Defensive Lineman Kayden McDonald (twitter) committed to Ohio State on October 31st for their 2023 class. He is a 4 star prospect considered the 40th best DL in the country, the 27th best overall prospect in Georgia. The 6'3" 310 lbs. recruit goes to North Gwinnett in Suwanee Georgia.

Kayden McDonald Offers and Visits

McDonald had offers from Ohio State, Clemson, Florida, Michigan, Oklahoma and 31 other college programs. He visited Ohio State on September 24th, Clemson on November 26th, Florida on June 17th, Michigan on September 10th, and Oklahoma on October 15th. The visit to Columbus was over the weekend when the Buckeyes beat the Wisconsin Badgers.

McDonalds was recruited by defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, Ryan Day, and line coach Larry Johnson. What the coaching team can do in developing him is what put Ohio State above the rest. Academics, and his good feeling about success in Columbus were big factors too.

McDonald Crystal Ball Predictions

On the day of his college selection at his high school, 247 Rusty Mansell, Cory Fravel, Bill Kurelic, Steve Wiltfong, and Anna Adams felt he was leaning towards OSU.

An interior lineman, McDonald has idea size at this time for the next level. He has quick feet with good footwork, explosive off the line of scrimmage. Strong hands on contact. He had 62 tackles for loss in his Junior season and 20 sacks.

Jermaine Matthews (twitter) adds to the already loaded Ohio State football 2023 class with his commitment. The 6-0 / 175 Lbs. athlete from Winton Woods (Cincinnati, OH) High School made the announcement on the first day of July at his high school. Matthews is a 4 Star recruit, 21st best Athlete in the country, and the 36th best Cornerback. He is happy to get recruiting over with so he can focus on just Ohio State.

Matthews selected Ohio State as its not too far from home and he really liked the staff and the college. He is looking forward to a senior year and winning another state championship. And sees Ohio State winning the National Championship during his time in college.

Who Recruited Matthews

Tim Walton and GA Zach Grant recruited Matthews for Ohio State. Eric Wolford & Travaris Robinson for Alabama, Vince Marrow with Kentucky, Andy Aurich for Rutgers, and Joe Rudolph & Derek Jones for Virginia Tech.

Offers and Favorites

Matthews had 40 Offers total, Ohio State and Cincinnati where his favorites. He committed to Ohio State on 7-1-2022 at a high school ceremony.

Official Visits

Matthews officially visited Ohio State on June 17th, Cincinnati on June 3, and Pittsburg on June 24th.

Jermain Matthew Crystal Ball Predictions

Steve Wiltfong predicted Matthews would commit to Ohio State on June 7th, Bryce Koon said Ohio State on June 28th, Bill Kurelic was for Ohio State on June 20th, and Jason Stamm, Colin Gay, H Rodriguez, Davis Moseley, Julie Boudwin all went with Ohio State at the end of June.

Stats

Ran a 4.35 40 yard dash at the June 1st Ohio State camp.

Ohio State’s commitment list doesn’t stop at five-star receiver Carnell Tate, who pledged to the Buckeyes on Monday. One day after Tate’s commitment, five-star wideout Brandon Inniss (twitter) announced his intention to play for the Big Ten powerhouse. The prospect from American Heritage High School in Fort Lauderdale, FL is the 2nd best receiver in the country, the 18th overall prospect, and the 4 best player in Florida for 2023.

Who Recruited Inniss

Brian Hartline recruited the 6'0" 190 lbs. Inniss for Ohio State, Robert Gillespie and Holmon Wiggins for Alabama, Prentice Gill and Anthony Garnett for Arizona State, and OSU alumni Kenny Guiton for Arkansas.

Ohio State recruiting momentum has seemingly never been so high. With some of the nation's top prospects pledging to the Buckeyes, the future is looking very bright in Columbus, Ohio. Inniss is another key player, who could help shape the future of the program. He gives Brian Hartline and his coaching staff yet another win on the recruiting trail for a five-star talent.

