Before he took his talents to Ohio State’s skills/big man camp last Thursday from the outdoor practice fields of the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, Luke Lachey was on campus multiple times in the previous weeks.
Kevin Wilson walked Lachey through what the offensive coordinator/tight ends coach wanted to see out of the 2020 three-star tight end, who holds 27 offers but has been in the hunt for one from the Buckeyes.
The 6-6, 220-pounder from nearby Columbus Grandview Heights exited without an offer but left an impression on Wilson after Lachey competed with two of Ohio’s top tight ends — Mansfield three-star Clay Caudill (6-5, 230) and Cincinnati Elder three-star Joe Royer (6-5, 225) — in a post-camp workout.
“We thought we got pushed a lot by Coach Wilson and I feel like we came up for it, and I think we did well,” Lachey said.
As the son of former offensive guard Jim Lachey (1981-84), Luke Lachey — the 247Sports composite’s No. 676 overall prospect, No. 20 tight end and No. 20 player in Ohio — has an obvious link to OSU.
In search of a tight end or two for its 2020 class, is a potential answer for head coach Ryan Day and Wilson right before the two?
Time will tell as Wilson evaluates the performance — Ohio State is also in the mix for top national targets like Dedham (Mass.) Noble 2020 three-star Cam Large (6-5, 240), who has held an offer since Jan. 31 and returns on an official visit June 21-23 after an unofficial visit March 8.
Royer announced an offer roughly 24 hours later, since setting an official visit for the same weekend as Large. But after the workout, Lachey felt like he adjusted his game where Wilson wanted him to.
“They really know what they’re doing, they’re coaching at the highest level,” Lachey said. “Just coming out here and competing with other players, that was good, but getting coached by the best is even better.”
The room for improvement includes all-around tweaks from his run blocking to route running, areas Lachey believed he capitalized on.
“Just coming in here, Joe and I, coming in, we were together the whole time, trying to compete together — against each other, but also trying to get each other better — and I think that we both did because that’s something that he wanted us both to improve on was our blocking,” Lachey said. “So I think that’s what we both did.”
In possession of 27 offers with LSU (May 10), Georgia Tech (May 15) and Louisville (May 20) as the latest, Lachey holds out hope for one from the Buckeyes while Wisconsin (March 8) and Iowa (May 8) have headlined the Big Ten options on the table.
“It would mean a lot to me,” Lachey said. “I live 11 minutes away from here, so that right there would just mean a lot because they’re so close to my family. I grew up here, dad’s been a player.”
Ahead of an official visit to Michigan State set for June 18-19, Lachey keeps his options open as he navigates the recruiting process and keeps in contact with OSU.
“I think they just push their players really hard and that’s something that I want to be — I want to be pushed,” Lachey said. “I think that they can do it.”