Taking his first-ever visit to Columbus on Nov. 20, a talented 2024 cornerback from Indiana came away impressed with Ohio State.
Hudauri Hines, a 6-foot-1, 167-pound cornerback residing in Indianapolis, liked what he saw from the Buckeyes in their 56-7 win over Michigan State.
“It was fun, I had a good time, I’m not going to lie,” Hines said. “I’m looking forward to going back there soon.”
Hines just finished his sophomore season for Franklin Central (Indianapolis, Indiana). In 10 games, he had three pass deflections, one fumble recovery and 32 total tackles (1.5 for loss). His lone Division I offer to this point is Ball State, but with Hines’ size and man-to-man coverage skills, he believes more will come down the line.
He’s hoping one of them will be Ohio State.
I had a GREAT TIME visiting Ohio State today,big thank you to @OSUCoachKDub @Coach_West90 @OhioStateFB @WestonZernechel for making this happen!,@C3Elite7v7 @SWiltfong247 @247recruiting @PrepRedzoneIN @Bryan_Ault @Rivalsfbcamps @alexgleitman @MarcGivler @Bill_Kurelic @Birm pic.twitter.com/MoFaxCqaHw
— hudauri hines (@HudaurH) November 20, 2021
Around two months before his visit to Ohio State, offensive coordinator and Indiana area recruiter Kevin Wilson began talking with Hines. Hines is being primarily recruited as a cornerback by the Buckeyes, though he said he might play some safety for Franklin Central next season.
When he watched Ohio State’s defensive backs on the field, he felt like he would be a good fit.
“They’re in my size range, I didn’t think they were bigger than me or anything,” he said. “I think I would fit in there … I’m a man-type of corner. I like to play with the best receiver and go it at with him the whole game. That’s just me.”
Hines, who started playing football in seventh grade, met five-star Ohio State signee Sonny Styles on his visit.
“I enjoyed meeting him, he seemed like a good person,” Hines said.
This early in Hines’ recruiting process, he doesn’t have any timeline established, but said he’d like to return to Columbus in 2022.
“I’ll probably visit again sometime next year,” Hines said. “Looking forward to going back.”
Overton talking to Ohio State
Lebbeus Overton, the top-rated defensive lineman in the 2023 class, announced a top 12 schools list in August. The Buckeyes made the cut for the five-star prospect, and Overton visited Ohio State over the summer.
Earlier this week, Overton told On3 he’s had to limit who he does and doesn’t communicate with because of the volume of text messages he’s receiving from various coaches.
“I make sure I narrow it down to the ones I really want to focus on, the ones that communicate with me the most and the ones I’m really vibing with,” Overton told On3. “And I make sure I communicate with those coaches. Some coaches are just now trying to fill in, but it’s a little bit too late for that.”
When asked what schools he’s been in contact with the most, Overton mentioned Ohio State along with Georgia, Oregon, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Alabama and Clemson. Overton is ranked as the No. 3 overall prospect in the 2023 class per 247Sports’ composite rankings.
Alinen excited about OSU offer
While Dec. 15 was mostly about Ohio State’s class of 2022 signees, the Buckeyes also made an offer that night to a four-star 2023 offensive tackle.
Olaus Alinen, who is originally from Finland but attends The Loomis Chaffee School in Windsor, Connecticut, told 247Sports this week he was thrilled to receive an offer from Ohio State.
“Greg Studrawa offered,” Alinen told 247Sports. “I was very excited about it. It's a big thing to me. I think Ohio State is a really good and interesting program.”
Alinen has more than 30 Division I scholarship offers, a list that includes Alabama, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Michigan, Florida, Penn State and Tennessee. The 6-foot-7, 315-pound lineman is ranked as the 125th-best prospect and the 12th-best tackle in the 2023 class. He told 247Sports he hopes to visit Ohio State in the spring.