Offers and Favorites

Inniss had 38 Offers with Ohio State, USC and Alabama being his favorites. He committed to the Buckeyes on June 21st.

Inniss Visits

Inniss visited Ohio State on June 17th, Alabama on June 3rd, Miami on March 24th, and USC on March 11th. Inniss’ parents came up with him for his visit and he said that it was important for them to see the culture at Ohio State and make sure this was the place for him.

Crystal Ball Predictions

Inniss had two early predictions for USC from Greg Biggins and Josh Newberg. August of 2021 predictions for Oklahoma included Zach Berry, Gary Freeman, Geoffrey Ketchum, Joseph Hasting, Carson MacRae, CJ Clarke, Corey Bender, and Michael Langston. While Andrew Ivins, Steve Wiltfong, Bill Kurelic, Zach Blostein, Brandon Drumm, and Hale McGranahan all felt Ohio State was in the lead since May of 2022.

Stats

In 2021, Inniss had 308 yards rushing, 2 rushing touchdowns, 341 receiving yards, 2 receiving touchdowns.

Noah Rogers (twitter), one of the top receivers in the country, attends Rolesville North Carolina High School. Rogers profile has exploded in the last few months. He looks to be the can't-miss wide receiver out of North Carolina this year, already making his way into the ranking early in the process. One of the better route-runners in the country and has impressive body control that allows him to make adjustments on the fly.

Who's Recruiting Noah Rogers

Brian Hartline, Ryan Day and the Ohio State staff will be hoping to add 2023 four-star WR Noah Rogers, who is being heavily recruited by NC State and Clemson. The four-star receiver from Rolesville NC could announce a commitment date soon. Rogers is being recruited by Todd Goebbel, the NC State Wolfpack's tight ends and fullbacks coach. And Tyler Grisham is recruiting him for Clemson.

Offers and Favorites

He has 29 offers including Alabama, Ohio State, Auburn, Florida and Clemson. Rogers top two schools are Ohio State and NC State.

Visits

Rogers will officially visit Ohio State on June 17th. On March 25th, Rogers unofficially visited NC State.

Ranking

Noah Rogers, a 4 star 2023 wide receiver now attending Rolesville High School and the #1 ranked wide receiver in North Carolina, stands 6'3" and weighs 185 pounds. He's the 11th best wide receiver in the country. Best overall prospect in North Carolina. And the 60th best national recruit overall.

Crystal Ball Predictions

Adam Friedman, Richard Schnyderite, Zach Carpenter, Kyle Kelly, Michael Clark, Steve Wiltfong, Chris Nee, Brian Dohn, Justin Thind, JC Shurburtt and Bill Kurelic are all predicting the Buckeyes.

High School Stats

Wide Receiver Noah Rogers is a playmaker that opens up the field for the offense. He had 70 receptions in 2021 with 22 touchdowns and 1430+ yards. He also had 26 receptions, 591 yards, and 9 touchdowns in 2020.

Zen Michalski is the most recent commit for Ohio State’s 2021 football recruiting class. Currently ranked the 2nd best class in the country behind Alabama, OSU’s newest class of players features Michalski, Donovan Jackson and Ben Christman on the offensive line. Michalski is a 6’6” 288 lbs. offensive tackle out of Floyd Central in Floyds Knobs Indiana. A four star recruit, he is considered the 33rd best OT in the country and the 3rd best overall prospect in Indiana. He had 24 scholarship offers including ones from Bowling Green, Boston College, Ball State and Louisville.

Visits and the Recruitment of Zen Michalski

Michalski was recruited by Greg Studrawa for Ohio State but also spoke with Coach Day daily before deciding. The current pandemic made recruiting for Michalski a little bit of an adventure. He committed to Louisville in April. The only official visit for Michalski was to Indiana State, his first offer. Ohio State offered him a scholarship based solely on film that they obtained of his game performances. The film demonstrates that he has grown into the tackle position after being a small tight-end the year before.

