The recruitment of Ohio State’s newest four-star defensive end commit was a wild ride over the last few months.
Over the summer, Ohio State’s prospects of landing Omari Abor seemed slim, considering the Texas resident seemed to have a strong desire to play for a Southern school. But the Buckeyes continued to remain in relentless pursuit, and a game visit to Ohio State for the Penn State game on Oct. 30 turned the tide in the Buckeyes’ favor.
"I saw how they played that game and I saw how they used their defensive ends, and that really caught my eye," Abor told 247Sports a few days before the Under Armour All-American Bowl. "After the game (OSU defensive line coach) Larry Johnson was telling me I was going to play with my hand on the ground and rush the quarterback."
In December, Johnson continued to put the pedal forward, visiting Abor twice in his home. Ryan Day also made the trip to Duncanville, Texas.
"I like him," Abor told 247Sports of Day. "He's a pretty good dude. He's a good coach. I feel like he also keeps it real. He's one of those coaches who should be and will be one of the top coaches to ever coach the game of football."
After Abor made his commitment to Ohio State on Sunday at the All-American Bowl, the Buckeyes can chalk it up as a major recruiting win. But they can’t rest just yet, with Abor telling 247Sports he did not sign in the early signing period and will continue to take visits up until National Signing Day on Feb. 2.
On the field
Abor was once a five-star talent but has taken a hit slightly in the rankings. He looks to be slightly smaller than the 6-foot-4 and 240 pounds he’s listed at, but calling him undersized for the position would be a stretch, as he should have the frame to bulk up once he enters Ohio State’s strength and conditioning program.
At Duncanville High School (Duncanville, Texas), Abor lined up both in a three-point stance and stood up on the edge, though he used the three-point stance more often in his junior and senior years. He explodes off the ball and his instincts are high, and watching him rush the passer feels very smooth. Abor can run into a bit of trouble if he faces a large opposing tackle with agility, and some in recruiting circles would like to see more consistency from Abor week in and week out.
Tenacity and pursuit skills are musts for a pass-rusher, and Abor is equipped with both. It’s unclear if he’ll be ready to see the field in meaningful snaps in his freshman year, but Johnson has proved in his tenure he will put true freshman defensive linemen on the field if they’re ready.
In the class
While Ohio State pulled off a massive recruiting win by landing Abor on Sunday, the Buckeyes can’t relax until the ink on his National Letter of Intent is dry on National Signing Day on Feb. 2. As we’ve seen recently from former Ohio State commit Terrance Brooks, 11th-hour flips can happen, and don’t expect Texas or Texas A&M to halt their pursuit of the talented pass rusher.
That being said, he did just commit to Ohio State, so the Buckeyes are obviously in a good position to earn Abor’s signature in a month. And after a slow start to defensive line recruiting, it looks like the 2022 class will finish quite nicely at that position, with Abor, Kenyatta Jackson Jr. and Caden Curry now in the fold.
And Ohio State isn’t done adding defensive linemen in the class. While the Buckeyes seem set for the future at defensive end with the likes of Jackson Jr. and Abor added to 2021 five-stars Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau, the Buckeyes need to round out the class with at least one defensive tackle. Help could very well be on the way on Jan. 8 when four-star Hero Kanu makes his commitment at the All-American Bowl in San Antonio. OSU is also still in the running for four-star Christen Miller, who will decide between Georgia and Ohio State on Feb. 2.
With Abor now in the fold, the Buckeyes have now landed nine top-100 prospects in the 2022 cycle, including seven in the top 70. With 18 signees and one commit in the fold, OSU has two five-stars, 15 four-stars and two three-star recruits in its 2022 class.
