Finding the right fit for your college football program isn't just about what happens on the field, but off it as well. Today, Ohio State added a key piece. How will that commitment impact the Buckeyes?
Ohio State earned the commitment of 2021 offensive tackle Ben Christman on Wednesday, as the No. 9 offensive tackle in the country picked the Buckeyes over teams like Alabama, Florida, Georgia, LSU and Michigan.
The Richfield, Ohio native is rated as the No. 44 prospect overall in the 2021 class and the No. 2 recruit in Ohio.
Let’s take a look at the impact he will make on the Ohio State 2021 recruiting class.
On The Field
Christman, who measures in a 6-foot-6, 300 pounds, has been an integral part of the Revere High School offense since he stepped onto the field. In his freshman season, he pancaked more than 30 defenders, and in his second season in 2018, he recorded more than 60.
He was already strong going into his sophomore year, and now he is only getting stronger. Christman displays a good center of gravity in pass blocking and keeps his weight moving forward in run blocking. His footwork is far ahead of other 2021 offensive tackles, and his athletic ability is evident in some of his best blocks on his tape.
Christman also follows through on his blocks – on every block he is tasked.
He has the length and speed to translate seamlessly to the college game and could potentially be one of those tackles that works his way onto the field early in Columbus. He's not a project at the offensive tackle position. He's going to be an asset along the offensive front for years to come.
In The Class
Christman is the fourth commitment of Ohio State’s 2021 class and automatically becomes the second-highest-rated commit, behind overall No. 2 Jack Sawyer and overall No. 51 Kyle McCord.
The Revere sophomore is the No. 2 prospect in the state of Ohio, which gives Ohio State commitments from three of the top five Ohio recruits in the class, in addition to Sawyer and No. 5 Jayden Ballard. That’s crucial because Ohio’s 2021 class is one of the strongest that state has seen in recent years overall, and the Buckeyes are recruiting the top-15 very hard.
Along the offensive line, Ohio State has worked its way into good standing with several of the top prospects in the class to this point, including Ryan Linthicum, Jager Burton, Nolan Rucci, Donovan Jackson and Bram Walden.
With Christman’s commitment, Ohio State’s 2021 class is cemented into the top-three, behind Miami and Notre Dame.
Off The Field
The 2021 class will be marked as new head coach Ryan Day’s first full recruiting class as the head coach at Ohio State, and it couldn’t have started in a better way. Sawyer is already rated as the No. 2 commitment at Ohio State all-time since the rating system was inaugurated, and the staff followed it up with commitments from one of the top quarterbacks in the class Kyle McCord and a wide receiver that will likely break into the top-100 by the time he graduates, Jayden Ballard.
The Buckeye staff wanted the Buckeye Bash & Barbecue to encourage the 2021 class to feel comfortable enough to make decisions like the ones Christman and Ballard have made. In an effort to establish a foundation for the class and make the recruits feel welcome, Ohio State has finished the job in the recruitments of two of the top Ohio recruits it had been in good standing with.
Day has expressed an emphasis on in-state prospects, and in his first full class, he’s already demonstrated the ability to recruit well within the borders.
