Caleb Houser
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2025 running back recruiting sorting itself out, Buckeyes offer preferred walk-on spot to portal prospect
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Lori Schmidt / Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Michigan loses out on a top RB target to Kentucky.
It’s that time of the late spring season when Ohio State recruiting is gearing up for a busy June that will see tons of campus visits with many of the top targets the Buckeyes are after.
In addition to official and unofficial visits, there are also one-day position camps where prospects will compete to try and earn an Ohio State offer. June is going to be tough to keep track of, but it should also be an exciting start to the summer. Until then, it’s full-steam ahead with the plan of further evaluating talent and pitching why Columbus is the place to be for their already offered top targets.
The Buckeyes have to take at least two running backs in the 2025 cycle, with the potential for a third if the right situation presents itself. Plenty of elite options are strongly considering Ohio State, but the Buckeyes have had one name all along that has clearly been atop of their leaderboard in Jordon Davison.
The No. 96 player nationally and seventh-best running back in the class per the 247Sports Composite grades, Davison continues to be recruited heavily by Ohio State and will see that be the case even after he decides on the school of his choice. Multiple crystal ball predictions have the Buckeyes winning out in the end, but there’s work still to be done to fend off other suitors such as Oregon and Texas.
Knowing full well though that Davison is a top target, that leaves at least one other RB spot, and having two in-state 2025 talents in Ohio State’s backyard has left a little bit of a conundrum of who to go after the hardest. The names in question involved are Bo Jackson and Marquise Davis.
Yesterday though, the situation really cleared itself up when Davis announced his commitment to Kentucky. A decision that wasn’t unexpected at least in Ohio State’s mind, it’s been apparent since Carlos Locklyn took over as the new position coach in Columbus that he preferred Jackson as the in-state running back to try and land while former RB coach Tony Alford seemed to have wanted Davis. Either way, this sheds light on where Ohio State goes from here as Jackson and Davison are clearly the two backs at the top of the list for OSU.
Ironically, with Alford now at Michigan, it was the Wolverines who started to lead the way in terms of predictions for Davis, and though Tony was all over this recruitment dating back to his time in Columbus, Kentucky stealing him away is a major help to Ohio State, which certainly wouldn’t want a top player in-state to head north to their rivals.
Without trying to throw too much shade, Ohio State never exactly hurt at the running back position under Alford, but he did leave something to be desired both in recruiting and development. A shot at him came often when it correlated to his recruiting wins and now Buckeye fans all over are telling their friends up north, “told you so” after Michigan lost out on a target Alford had gone all-in on. Though it’s not an immediate win for the Buckeyes, Ohio State sees their rival lose out and that’s music to their ears.
Not a scholarship offer, but Ohio State was in the recruiting business yesterday with John Motton who still has two years of eligibility remaining after entering the transfer portal.
A Groveport, Ohio, Motton has played his first couple of years at Ohio University and yesterday saw the Buckeyes notice his intent to transfer by offering him a preferred walk-on spot. Again, not a scholarship, but it’s still something worth tracking as it wouldn’t be entirely out of the question to see him maybe earn a scholarship eventually since the current roster has a handful of spots open contributing to their 85 scholarships thanks to the few players who have also decided to transfer out.
A 5-foot-10, 200-pound cornerback, Motton is not currently ranked in the transfer portal grades, but was a two-star out of high school and should see continued interest in the near future.
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
Lori Schmidt / Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Michigan loses out on a top RB target to Kentucky.
It’s that time of the late spring season when Ohio State recruiting is gearing up for a busy June that will see tons of campus visits with many of the top targets the Buckeyes are after.
In addition to official and unofficial visits, there are also one-day position camps where prospects will compete to try and earn an Ohio State offer. June is going to be tough to keep track of, but it should also be an exciting start to the summer. Until then, it’s full-steam ahead with the plan of further evaluating talent and pitching why Columbus is the place to be for their already offered top targets.
Running back position continues to sort itself out
The Buckeyes have to take at least two running backs in the 2025 cycle, with the potential for a third if the right situation presents itself. Plenty of elite options are strongly considering Ohio State, but the Buckeyes have had one name all along that has clearly been atop of their leaderboard in Jordon Davison.
The No. 96 player nationally and seventh-best running back in the class per the 247Sports Composite grades, Davison continues to be recruited heavily by Ohio State and will see that be the case even after he decides on the school of his choice. Multiple crystal ball predictions have the Buckeyes winning out in the end, but there’s work still to be done to fend off other suitors such as Oregon and Texas.
Knowing full well though that Davison is a top target, that leaves at least one other RB spot, and having two in-state 2025 talents in Ohio State’s backyard has left a little bit of a conundrum of who to go after the hardest. The names in question involved are Bo Jackson and Marquise Davis.
Yesterday though, the situation really cleared itself up when Davis announced his commitment to Kentucky. A decision that wasn’t unexpected at least in Ohio State’s mind, it’s been apparent since Carlos Locklyn took over as the new position coach in Columbus that he preferred Jackson as the in-state running back to try and land while former RB coach Tony Alford seemed to have wanted Davis. Either way, this sheds light on where Ohio State goes from here as Jackson and Davison are clearly the two backs at the top of the list for OSU.
Ironically, with Alford now at Michigan, it was the Wolverines who started to lead the way in terms of predictions for Davis, and though Tony was all over this recruitment dating back to his time in Columbus, Kentucky stealing him away is a major help to Ohio State, which certainly wouldn’t want a top player in-state to head north to their rivals.
Without trying to throw too much shade, Ohio State never exactly hurt at the running back position under Alford, but he did leave something to be desired both in recruiting and development. A shot at him came often when it correlated to his recruiting wins and now Buckeye fans all over are telling their friends up north, “told you so” after Michigan lost out on a target Alford had gone all-in on. Though it’s not an immediate win for the Buckeyes, Ohio State sees their rival lose out and that’s music to their ears.
Quick Hits:
Not a scholarship offer, but Ohio State was in the recruiting business yesterday with John Motton who still has two years of eligibility remaining after entering the transfer portal.
A Groveport, Ohio, Motton has played his first couple of years at Ohio University and yesterday saw the Buckeyes notice his intent to transfer by offering him a preferred walk-on spot. Again, not a scholarship, but it’s still something worth tracking as it wouldn’t be entirely out of the question to see him maybe earn a scholarship eventually since the current roster has a handful of spots open contributing to their 85 scholarships thanks to the few players who have also decided to transfer out.
A 5-foot-10, 200-pound cornerback, Motton is not currently ranked in the transfer portal grades, but was a two-star out of high school and should see continued interest in the near future.
Continue reading...