With Ohio State starting spring practice, recruits are getting to campus with a good group already in this first week.
Four-star DL sets Buckeye official
Ohio State is one of three official visits for Chicago Brother Rice defensive tackle Brayden Parks and he will get back to campus for an unofficial on April 4 prior to that June official.
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The Buckeyes have tough competition from Oregon and Notre Dame but Larry Johnson has them in the game.
“Coach Johnson is the unquestioned guru of defensive line coaches of college football,” Parks said. “He has developed many players who went on to the NFL. Coach Johnson didn’t offer me on my first visit to Ohio State. He challenged me to attend a football camp at Ohio State. I attended their camp and he offered me a scholarship on the spot. Ohio State is a great program with a ton of success, especially on the defensive front.”
Miami, Oregon, Michigan, Georgia and Tennessee are also getting spring visits.
Four-star Michigan lineman has good visit
Kalamazoo (Mich.) Central four-star offensive tackle Dewey Young was offered by Ohio State when he visited for a game in October, and he was back on campus and at practice on Thursday.
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“The thing that stood out the most at Ohio State football practice was the intensity level of a second practice,” he said. “I saw starters as well as second- and third- string guys all receive the same amount of reps. It impressed me that the offensive line room only took one player from the portal. To me this shows that Ohio State is committed to developing high school talent. That’s important to me when choosing a school. They are also big on a players life after football. They want their players to succeed on the field and in life after football.
Offensive line coach Tyler Bowen has done a good job recruiting Young.
“I keep consistent contact with Coach Bowen and other coaches on staff,” he said. “Coach Bowen has been very clear on what he expects from his players. He expects hard work and good decision making on and off the field. Head coach Ryan Day preaches the same thing. All in all it was a really good visit.”
Purdue just hosted Young and is one of the main competitors to Ohio State right now. He has yet to set any official visits but the Buckeyes will be in high consideration for one.
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Standout 2028 safety likes Buckeye culture
Ohio State has not offered Carmel (Ind.) 2028 safety Drake Coellner yet but are keeping tabs on him. He visited on Thursday.
“I liked how much culture they have and how much they care about their players. Everyone on the staff is very connected with the players and it is a brotherhood,” he said.
Coellner (6-0, 195 pounds) has offers from Michigan, Oklahoma, Oregon and others.
In-state four-star offensive lineman remains on the radar
New Madison (Ohio) Tri-Village offensive tackle Dominic Black is a four-star junior whom Ohio State has also not offered yet, but given some of the Buckeyes’ efforts with in-state kids the last few cycles, it is not surprising to see him continue to be a player OSU recruits.
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“What stood out to me about the Ohio State practice was the overall energy and intensity of the environment. The energy was high, and it was clear that everyone on the field was focused on competing and getting better,” he said. “I was also able to see how detailed the coaching was and how much emphasis they put on execution and accountability during each period of practice.”
Ohio State will continue to evaluate him this spring but he thinks highly of the coaches.
“Another thing that stood out was the relationships I’m building with the staff,” he said. “I’m in constant communication with both Coach Bowen and Coach Dickey, and I plan to continue being on campus. Both coaches have been very personable and have taken time to talk with me and get to know me, which I really appreciate.”
“I also spent some time with Coach Day,” Black continued, “and we talked about my thoughts on practice and what I noticed while being there. It was great to be able to have that conversation with him and hear his perspective as well. Overall, it was a really good experience and it made me even more interested in continuing to build my relationships with the staff and spending more time around the program.”
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Virginia Tech, Michigan State, Kentucky, Boston College and others have offered.
Odds and ends
– Chicago Brother Rice 2028 tight end Jack McNamara will visit Ohio State on April 4. He holds a Buckeye offer.
“I actually have never been to Ohio State and that’s one of the reasons why I want to go,” McNamara said.
– Westerville (Ohio) Central 2028 offensive tackle Brock Baumann will visit the Buckeyes on March 28. It is shaping up to be a very good offensive line year in the state in 2028 and Baumann, at 6-foot-7, 305 pounds, looks like he will be one of the better ones.
