Ohio State’s recruiting on the offensive line has been strong since Tyler Bowen took over as the position coach.
With just under six months to go until the early signing period, the Buckeyes have five commitments on the offensive line in the 2027 class.
On June 9, Bowen’s attention was on the 2028 class at Ohio State’s first one-day recruiting camp of the summer, and three-star offensive tackle Austin Ballou out of Mallard Creek High School in Charlotte, N.C., was participating still without a scholarship offer from the Buckeyes.
“I think I did a pretty good job,” Ballou said when asked how he thought the camp went for him. “I think I competed well. I definitely learned a lot about (using my) hips, all that type of stuff. I appreciate the opportunity to be here.”
Ballou is ranked as the No. 501 player in the 2028 class and the No. 38 offensive tackle according to 247Sports composite, and is every bit of the 6-7, 330 pounds the recruiting site lists him at.
He didn’t get an offer from the Buckeyes on Tuesday, but he did get some valuable coaching from Bowen, and the three-star said he took a lot from the time he got
“He’s really informative,” Ballou said. “A lot of information was given today about hips, everything.”
Ballou holds 21 Division I offers, which includes the likes of Florida State, Georgia, Indiana, Miami (Fla.), Tennessee, Texas A&M, and many others.
He said that he will “definitely be back” to Ohio State over the fall, but he doesn’t know which games on the Buckeyes’ schedule he will try to get to. He said that other schools he will try to visit in the fall are Clemson, Florida, Florida State and Tennessee.
In terms of schools that are currently standing out in his recruitment, he had a bit of a different answer, naming Tennessee, Texas, Georgia and Texas A&M when asked.
