 safety schedules Ohio State visit
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Ohio State has a busy Thursday, offering two new names in future classes.
It was a busy Thursday on the recruiting trail for Ohio State as multiple offers were sent out and visit plans were set for this fall. The Buckeyes have their first conference game of the year to play on Saturday, but this staff always makes time to recruit with the best of them.
Ohio State doesn’t usually offer players super early in their high school careers, but when a prospect is impressive enough, there’s no hurt in offering sooner rather than later. Offering early on means getting to build a lasting relationship, and on Thursday Ohio State started a new relationship by offering one of its latest targets on their recruiting board for a class that is still a couple years away from coming into focus.
Just a high school freshman, the Buckeyes are the latest program to offer California native, Derrick Jackson (Harbor City, California/Narbonne). A 6-foot, 185 pound athlete, Jackson projects to play running back at the next level. After a conversation with position coach Carlos Locklyn, Ohio State apparently heard and saw enough that this early offer is well deserved.
Unranked right now via his 247Sports profile due to class status, the other offers to his name, including Georgia, Ole Miss, Oregon and a couple of others, show this is one player that will likely be ranked among the top targets in his class when all is said and done.
Having the ability now to court Jackson for the foreseeable future, Locklyn has shown his chops on the recruiting trail. This should be one relationship he does pretty well with considering how early on the Buckeyes are in the mix. That tends to help in the end with familiarity, and this won’t be the last time you hear of Jackson as the staff really starts to look ahead to their future classes.
Ohio State’s current 2025 offensive line class is not yet up to standard. What has and should help is seeing Ohio State’s offensive line play thus far, even if it’s only three games into the season. The running game has taken a step forward in comparison to last season, and while the talent at running back obviously helps, this position group does look like an improved unit, which is a nod to Justin Frye.
Working to land at least one if not two more guys in this class, the Buckeyes are also taking a look at the 2026 class and hoping that cycle presents a more successful haul that doesn’t take so long. Making not one but two offers in California on Thursday, the staff made sure to continue those offensive line efforts.
A 6-foot-4, 295 pound athlete, the latest to hear from Ohio State is Samuelu Utu (Orange, California/Orange Lutheran). The No. 108 player nationally and seventh best interior lineman in the 2026 class per the 247Sports Composite, Utu’s offer list is as impressive as they come, with the likes of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Oregon, Penn State, Tennessee, and Texas among several others in the fold.
Maybe a bit of a surprise to see Ohio State later to the party than the others, the Buckeyes are now in the mix and tend to command attention even if they’re not the first to offer. From here, Frye and the rest of the crew will work to rise up his top schools and getting him to campus is the next big task to become a contender.
More names are sure to come, but Utu is the latest to monitor moving forward.
The No. 50 player nationally and sixth best safety in the 2026 class per the 247Sports Composite, Edwards is seeing three other programs this fall, but having his last visit set for Ohio State is just what you want if you’re the Buckeyes, who will continue to add to that guest list in the coming weeks.
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
Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Ohio State has a busy Thursday, offering two new names in future classes.
It was a busy Thursday on the recruiting trail for Ohio State as multiple offers were sent out and visit plans were set for this fall. The Buckeyes have their first conference game of the year to play on Saturday, but this staff always makes time to recruit with the best of them.
Buckeyes waste no time sending out early offer
Ohio State doesn’t usually offer players super early in their high school careers, but when a prospect is impressive enough, there’s no hurt in offering sooner rather than later. Offering early on means getting to build a lasting relationship, and on Thursday Ohio State started a new relationship by offering one of its latest targets on their recruiting board for a class that is still a couple years away from coming into focus.
Just a high school freshman, the Buckeyes are the latest program to offer California native, Derrick Jackson (Harbor City, California/Narbonne). A 6-foot, 185 pound athlete, Jackson projects to play running back at the next level. After a conversation with position coach Carlos Locklyn, Ohio State apparently heard and saw enough that this early offer is well deserved.
Unranked right now via his 247Sports profile due to class status, the other offers to his name, including Georgia, Ole Miss, Oregon and a couple of others, show this is one player that will likely be ranked among the top targets in his class when all is said and done.
Having the ability now to court Jackson for the foreseeable future, Locklyn has shown his chops on the recruiting trail. This should be one relationship he does pretty well with considering how early on the Buckeyes are in the mix. That tends to help in the end with familiarity, and this won’t be the last time you hear of Jackson as the staff really starts to look ahead to their future classes.
2026 offensive lineman gets the Ohio State nod
Ohio State’s current 2025 offensive line class is not yet up to standard. What has and should help is seeing Ohio State’s offensive line play thus far, even if it’s only three games into the season. The running game has taken a step forward in comparison to last season, and while the talent at running back obviously helps, this position group does look like an improved unit, which is a nod to Justin Frye.
Working to land at least one if not two more guys in this class, the Buckeyes are also taking a look at the 2026 class and hoping that cycle presents a more successful haul that doesn’t take so long. Making not one but two offers in California on Thursday, the staff made sure to continue those offensive line efforts.
A 6-foot-4, 295 pound athlete, the latest to hear from Ohio State is Samuelu Utu (Orange, California/Orange Lutheran). The No. 108 player nationally and seventh best interior lineman in the 2026 class per the 247Sports Composite, Utu’s offer list is as impressive as they come, with the likes of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Oregon, Penn State, Tennessee, and Texas among several others in the fold.
Maybe a bit of a surprise to see Ohio State later to the party than the others, the Buckeyes are now in the mix and tend to command attention even if they’re not the first to offer. From here, Frye and the rest of the crew will work to rise up his top schools and getting him to campus is the next big task to become a contender.
More names are sure to come, but Utu is the latest to monitor moving forward.
Quick Hits
- Already shaping up to be a huge visit weekend, and rightfully so, Maryland native safety target Jireh Edwards shared his visit plans to be in town on Nov. 30 for The Game.
The No. 50 player nationally and sixth best safety in the 2026 class per the 247Sports Composite, Edwards is seeing three other programs this fall, but having his last visit set for Ohio State is just what you want if you’re the Buckeyes, who will continue to add to that guest list in the coming weeks.
Continue reading...