The recruiting dead period ends today, starting the recruiting quiet period which means players can start taking visits.
Since Ohio State already has 10 commitments for 2021, it can begin to take a deeper look at the possibilities for 2022. Ryan Day and his staff have already issued offers to some of the top national sophomores, but they have yet to offer many players in the state of Ohio.
Two sophomores from the Buckeye State that have been offered so far are offensive lineman Tegra Tshabola out of Lakota West High School and outside linebacker Gabe Powers out of Marysville High School. And Tshabola isn't the only in-state offensive lineman to watch in the 2022 class.
Each of the three following Buckeye State linemen are strong candidates to become Buckeyes in 2022, which will likely be a smaller class of offensive linemen for Ohio State but could be heavy on in-state prospects.
Tegra Tshabola, Lakota West High School
The 6-foot-5, 300-pound freak athlete is the first 2022 in-state offensive lineman the Buckeyes have offered and for good reason: as a sophomore, Tshabola starred for Lakota West at both tackle spots.
Playing against some of the best competition in Ohio in the Greater Miami Conference, Tshabola shined week in and week out. While excelling as a sophomore, Tshabola is still very raw and full of athleticism – and therefore has a very long runway.
When putting all three of these factors together, he's a prospect that Ohio State knew it needed to offer early. Tshabola had been to Ohio State before his offer and has been back on campus since. He is a player that the Buckeyes want badly and luckily for them, he's interested in becoming a Buckeye.
Tshabola will be the best offensive lineman in Ohio for the 2022 class, and the Buckeyes hope to lock him down soon. As his recruitment stands right now, this looks like a when-not-if situation, and when it does happen, Ohio State will have another future left tackle in the pipeline.
Blake Miller, Strongsville High School
Not far behind Tshabola for the best Ohio offensive lineman in the class of 2022 is Blake Miller out of Strongsville High School.
Miller is an inch taller at 6-foot-6 and a tad heavier at 315 pounds. He plays in a very tough Greater Cleveland league against schools like Mentor and Solon, and Miller already has offers from several Big Ten schools including Michigan, Indiana and Northwestern.
Where they differ is athleticism and foot speed. Miller has better technique and power, but doesn't move as well as Tshabola. Still, he's a strong candidate to pair with Tshabola at tackle for the 2022 class.
Miller could receive an Ohio State offer this spring or summer once the coaching staff has the chance to evaluate him more. If an Ohio State offer does come, expect it to be a game-changer in his recruitment. The Buckeyes will need to do a little bit of selling to land Miller, but it shouldn’t take much.
Ryan Baer, North High School
Next in the pecking order of in-state offensive linemen for the class of 2022 is Ryan Baer out of North High School near Cleveland.
While Baer doesn’t play the level of competition the previous two players do, he has great size and college-level strength already. He already holds offers from several FBS programs, including Kentucky and Cincinnati. Baer is 6-foot-6 and 310 pounds, but he needs to get a little lighter on his feet before the Buckeyes will offer. He'd likely project as a guard for Ohio State.
Expect Baer to camp with the Buckeyes this summer in order to earn a scholarship offer from the home-state school. Baer’s recruitment is slightly behind Tshabola and Miller, which gives Ohio State plenty of time to evaluate him, but if he does receive an Ohio State offer, look for the Buckeyes to be the team to beat for Baer’s services.
