Ohio State is in the running for the nation's top transfer player.
Former LSU cornerback Eli Ricks, a five-star prospect who was heavily recruited by the Buckeyes out of high school, could be heading to Columbus after all, listing Ohio State on his short list of schools he's interested in attending.
Ricks told 247Sports that he's considering four schools – Ohio State, Alabama, Georgia and USC – and he's already been in contact with the Buckeyes. He is currently rated as the No. 1 transfer player in the country.
“Ohio State was my No. 2 choice out of high school," Ricks told 247Sports. "At the time, Urban Meyer was my lead recruiter and we talked all the time and I loved Ohio State. I’ve been texting with coach Coombs and we’re supposed to get on a call later tonight. They’re another school that has great defensive back play and a great tradition for getting guys drafted and that’s obviously the goal for me.
“They’re a winning program and that’s important to me. I like coach Day and he was one of the guys I talked with back in high school too. He’s a great coach and there’s a lot of things about Ohio State that stand out. I’m very close with C.J. Stroud and I’ve talked with him, Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson. Me and C.J. played on the same pop warner team when we were seven years old and we’ve been close ever since.”
Rated as the No. 2 cornerback and No. 14 overall player in the 2020 recruiting class, Ricks was heavily recruited by Ohio State out of high school, but he ultimately signed with LSU, where he made an immediate impact. Ricks appeared in eight games as a true freshman and intercepted four passes – two of which he returned for a touchdown.
Ricks was named a freshman All-American for his debut season in 2020, but multiple injuries caused him to miss most of his sophomore season, including a shoulder injury that required surgery.
Ricks plans to make his decision by mid-December and enroll at his new school in January.
