We’re less than three weeks away from National Signing Day on Dec. 20.
As such, this will be the final edition of the Heat Check for the 2024 class. When we put out our next edition sometime in January, it will be with an eye towards the 2025 class.
Currently, Ohio State’s 2024 class sits at 22 commits, as it suffered a blow late Wednesday after five-star defensive tackle Justin Scott flipped from OSU to Miami. As you might expect, the final Heat Check is very front-loaded with potential defensive line replacements with that consideration in mind.
With only a few spots remaining in OSU’s 2024 class, we’ve narrowed things down to seven potential targets for the Buckeyes in December. Three out of seven would have to be flipped from other schools.
In case you need a reminder, the criteria used to select the top targets for Eleven Warriors’ monthly Ohio State recruiting board editorial is based on many factors, including roster needs for the program in future seasons, the caliber of each player and how likely that player is to sign with the Buckeyes.
This late in the year, we’ll be a little more loose with the last category, since there’s always at least a puncher’s chance a target could end up in Columbus.
| PROSPECT | POSITION | RANK | PREV. | RATING | OTHERS IN THE MIX |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AMARIS WILLIAMS | DL | 1 | 2 | ★★★★ | Florida•Tennessee•Mystery team |
| CARLON JONES | DT | 2 | 4 | ★★★★ | Kansas State•Texas A&M |
| KOI PERICH | S | 3 | NA | ★★★★ | Minnesota•Florida State |
| ERNEST WILLOR JR. | DL | 4 | NA | ★★★★ | Wisconsin•Maryland |
| JORDAN SEATON | OT | 5 | 1 | ★★★★★ | Alabama•Colorado•Florida•Oklahoma•Oregon•Tennessee |
| KYNGSTONN VILIAMU-ASA | LB | 6 | NA | ★★★★ | Notre Dame |
| DRELON MILLER | WR | 7 | NA | ★★★★ | Mizzou |
Amaris Williams
Williams made two visits to OSU this fall and has plenty of interest in Ohio State. While there’s no outright replacing the caliber of player Scott is, Williams would be a welcome addition with his 6-foot-3, 270-pound frame. While Williams is committed to Florida, there’s a very distinct possibility the North Carolina product eventually flips. Ohio State is considered the favorite, but Tennessee is also pursuing Williams and per 247Sports, there’s apparently another unnamed powerhouse team in pursuit of Williams.
Carlon Jones
OSU now clearly has a need at defensive tackle with Scott’s departure, and there’s a good chance Jones could be in the Buckeyes’ 2024 class if his official visit goes well on Dec. 8. Jones has already decommitted from Nebraska, and while he may visit other schools before making a decision, the Buckeyes are perceived to be the favorite to land the Texas product.
Koi Perich
While Ohio State has two safeties committed in the 2024 class, the Buckeyes would like to add one more if possible, with their eyes set on Minnesota commit Koi Perich. It may turn into an Ohio State vs. Florida State battle for the Minnesota prospect, with OSU scheduled to host him on an official visit Dec. 9-10 and FSU getting its turn on Dec. 15.
Ernest Willor Jr.
Before Scott’s decommitment, Willor was already scheduled to visit Columbus on Dec. 8, the same weekend Jones is taking his trip to OSU. Silver linings are few and far between to find from the decommitment of Scott, but if there is one, the tenor of that trip will be much different for each prospect, with the Buckeyes now having a spot available for both players instead of just one. Willor hasn’t visited OSU since 2021, but the Buckeyes are very much still in the running for the Maryland prospect.
Jordan Seaton
Seaton has moved from No. 1 to No. 5 on the board, not because of the impact he’d bring to Ohio State, but because it’s unclear if he’s ever going to visit Columbus. The Buckeyes tried to set up a gameday visit with Seaton this fall, but that was unable to materialize. OSU hasn’t given up, though, and the Buckeyes still want to get the top-rated offensive tackle in the 2024 class on campus for an official visit before National Signing Day.
Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa
There’s usually no bigger advocate than me in regards to not reading into anything a college football recruit posts on social media unless it’s a commitment or a top schools post. Nevertheless, despite being committed to Notre Dame since this summer, Viliamu-Asa has “liked” a bevy of Ohio State related tweets on his Twitter account over the last month or so, which is at the very least curious if nothing else. And then, there’s this.
— Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa (@AsaViliamu) November 30, 2023
OSU had long thought it was the favorite to land the California linebacker in the summer, but he had a change of heart a few days before his commitment in July and ultimately went with the Fighting Irish. That said, OSU hasn’t stopped recruiting the top-70 prospect. Don’t expect the Buckeyes to stop their pursuit of him until the ink is dry on his National Letter of Intent to play for Notre Dame on Dec. 20. It’s unclear if the Buckeyes can successfully flip Viliamu-Asa, but the chances are higher than they seemed a month ago, especially if graduate assistant James Laurinaitis is given a full-time spot on Ryan Day’s staff.
Drelon Miller
Miller is ranked last on this list because he’s only recently begun to be recruited by Ohio State. But with OSU’s top desired remaining wideout target Chance Robinson likely going to stick with his Miami commitment, the Buckeyes will need to look elsewhere if they still want to take four wide receivers in the 2024 class. While he’s yet to receive an OSU offer, per 247Sports, Miller’s family is trying to arrange a visit to Columbus sometime in December. Miller is a former Texas A&M commit who decommitted in the fall following the turmoil in College Station and has had interest from the likes of USC, LSU, Colorado and Texas. Per 247Sports’ composite rankings, Miller is considered the 64th-ranked prospect and 14th-best wide receiver in the 2024 class.
