For the most part, Ohio State's 2021 recruiting class is in a familiar spot. The Buckeyes are atop the Big Ten and currently No. 1 in the entire country. Ryan Day has 10 commitments with a pair of those – Jack Sawyer and Kyle McCord – being of the five-star variety.
We've talked a lot about targets from the usual recruiting hotbeds like Florida, Georgia, Texas, and along the Eastern Seaboard. But this time around, Day and the Buckeyes staff don't have to search too far for a pair of big-time 2021 targets.
Kentucky isn't the most talent-rich state and Mark Stoops and the Wildcats have done a respectable job of keeping the best prospects from heading elsewhere. Ohio State has one of the strongest national reaches and enough in-state talent that its southern neighbor is rarely a focal point on the recruiting trail.
Louisville cornerback Rodjay Burns signed with the Buckeyes in 2016 and lasted about a year before transferring to the hometown Cardinals. The three-star defender is the last Kentucky native to make the trip north for college. Damien Harris was a priority target back in 2015, but the country's No. 1 tailback ultimately sided with the Crimson Tide. All-purpose athlete Wan'Dale Robinson also spurned the Buckeyes for Nebraska in 2019.
Now, the Bluegrass State's top two prospects are very much on Ohio State's radar, and the Buckeyes are looking like the team to beat for offensive lineman Jager Burton and defensive back Jantzen Dunn.
Greg Studrawa has a pair of great ones in the mix already with Ben Christman and Donovan Jackson. As the Buckeyes look to add another pair of linemen to round out the class, Lexington's Jager Burton is the staff's top remaining interior prospect. The good guys have taken over the crystal ball forecasts as Burton tracks toward a summer decision.
At 6-foot-4 and 271 pounds, the Buckeyes stellar interior line play has to be appealing to Kentucky's No. 1 prospect. Burton is expected to be back in Columbus this month before returning for an official visit this summer. His other suitors include Alabama, Clemson, Kentucky, and Oregon.
In the defensive backfield, Kerry Coombs has a tall task on his hands as the depth has really thinned out in the secondary. Names like Jakailin Johnson and Derrick Davis are at the top of the cornerback and safety boards, but Ohio State is going to need to add about five defensive backs in 2021 after signing just six total between the 2019 and 2020 classes.
The state's No. 2 prospect hails from Bowling Green, and Jantzen Dunn has seen his recruitment take off in recent weeks. Over the last month, the 6-foot-2 athlete has added offers from Florida, Florida State, Texas, USC, and most recently Ohio State and Michigan. Oklahoma was thought to be a frontrunner before the Buckeyes entered the picture, and things are now looking quite good for Kerry Coombs and Co.
Dunn has the size and length to play basically anywhere in the secondary, and right now I think it's safe to pencil him into Ohio State's 2021 class. It's clear that the Buckeye offer and visit to Columbus set the bar for the four-star. And it would be no surprise if his recruitment came to an end the next time he makes it to town, which is expected to be later this spring or summer.
We're still in the early stages of March and most of the Ohio State staff is enjoying some well-deserved time off this week, but the recruiting calendar has already started to heat up. The coming weeks and months will bring a number of visitors to Columbus – both of the unofficial and official variety – as the Buckeyes look to add on to the 2021 class.
Kentucky has done a heck of a job landing some talented Ohioans over the years; especially those who are just a notch or two below Buckeye caliber. This time around, Ryan Day has the chance to do some serious damage in the bluegrass as Ohio State continues its pursuit for the 2021 recruiting crown.
