Despite living in Ohio all of his life, Wayne High School standout offensive tackle Aamil Wagner can finally cross a big item off his bucket list as of Saturday: Attend an Ohio State game.
Wagner, a four-star recruit and the 121st-rated player nationally and the 11th-best tackle per 247Sports’ composite rankings, was one of the many recruiting targets on hand to take in OSU’s home opener against Oregon. One day before the matchup, the senior told Eleven Warriors when he takes visits, he pays attention to the offensive scheme a team runs and the coaching style of each coach, along with interaction between fans and players.
His visit to The Shoe did not disappoint.
“My visit was great,” Wagner told Eleven Warriors in a text message Monday night. “I really enjoyed getting a chance to experience my first Ohio State game and get to see how the team operates up close.”
Ohio State is still actively recruiting Wagner. On Friday, Wagner told Eleven Warriors he talks to Greg Studrawa and Ryan Day nearly every day or every other day.
“Really, I’m getting to know how much they care,” Wagner said. “Coach Day, he doesn’t really recruit me to Ohio State, it’s more just talking about my personal life and seeing how I’m doing. Coach Stud is more of the ‘Hey, we can do this or we can do that.’ They’re reaching more into my personality and my interests in more than just football.”
If there’s been a knock on Wagner as a prospect, it’s been his size. At 6-foot-6, 265-pounds, Wagner profiles as more of a defensive end than an offensive lineman. But Ohio State is primarily recruiting him as a tackle, and has sold him on their ability to mold prospects into the body type it will take to succeed collegiately.
“Every school knows that I’m going to come in skinny, but that I can do the work to add weight and make me a player in the future,” Wagner said.
Wagner added he would trust OSU assistant athletic director for football sports performance Mickey Marotti and the rest of the strength and conditioning staff to get him on a program needed to thrive at the next level.
“When we went on our (summer) visit, we had a whole sitdown with the strength staff and you can really see the bodies they develop over the years,” Wagner said.
Wagner has been given a Crystal Ball prediction by two 247Sports analysts to Kentucky. His older brother, Ahmad, played wide receiver for the Wildcats for two seasons, and Wagner just took a visit to Lexington on Sept. 4.
“I enjoyed it a lot, actually,” Wagner said of his visit to Kentucky. “I watched a lot of Kentucky games for two years because my brother was there, and seeing the new offense they put in with (new offensive coordinator Liam) Coen looks really good.”
Wagner will visit Penn State this weekend, then going to USC vs. Notre Dame on Oct. 23.
The Wayne product plans to announce his college commitment on Jan. 8 while playing in the All-American bowl, but could announce it by November if he feels comfortable after his visits.
McDonald picks up offer
Kayden McDonald, a 6-foot-3, 325-pound four-star defensive tackle in the 2023 class, has earned an Ohio State offer from defensive line coach Larry Johnson, the OSU target announced Monday.
God is good After a great conversation with coach @ryandaytime @R2X_Rushmen1 @NickSebasOSU Im honored to receive a scholarship offer from THE Ohio State University! #Buckeyes pic.twitter.com/iV1lQlBEDx
— Kaden (@KMac_DT) September 14, 2021
A Suwanee, Georgia, resident, McDonald attends North Gwinnett High School, and was a high school teammate of Ohio State freshman cornerback Jordan Hancock. McDonald is ranked the 239th-best prospect nationally and the 35th-best defensive lineman. He has 11 Division I offers to this point, a list that includes Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin and Tennessee. While OSU would like around four to five defensive linemen for the 2022 class (probably two defensive tackles from that group), it’s thought they’ll take at least two defensive tackles in 2023.
Neal earns OSU offer
Apparently Monday was a fine day to extend offers to defensive tackles in the 2023 class, because Washington, D.C.-based defensive tackle Isaiah Neal picked one up, too.
Blessed to have received from the Ohio state University@R2X_Rushmen1 @NickSebasOSU pic.twitter.com/lIwgDYBUjH
— Isaiah Neal (@IsaiahNeal99) September 14, 2021
At 6-foot-3, 265 pounds, Neal does not have a composite ranking, but is considered a three-star recruit by 247Sports. He has nine Division I offers, a list that includes Northwestern, Boston College, Louisville, Syracuse and Maryland.
