Ohio State preparing for another busy recruiting weekend
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Ohio State is now 4-1 following an impressive victory against Iowa. Ryan Day and the Buckeyes walked out of Kinnick Stadium with a 31-14 win thanks in large part to Jeremiah Smith having another elite showing.
Smith showed once again he was the best player in college football with another 200-yard, multi-touchdown game.
The Buckeyes now will shift their focus to this coming Saturday, when Maryland will come to town for Ohio State’s homecoming game.
With it being homecoming week, Ohio Stadium will be full of Buckeye Faithful and alumni, but they will not be alone. Ohio State will also have another handful of recruits on campus as well, and the visitor list for this weekend’s game is already shaping up to be an important one.
One of the bigger recruits to announce an upcoming game day visit to Ohio State is 2028 five-star defensive lineman Jamarcus Johnson (Lyons, GA / Toombs County).
Johnson is not only one of the top DL prospects in the 2028 class but he is one of the top overall prospects. He is the No. 5 DL in the 247Sports Composite and he is the No. 29 national recruit. He is also the No. 4 recruit from the talent-rich state of Georgia.
Because of the potential he has already shown, Johnson has an impressive list of suitors. Ohio State has some tough competition as he holds offers from the likes of Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Ole Miss, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas and many others.
Of the above schools, Tennessee, Alabama, Auburn and Georgia seem to be Ohio State’s biggest competition early on his Johnson’s recruitment, but regardless it will be difficult for the Buckeyes to pry him out of SEC Country. This weekend’s visit for the Maryland game could go a long way for Ohio State’s chances in becoming a leader in his recruitment.
Ohio State’s 2028 recruiting class is already off to a hot start. The Buckeyes hold five verbal commits and currently hold claim to the No. 1 haul in the cycle. 2028 five-star edge Jameer Whyce is already a member of the class and adding Johnson alongside him would make for an excellent pairing.
Johnson won’t be the only highly-regarded defensive line prospect set to be on Ohio State’s campus this weekend as the Buckeyes are also scheduled to host 2028 five-star DL Kellan Hall (Louisville, KY / Christian Academy of Louisville) for the Maryland game.
Similar to Johnson, Hall is another highly-coveted prospect in the 2028 class. He is the No. 1 DL prospect in the 247Sports Composite and he is the No. 2 national recruit. He is also the No. 1 recruit from Kentucky.
Hall also has an impressive offer list, holding more than a reported 30 scholarship offers. He released a game day visit schedule late in the summer, which gives a glimpse into his mindset. Alongside Ohio State, Hall also scheduled game day visits with Oregon, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Georgia, Texas A&M, Michigan, Texas, Notre Dame and Tennesee.
Hall is no stranger to Ohio State and has found his way to Columbus numerous times to visit with the Buckeyes. Of the schools he has visited or will be visiting, no one team has separated themselves from the pack, but Ohio State has to like where it sits in his recruitment.
If Saturday’s visit goes well and he walks away impressed, the Buckeyes could become the early favorites in his recruitment. That being said, his visits with Oregon, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Georgia and Texas A&M have all seemingly gone well already too.
Hall, along with the aforementioned Johnson, would both make for excellent additions to Ohio State’s 2028 recruiting class. However, it will be incredibly difficult for the Buckeyes to land both, especially already having Whyce in the class already.
That being said, the three would make up an incredibly intimidating trio along Ohio State’s defensive front of the future.
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