Ranking Ryan Day’s Classes, No. 2: 2022
With Ohio State head coach Ryan Day recently wrapping up his third recruiting class as the lead man for the Buckeyes, Buckeye Sports Bulletin is taking a look back to rank his three recruiting hauls. These rankings reflect both what the classes have accomplished and how they’re expected to impact the coming years for Ohio State. No. 3 (2020) posted Wednesday and No. 1 will post Friday, and today’s second-ranked class is Day’s most recent 2022 haul.
Class: 2022
Signees: 21
Average Player Rating: 0.9405
National/Big Ten Ranking: 4th/1st
Highest Rated Signee: LB C.J. Hicks (NA 7, POS 1, OH 1)
After breaking down Ohio State head coach Ryan Day’s 2020 class, focus shifts to his most recent 2022 class, which ranks second among his three classes in our rankings.
Logic would entail that the 2022 class can not be ranked ahead of the 2020 class given that these new Ohio State players – some of which have not even made it to campus yet, with just 11 early enrollees among the 21-man class – have yet to take the field. However, this is an exercise in both what a class has accomplished and the expectations of each respective class.
With that said, expectations are high for Day’s class of 2022, which ranked fourth in the nation and first in the Big Ten, and has an average player rating of .9405, trailing only Alabama and Texas A&M.
It doesn’t appear the class has many players like cornerback Denzel Burke or running back TreVeyon Henderson who will start as a true freshman, but numerous position groups, including defensive line, linebacker and at wide receiver, should be flush with youth from this class.
Most highlights for the class are on defense, with linebacker C.J. Hicks and safety Sonny Styles as the two five-star prospects. While neither will likely start, they should factor in as depth and push for more snaps as the season progresses.
The cupboard has also been restocked on the defensive line, with defensive ends Kenyatta Jackson, Omari Abor and Caden Curry all expected to contribute in the rotation. While defensive tackle Hero Kanu will likely take some time to adjust given that he’s only played football for two years, the logjam ahead of him is not a bad thing in this case.
Ohio State could also see any number of freshman wide receivers – Kaleb Brown, Kyion Grayes, Caleb Burton and Kojo Antwi – step up this season to establish themselves as many Ohio State freshmen receivers have done before them.
Where this class can separate itself from Day’s other classes is on the offensive line, where 2020 and 2021 have yielded few results other than Paris Johnson Jr. and Luke Wypler in 2020. Though the likes of Tegra Tshabola and Carson Hinzman won’t see the field as starters, they have an opportunity to slot themselves into the two-deep.
All told, while a select few like Hicks and Styles may make an impact this season, look for many members of this class to take a jump in 2023 like Ohio State saw this past season with members of the 2021 class. Expectations will be high, but on paper, there appears to be no shortage of potential starters for Ohio State in its most recent class.
| Name | Position | Stars | National/Position Rank |
| C.J. Hicks | LB | ***** | NA 7, LB 1 |
| Sonny Styles | SAF | ***** | NA 12, SAF 1 |
| Devin Brown | QB | **** | NA 43, QB 6 |
| Kenyatta Jackson Jr. | DE | **** | NA 60, DE 5 |
| Omari Abor | DE | **** | NA 63, DE 6 |
| Kaleb Brown | WR | **** | NA 79, WR 13 |
| Kyion Grayes | WR | **** | NA 88, WE 14 |
| Gabe Powers | LB | **** | NA 101, LB 8 |
| Tegra Tshabola | OT | **** | NA 104, OT 10 |
| Caden Curry | DE | **** | NA 123, DE 13 |
| Hero Kanu | DT | **** | NA 129, DL 19 |
| Caleb Burton | WR | **** | NA 132, WR 21 |
| Kojo Antwi | WR | **** | NA 149, WE 25 |
| Carson Hinzman | OL | **** | NA 173, IOL 9 |
| Jyaire Brown | CB | **** | NA 201, CB 24 |
| George Fitzpatrick | OT | **** | NA 259, OT 19 |
| Dallan Hayden | RB | **** | NA 294, RB 26 |
| Ryan Turner | CB | **** | NA 347, CB 36 |
| Kye Stokes | SAF | **** | NA 357, ATH 16 |
| Bennett Christian | TE | *** | NA 411, TE 20 |
| Avery Henry | OT | *** | NA 705, OT 56 |