Recruiting Outlook is a new weekly series on Buckeye Sports Bulletin designed to be your one-stop shop for all news related to the Ohio State football recruiting trail.
- Alabama passed Ohio State in the most recent 2021 recruiting rankings, and currently leads by a little over one point, 299.49 to 298.27. This was helped out by five-star offensive tackle J.C. Latham, a Crimson Tide commit, moving up nine spots from No. 16 to No. 7 in the composite rankings. The Buckeyes still lead Alabama in the average recruit ranking 94.72 to 94.48.
- Los Alamitos, Calif., 2023 pro-style quarterback Malachi Nelson received an offer from Penn State. Nelson is rated as the No. 2 pro-style quarterback and No. 6 overall recruit nationally. The 6-foot-3, 180-pound signal caller holds offers from Alabama, Kentucky, Florida State, UNLV, Florida, Oklahoma State, Texas, Tennessee and Michigan.
- Houston (Texas) Klein Cain 2022 four-star running back Jaydon Blue received offers from Notre Dame and Colorado. Blue is the No. 4 running back and No. 51 overall prospect in the country.
- Steliacoom, Wash., five-star wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, who is one of Ohio State’s top remaining targets from the class of 2021, did not make an expected trip to Oklahoma for the “Sooner Summit,” an unofficial gathering of the program’s commits and top targets. Fairfax (Va.) Robinson Secondary five-star offensive tackle Tristan Leigh was among those in attendance, however.
- St. Louis Cardinal Ritter College Prep 2022 wide receiver Luther Burden announced he will list his top 12 schools on Friday, Aug. 28. Burden is the No. 2 wide receiver and No. 14 overall recruit in the nation, as well as Missouri’s No. 1 prospect.
- Four-star 2022 wide receiver Darrius Clemons transferred from Portland (Ore.) Westview to Pleasant Grove, Utah, where he scored a 29-yard touchdown in his first game. Clemons is the No. 17 wide receiver and No. 150 overall recruit nationally, as well as Utah’s top prospect. The talented wideout was recently clocked at 4.37 seconds [laser time] in the 40-yard dash and picked up an offer from UNLV.
- Lewisville, Texas, 2022 four-star wide receiver Armani Winfield picked up an offer from Colorado. Winfield is the No. 12 wide receiver and No. 73 overall prospect for 2022.
- Ohio State offered 2022 Memphis (Tenn.) four-star athlete Dallan Hayden. He is the nation’s No. 18-ranked athlete, and his offers include Auburn, Georgia, Florida, Notre Dame and Tennessee, who holds the lone crystal prediction.
- Danvers (Mass.) St. John’s Prep 2023 athlete Joenel Aguero received an offer from Arkansas. He is rated as the No. 9 athlete and No. 43 overall prospect in the country by 247Sports.
- Acworth, GA., 2022 three-star tight end Bennett Christian took a visit to Tennessee prior to his commitment date on Sept. 1. The Buckeyes and Vols are the final two schools on his list.
- Pilot Mountain, NC., 2022 four-star tight end Benji Gosnell included Ohio State in his final three along with Florida and North Carolina.
- Manassas (Va.) Unity Reed four-star defensive tackle Tyleik Williams announced he will be making his commitment decision on Aug. 27 at 5 p.m. He is choosing between a top six of Alabama, LSU, North Carolina, Ohio State, South Carolina and Virginia Tech, and has five crystal ball predictions, all of which are in favor of the Buckeyes.
- Mentor, Ohio four-star defensive end Brenan Vernon, the ninth-best player and top prospect in Ohio for the 2023 class, gained a pair of crystal ball predictions in favor of Ohio State. He now has five crystal ball predictions, all of which are for the Buckeyes.
- Shelby, N.C. four-star linebacker Malaki Hamrick received an offer from Ohio State on Aug. 24. He is ranked as the No. 12 outside linebacker and No. 142 prospect overall in the 2022 class.
- Philadelphia Neumann Goretti four-star linebacker Anthony Johnson put Ohio State in his top five schools on Aug. 20, along with Alabama, Penn State, Rutgers and Texas A&M. Johnson is ranked the ninth-best inside linebacker and No. 156 recruit in 2022.
- Marysville, Ohio linebacker and Ohio State commit Gabe Powers earned his fifth star in the 247Sports Composite Rankings. He is now ranked as the top outside linebacker and No. 31 overall prospect in 2022.
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