It's an eight-star Saturday and 12-star weekend for Ohio State on the recruiting trail.
After nabbing a commitment from four-star linebacker Tarvos Alford an hour prior, the Buckeyes received a verbal pledge from four-star wide receiver De'zie Jones.
Words cant explain how blessed i am with the opportunity to become a buckeye, with a long talk with coach Hartline and the staff, im so grateful to be apart of the buckeye family #zone6ix @Hayesfawcett3 @brianhartline @OhioStateFB @dpfootball @CoachCamp01 pic.twitter.com/oZfuxLSSJR
— dez jones (@dezjones88) March 30, 2024
Jones is the nation's No. 367 overall prospect in the 247Sports composite and the No. 49 wide receiver. Hailing from DePaul Catholic High School in Wayne, N.J., he's the 10th-best prospect from the Garden State.
The Jones File
- Class: 2025
- Size: 6-0/180
- Pos: Wide Receiver
- School: DePaul Catholic (Wayne, New Jersey)
- Composite Rating: ★★★★
- Composite Rank: #367 (#49 WR)
In addition to Alford and Jones' commitments on Saturday, the Buckeyes also landed four-star defensive end London Merritt on Friday. Alford is the No. 63 overall recruit in the country, Merritt is No. 101.
Jones' decision comes four days after four-star wide receiver Jayvan Boggs decommitted from the Buckeyes on Tuesday. Boggs is the No. 189 prospect in the composite and the No. 24 wide receiver. Jones takes his place as the lone wideout in Ohio State's class of 2025. Brian Hartline hopes to add more talent to his wide receiver room for the current cycle, with top wide receiver targets including Jaime Ffrench, Dakorien Moore, Kaliq Lockett, Andrew Marsh, Quincy Porter, Phillip Bell, Talyn Taylor, Naeshaun Montgomery, Taz Williams Jr. and Edward Coleman.
He is the 10th commitment for the Buckeyes this cycle and the ninth four- or five-star pledge. Ohio State now boasts the composite No. 3 recruiting class in the country.
| Pos | Name | Rating | Rank | Size | School |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CB | DEVIN SANCHEZ | ★★★★★ | #5 NATL | #1 CB | 6-2 | 170 | North Shore (Houston, Texas) |
| CB | NA'EEM OFFORD | ★★★★★ | #6 NATL | #2 CB | 6-1 | 185 | Parker (Birmingham, Alabama) |
| QB | TAVIEN ST. CLAIR | ★★★★ | #48 NATL | #4 QB | 6-4 | 210 | Bellefontaine (Bellefontaine, Ohio) |
| OT | CARTER LOWE | ★★★★ | #55 NATL | #7 OT | 6-5 | 290 | Whitmer (Toledo, Ohio) |
| DE | ZAHIR MATHIS | ★★★★ | #57 NATL | #5 Edge | 6-6 | 225 | Imhotep Institute (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) |
| LB | TARVOS ALFORD | ★★★★ | #63 NATL | #8 LB | 6-2 | 210 | Vero Beach (Vero Beach, Florida) |
| CB | BLAKE WOODBY | ★★★★ | #72 NATL | #8 CB | 5-11 | 180 | St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Maryland) |
| DE | LONDON MERRITT | ★★★★ | #101 NATL | #10 LB | 6-2 | 250 | IMG Academy (Bradenton, Florida) |
| WR | DE'ZIE JONES | ★★★★ | #367 NATL | #49 WR | 6-0 | 180 | DePaul Catholic (Wayne, New Jersey) |
| LB | ELI LEE | ★★★ | #557 NATL | #63 LB | 6-3 | 215 | Archbishop Hoban (Akron, Ohio) |
| Prospect Rating Data: 247Sports Composite | |||||
Jones earned his initial offer from Ohio State on Sept. 28. He selected the Buckeyes over offers from Penn State, Florida, Michigan State, Nebraska and Texas, among others.
Per MaxPreps, Jones had 52 receptions for 851 yards and six touchdowns in 10 games for DePaul Catholic last year. He added 66 rushing yards. As a sophomore in 2022, Jones caught 56 passes for 923 yards and five scores.
