Moussa Kane has had a busy few weeks on the recruiting trail.
Unranked in 247Sports’ composite rankings as recently as last month, Kane, a 2023 6-foot-1, 176-pound defensive back from New Jersey, was given a three-star rating by the recruiting database at the beginning of August. Kane is now rated the 296th-best player in the class nationally.
In the final week of July, Kane visited Notre Dame, Ohio State and Boston College. He attended the Buckeye Bash & BBQ on July 28 in Columbus and was blown away by the campus.
I had a great visit to Ohio State. Thank you @ryandaytime for the invite and @WestonZernechel for being a great host @CoachMattBarnes @alexgleitman @gbowman26 pic.twitter.com/OVVF0uEqIb
— Moussa kane (@Moussak_22) July 28, 2021
“We went to Notre Dame the day before and we drove through that night, stayed at a hotel near Ohio State,” Kane told Eleven Warriors. “The thing that shocked me the most was how big the campus was. We drove around the campus, I thought we were in the town of Columbus, and they were like nah, this is just the campus. I was like, ‘What?’ It shocked me a little.”
Kane has received offers from the likes of Clemson, Penn State, Boston College, Pittsburgh and Purdue, but has yet to get one from Ohio State. While Kane’s stock has soared in various recruiting rankings over the past few months, he has no sophomore year game film since Blair Academy’s 2020 football season was canceled.
“The film that I have up is from pre-COVID,” Kane said. “So (OSU) just wants to see how much better I am since then. That film is OK, it’s nothing too special. They want to see what I can really do now.”
An offer may not be far out if OSU likes what it sees in Kane early in his junior season. After speaking with Ryan Day, Kane said the Buckeyes’ head man sees a lot of potential in him and even told him he’d receive an offer if he proves himself worthy in his first few games. Kane also had a conversation with defensive backs coach Matt Barnes, who gave himself an honest self-assessment.
“I talked to coach Barnes, he told me straight up he’s not a good recruiter,” Kane said. “Recruiting isn’t something he’s very good at, but he’s good at coaching football. He told me Ohio State gets top-end guys, so if I don’t want to compete and bust my butt every day, don’t go to that school. But that’s something I am interested in doing.”
Kane said if Ohio State offers him, the Buckeyes would instantly slot into his top five schools he’s considering. The New Jersey product also has a Rutgers offer, and will try to attend the Ohio State vs. Rutgers matchup on Oct. 2 in Piscataway, New Jersey. He’ll also make it a point to visit Columbus again in the future.
“I’m most likely going to go back but I’m not sure when,” Kane said.
Young announces top 10
The nation’s top-rated running back for 2023 has narrowed his list down to 10 schools, and Ohio State is still firmly in the running. Five-star running back and Florida resident Richard Young cut down his suitor list to Miami, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Clemson, Florida State, Oregon, Oklahoma, USC and the Buckeyes.
One Step Closer #Blessed pic.twitter.com/rqzZr9cav0
— Richard Young (@richardyoung239) August 8, 2021
Young also visited Columbus on July 28 for the Buckeye Bash & BBQ and camped at Ohio State in June. He is ranked as the 17th-best player in the recruiting cycle. The 6-foot, 190-pound tailback is a priority target at running back in 2023 for OSU along with Rueben Owens and Justice Haynes.
Washington narrows down list
Elliot Washington, a four-star safety from Florida in the class of 2023, has started to whittle down his options. The 196th-best player and the 18th-best safety in the cycle, Washington announced his top 10 list Sunday.
Top Blessed pic.twitter.com/amZpdCUwxq
— Elliot Washington II (@ElliotWashingt9) August 8, 2021
The Buckeyes made the list along with Indiana, South Carolina, Florida State, Michigan State, Maryland, Alabama, Georgia, Florida and Oklahoma. Washington received an offer from the Buckeyes in May and attended an OSU camp in June.