The feeling is that he has great potential, good feet and a big frame. He knows that he might have to wait a year to get on the field but he is fine with taking time to develop into a top tier lineman.

Blake Miller needs no introduction, but he's a four-star offensive lineman for those who don't know him. Regarding the 2022 cycle, he's ranked at 23 when it comes to offensive tackles in the country and favored to play at Ohio State at the next level. Everything about Miller is a process, that's from his recruitment to the lineman’s progression. His father is a high school cross country runner, and he introduced Miller to the gym at an early age of 8 years old. Since then, the gym became a consistent hobby.

Blake Miller’s attributes

At Strongsville, at only 16 years old, Miller holds the title of being the team's strongest guy. Miller is big and powerful, and his main focus is blocking the space. He's not that fast or quick, but he's almost there. That's why if you keen on his game if he doesn't have the ball that quickly, he gets his hand on the defensive linemen or locks the linebackers in the open field.

Visits and scholarship

At the moment, Miller is high on the Buckeye's scholarship offer. He has already made three visits to colleges that's Michigan, Clemson and Penn State. The quickening pace of recruitment has caught him by surprise. Recently he had offers from Toledo, Indians, Iowa State, Bowing Green, and many others, but the offer from Ohio State will be a game-changer.

Miller has a scheduled visit with Clemson offensive line coach Robbie Caldwell. He also talks to him once to thrice a month. This means that he is serious about his football career, he wants to improve daily, and with the help of Coach Robbie Caldwell, the sky is not the limit.

As per his calendar, he intends to visit the other two colleges high on his offer list, that's LSU and Tennessee. He describes them as the "up-and-comer" that have offered him scholarships this year, and he's open with other scholarships.

When it comes to top-tier wide receivers, Emeka Egbuka checks all the boxes—size, speed, versatility, and the ability to be a game-changer. All of the experts agree that this young man from Washington is a playmaker, and he certainly would look good in an Ohio State uniform.

Emeka Egbuka Offers

But the Buckeyes will have to battle to land Egbuka, who has become part of a fierce recruiting battle. Reports indicate that Egbuka has narrowed his list to a half-dozen or so Top Ten schools, and geography may come into play with as Egbuka comes closer to making his final choice.

Other offers have come from Miami and Georgia, but wherever he lands, academics likely won’t be a problem for Egbuka. He maintained a 4.0 GPA in high school, and Egbuka certainly comes from excellent intellectual and athletic stock. His father is a is a civil engineer played who nearly tried out for the Nigerian junior national soccer team, while his mother was a three-sport standout who turned down a chance to go to Columbia and now works in IT for Kaiser Permanente.

What Egbuka has to offer?

So who is Emeka Egbuka? Let’s start with the basics. At 6’1 190 pounds, the five-star receiver has the size and body control to compete in space for balls within his formidable catch radius, and Ekbuga’s 4.42 speed is excellent for his size. Moreover, Ekbuga has been a force on special teams, with three TDs to his credit as a returner on special teams. That only adds to his resume as a playmaker, and the icing on the cake is that Egbuka has been rated the number one athlete and the number eight recruit in the 2021 class by 247Sports.

The comparables also include Pittsburgh’s JuJu Smith-Schuster, so Egbuka is keeping some elite company of his own.

Egbuka Visits

Naturally, that resume has inspired plenty of admiration and interest from afar. The Steilacoom resident has been visited by Ryan Day and past University of Washington coach Chris Petersen, and his visits to date have included Clemson, Alabama and LSU, among others.

What Ohio State offers Egbuka

But the Buckeyes have plenty to offer as well. One reason some experts expect Egbuka, who is projected to go to Ohio State, to join the Buckeye’s is the recent strength of OSU’s wide receiver draft classes, which have included the likes of Michael Thomas and Terry McLaurin.

