Recruiting Outlook: Siereveld Committing Wednesday, Official Visits Lining Up For Summer
Recruiting Outlook is a regular series on Buckeye Sports Bulletin designed to be your one-stop shop for all news related to the Ohio State football recruiting trail.
A potential boom could be incoming for Ohio State this week as Middleton (Ohio) Lakota East four-star offensive lineman Austin Siereveld (6-5, 315) is set to commit on Wednesday.
Siereveld will decide between his top three schools that of Alabama, Notre Dame and Ohio State. He’s made stops to all three schools in recent weeks, including Alabama on March 26, Ohio State on March 21 and April 16, as well as Notre Dame on April 2 and April 23.
He is the No. 351 overall prospect in 2023 and the No. 20 interior lineman, as well as the No. 7 recruit in Ohio. The Buckeyes have been hot on Siereveld’s trail, hosting him for several unofficial visits last season that culminated in an offer in October. He would be the third offensive line commitment in the class for Ohio State, joining Huber Heights (Ohio) Wayne four-star Josh Padilla (6-4, 265) and Findlay, Ohio, four-star Luke Montgomery (6-5, 280).
Siereveld will announce his college of choice at 3:15 p.m. at Lakota East High School, and his announcement will also be streamed on CBS Sports. All four 247Sports crystal ball predictions have Siereveld committing to Ohio State.
Official Visits Set For Justice Haynes, Brandon Inniss
Ohio State’s summer schedule is quickly filling with a pair of high-profile official visits on deck for June, according to several reports.
One of the biggest set to take place is on June 17, when Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) American Heritage five-star wide receiver Brandon Inniss (6-0, 190) is expected to visit. He was originally set for an official visit this upcoming season but has moved up his timeline.
Inniss – who is ranked the No. 10 overall prospect in 2023 and the top wide receiver in his class – is the priority target for Ohio State and wide receivers coach Brian Hartline. A former Oklahoma commit and later a lean toward USC, the Buckeyes have made serious in-roads in recent months, including bringing him in for an unofficial visit on April 2.
The trip has gained some additional importance with several SEC schools – namely LSU and Tennessee – gaining traction for Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy four-star wide receiver Carnell Tate (6-2, 185), Ohio State’s other top receiving target on the board. The Buckeyes are still viewed as the favorites for Tate, but the positioning does not appear as solid as it once was.
Also making the trip that weekend is Tampa (Fla.) Jesuit four-star linebacker Troy Bowles (6-1, 205), as well as the recently committed duo of Tampa (Fla.) Wharton four-star cornerback Dijon Johnson (6-1, 187) and Zephyrhills (Fla.) Wiregrass Ranch three-star wide receiver Bryson Rodgers (6-2, 170).
The following weekend, Ohio State will host several top prospects, including a pair of top-level running backs in Lehigh Acres (Fla.) Senior five-star Richard Young (5-11, 200) and Roswell (Ga.) Blessed Trinity Catholic four-star Justice Haynes (5-10, 200).
Ohio State is still in the running for both tailbacks, but Alabama appears to have taken a slight edge for Young. Georgia is the main competition for Haynes, but as currently scheduled, the Buckeyes are the final official visits of the summer for both prospect, giving running backs coach Tony Alford a chance to close things out for a running back to join Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) American Heritage four-star Mark Fletcher (6-1, 225) in 2023.
Other visits on deck for that weekend include Windsor (Conn.) Loomis Chaffee School four-star offensive tackle Olaus Alinen (6-6, 315), Many, La., four-star linebacker Tackett Curtis (6-2, 218), Columbus (Ga.) Carver four-star defensive lineman Darron Reed (6-5, 260) and Kissimmee (Fla.) Osceola four-star defensive lineman John Walker (6-3, 310).