The first day of the early signing period has come and went.
Ohio State signed 17 players Wednesday and are expecting Ohio four-star linebacker Gabe Powers to sign Friday on the last day of the early signing period. In case you missed it, four-star cornerback Terrance Brooks will not be part of Ohio State’s 2022 class, as he elected to flip to Texas instead.
Earlier today, it was thought Ohio State might add one more signee to its class in the early window by the end of the day Friday. One of the Buckeyes’ most coveted remaining targets, four-star offensive lineman Carson Hinzman, told 247Sports this week he may announce his decision on Friday.
He personally walked that back late Thursday night.
Sorry for the confusion, I will not be signing tomorrow as the schools Im so fortunate to be deciding from are so incredible that its making my decision extremely tough and Im going to need just a little bit more time. Thank you
— Carson Hinzman (@HinzmanCarson) December 17, 2021
Hinzman, a Wisconsin resident, is down to his hometown Badgers and the Buckeyes for his services. He visited Columbus on Oct. 30 against Penn State. Hinzman grew up rooting for Wisconsin.
“Looking at Wisconsin, it's home. It's probably the most comfortable place,” Hinzman told 247Sports. “Ohio State though, they're the next level. They've been playing at top-tier for a long time now. The competition level, I feel like with the defensive linemen they put out, it would be a lot higher. I really respect that. In order to be the best offensive lineman, you have to go against the best defensive linemen. That's what they produce. It's a great opportunity to go there and show that I can play at that level and kind of see something different.”
Hinzman is ranked as the 134th-best player and the sixth-best interior offensive lineman in the 2022 cycle, according to 247Sports’ composite rankings. It’s unclear which school is leading for Hinzman. Should he pick the Buckeyes, he’d become the third player ever from Wisconsin to play for OSU.
OSU offers Alinen
European 2023 four-star offensive tackle Olaus Alinen received an offer from Ohio State on Wednesday evening.
#AGTG Extremely honored to receive an offer from The Ohio State University!! #BuckeyeNation @CoachStudOL @CoachCookOL @Coach_P_Fleming pic.twitter.com/QY3NZXaYW0
— Olaus Alinen (@alinen_olaus) December 15, 2021
Alinen is from Finland, but attends The Loomis Chaffee School in Windsor, Connecticut. He is ranked as the 125th-best prospect and the 12th-best offensive tackle in the 2023 class. Alinen has around 32 Division I scholarship offers, a sheet that includes Alabama, Florida, USC, Texas, Tennessee, Oregon, Penn State, Michigan, Oklahoma and Michigan State.
Other tackles Ohio State is pursuing in the 2023 class include Kadyn Proctor, Chase Bisontis and Payton Kirkland, among others.
Sacca receives offer from Buckeyes
6-foot-4, 195-pound safety Anthony Sacca became the second player in the class of 2025 to receive a scholarship offer from Ohio State on Thursday, joining Findlay quarterback Ryan Montgomery, who became the first in late October.
Blessed to receive an offer from THE Ohio State University #gobucks @CoachMattBarnes @Coach_Sug @T_Roken pic.twitter.com/f6VoOwbtRv
— Anthony Sacca (@saccaanthony) December 16, 2021
Sacca has six scholarship offers to this point, also including Notre Dame, Penn State, South Carolina, Temple and Tennessee. He attends St. Joseph’s Prep School in Philadelphia, the same school current Buckeyes Kyle McCord and Marvin Harrison Jr. attended.
Frazier picks LSU
Ohio State is out of the running for one of the top offensive tackles that was available in the transfer portal. Miles Frazier, who is transferring from Florida International, announced he would be attending LSU next fall on Thursday.
COMMITTED TO pic.twitter.com/db0ISqPfZP
— BIG.ZEEK_ (@milesfrazier15) December 16, 2021
Frazier released a top three Monday night that included LSU, Ohio State and Florida State. The 6-foot-5, 305-pound offensive lineman is ranked by 247Sports as the 10th-best prospect and the No. 1 offensive tackle in the transfer portal this year. He received offers from a multitude of Power 5 programs since entering the portal, also including Auburn, Boston College, Louisville, Miami, Nebraska, N.C. State, Ole Miss, Rutgers, Syracuse, Texas A&M and UCLA, among others.
The Buckeyes have not yet made any other known offers to offensive tackles in the transfer portal. Whether they do could center around whether Dawand Jones or Nicholas Petit-Frere decide to enter the NFL draft or return to Ohio State for another season.