While it it true that the Buckeyes tend to stack their wide receiver group with top-flight prospects and rotate receivers in and out of the lineup, that draft record is definitely reason for optimism when it comes to his NFL future.

If he does choose Ohio State, Egbuka will be part of an elite wide receiver corps. The OSU wide receiver room will include Marvin Harrison, Jr as well as five-star prospects Julian Fleming and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The Buckeyes recruiting class is considered the best in the country, but landing Egbuka would be an impressive addition.

The Pacific northwest may play a significant role in his choice as well. Washington State has already made an offer, and Washington is basing its hopes on the fact that Egbuka has already visited the school, not to mention that the Huskies roster will include QB Sam Huard, the son of former NFL signal caller Damon Huard.

Ohio State recruiting: Breaking down Emeka Egbuka top-four list

But a different local connection comes in the form of another Washington native, Gee Scott Jr., who will also be an incoming OSU freshman this fall. Egbuka has talked openly of Scott being a leader and a confidant, and that may sway him to consider the Buckeyes more seriously.

There’s no clear favorite right now, but regardless of where he goes, Egbuka’s future in both football and academics is a bright one. And the Buckeyes believe they have a serious shot to convince him to hope take his talents to Columbus this fall.

Tegra Tshabola kept the rapid commitments coming for Ohio State when he selected the Buckeyes as his college destination yesterday. The 6’6” 305lbs. sophomore offensive tackle from nearby West Chester Ohio is the second commit for the OSU 2022 class. He joins cornerback Jyaire Brown who made his selection the day prior.

Tshabola is considered the 6th best offensive tackle in the class and the 69th best overall prospect in the country. And a four star recruit he grew up watching Ohio State football.

Tegra Tshabola Recruitment

Coaches Al Washington and offensive line coach Greg Studrawa recruited Tshabola for Ohio State. They gave him a scholarship offer back in November of 2019. The Buckeye coaches knew they had to offer him early before every school in the country went after his services. He is compared to JC Latham, a 2021 Buckeye recruit will similar dominating strength.

He had scholarship offers from Oklahoma, Louisville, Florida, Kentucky, Arizona State and 8 others.

What Tshabola Offers Ohio State

Tshabola is reported to already look like a college athlete in his build. He can quickly get off the line and stay low. His strength puts him over-the-top of everyone at his level. A great run blocker, he should improve at pass blocking during his two remaining years in high school.

Starting offensive linemen in 2022 for Ohio State look to include Petit-Frere, Dawand Jones and Paris Johnson (a friend of Tshabola).

Tegra Tshabola Visits

Tshabola attended the Tennessee Junior Day in March and was on hand for Ohio State’s victory over Penn State during the 2019 regular season. Ryan Day made a point of speaking to Tshabola prior to the start of the game which was not expected as the coaches were gearing up for the big game. That talk put Ohio State at the top of his list.

Rivals Camp Cincinnati: OL vs. DL - Best on Best

With the departure of standout tailback J.K. Dobbins to the NFL, Ohio State has placed native of West Bloomfield Michigan, RB Donovan Edwards at the top of their wish list. The Buckeye's are in what seems to be a heated tug of war battle with the Michigan Wolverines for the right to have Edwards in their backfield beginning in 2021. What are the new developments in the situation, and what are the chances Ohio State will secure it's next feature back?

Donovan Edwards Ranking

A marvelous physical specimen, Donovan Edwards has been dazzling scouts and coaches alike all across the nation. By watching the tape on him, you will quickly come to the reality that he checks all of the boxes off of the superstar running back checklist after watching just a few plays. With a height of 5'11" and weighing a chiseled 190 lbs., Edwards appears to actually be larger than life on a football field.

The versatile and dynamic Edwards is the 22nd ranked player and 2nd ranked running back in the nation for the class of 2021 according to 247sports.com. He is also the No. 1 ranked player in the state of Michigan for the touted class. Seemingly every program that is serious about winning football games has reached out to Donovan Edwards and offered him a scholarship.

