On Monday night, Ohio State offered Wayne (Huber Heights) High School 4-star offensive tackle Aamil Wagner a scholarship. And as is the case with most in-state prospects, it’s safe to officially put the 6-foot-6, 250-pound lineman on Commitment Watch.
The No. 5-ranked prospect in Ohio, Wagner is a player who has long captured the Buckeyes attention. But there were questions about his ability to gain weight that slowed down the decision to offer him earlier. Those questions remain in some form, but after months of getting to know Wagner, Ohio State pulled the trigger on the offer — and that’s going to lead many to wonder why it happened now.
What changed?
Truthfully, the offer to Wagner may have more to do with what is not changing. What’s not going to change is that he’s an uber-athletic, big-framed tackle prospect with a very high upside. He’s a true tackle down the road, and that’s something Ohio State desperately needs. The fact that he’s probably three or four years away from being a potential starter with the Buckeyes isn’t a drawback, either. The decision to pursue him now, because of the development track, shouldn’t hurt the Ohio State efforts with other tackles like Kiyaunta Goodwin or Tyler Booker, who are close to immediate-impact type of players if they end up choosing the Buckeyes, or Earnest Greene, who is a guard all the way.