Donovan Edwards Scholarship Offers

The schools include (at the time of this publication); Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Alabama, Arizona State, Cincinnati, Colorado, Florida, FSU, Illinois, Indiana, Kent State, Kentucky, Louisville, Maryland, Miami, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina A & T, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Oregon, Penn State, Pitt, Purdue, Rutgers, Syracuse, Texas, Texas A & M, USC, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Akron.

Edwards Projected to Ohio State

This past week, an interesting report surfaced from 247sports.com that sent ripples through the Buckeye's fan base and alumni. According to Jeremy Birmingham of Lettermen Row, Steve Wiltfong and Allen Trieu (recruiting analysts from 247sports.com and creators of their crystal ball predictions) changed their crystal ball prediction on Donovan Edwards from Michigan to Ohio State.

Since it's the dead-period of recruiting, it's important to tread carefully about these type of predictions. If Edwards had a decision date picked, then a forecast of him landing at Ohio State would carry more weight. He doesn't however, so the sudden change could have just been the result of a few random phone calls placed to him from the Ohio State coaching staff. Back in December of 2019, Edwards was tracked down in the halls of West Bloomfield High School by a local reporter. The following is a brief interview courtesy of Detroit Free Press;

Donovan Edwards Interview

"We are here for signing day. We got Chase, Sterling, Cornell, Cory, and K.D. All the guys here for National Signing Day, I used to grow up with these guys. Me and Sterling knew each other since I was in first grade and he was in the second grade. So it's just like everything that we been through, it's beautiful." Edwards told the Detroit Free Press.
"How many schools that offered you a scholarship are you seriously considering?"
"Around 10. Coach Jim Harbaugh told me I'm No. 1 on their board. Like, Nick Saban told me I'm No. 1 on their board. I was talking to Notre Dame last week, and coach Taylor was talking about how I could be used for multiple things. It doesn't have to just be running back for me. It could be receiver, punt returns, anything. To be able to contribute to my team in multiple ways is appealing to me." Donovan Edwards boasted and deadpanned to the Detroit Free Press.

Donovan Edwards, top 2021 running back, talks recruiting, Buckeyes

It did not take me a long time to understand who Luke Wypler was. At first, I was frustrated because I couldn’t find much information on the number one prospect at center for the class of 2020. I dug deeper and found out Luke worked hard as hell to get the recruitment process done early. He didn’t want to focus too much on the recruitment process because it would take him away from his current goal at the time: winning a state championship for St. Joseph Regional. They would go on to win the state championship because of Luke and his team’s nonstop attitude.

Committing To The University

Many prospects have backed away from Ohio State due to the sudden retirement of legendary Head Coach Urban Myer. Although Luke has been quiet in his recruitment process, he did open up about this topic. It was never his plan to commit to a coach, he felt the need to commit to a university. Luke was able to visit the school early this year, nearly a full year after his verbal commitment. This solidified Luke’s desire to join the team and build his credit as a football player. Jeff Hafley and Greg Studrawa recruited his for Ryan Day's 2020 class.

What Luke Wypler Was Looking For

Ohio State breeds NFL prospects, and that is exactly what Luke wants, along with the chance to join Fisher’s School of Business. The academics and culture of Ohio State will fit Luke well, and give him a chance to grow as both a man and a player.

What Luke Wypler Has to Offer

After observing his highlights, it was clear that he was a gamechanger. His speed and athleticism can change the course of a play, and he puts defensive ends on the tackles on the ground for fun. Most offensive lineman of the past have simply been giant bodies that can out muscle sneaky defensive ends and charging linebackers. The game is changing, and Luke is a perfect fit for this new breed of offensive linemen. Luke is fast and strong, he is built for quickness and keeping up with a fast-paced level of college. Luke has a rare ability that most offensive lineman, he moves at angles and this creates the leverage he needs for the few defensive linemen that are stronger than him. This ability to create angles originated from his time as an all-state wrestler.