Ohio State is about to get an initial answer from one of its four remaining priority targets in the class of 2022.
The word initial is used because even though four-star defensive end Omari Abor told 247Sports he plans to commit during Sunday’s All-American Bowl, he told the recruiting network he did not silently sign during the early signing period and will continue to take visits to schools after he commits.
In short, Ohio State is likely going to have to fight off Texas and perhaps Texas A&M through National Signing Day on Feb. 2. His final six schools consist of Ohio State, Texas, Texas A&M, LSU, Alabama and Florida. However, the Buckeyes could consider themselves in the driver’s seat for the pass rusher’s services, especially considering it’s increasingly likely the school he will end up committing to on Sunday will indeed be Ohio State.
Abor visited Columbus over the summer then returned for a visit for the Penn State game on Oct. 30.
"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 Thursday. "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."
Johnson visited Abor twice in his home earlier this month, while Ryan Day also made an in-home visit with the Duncanville, Texas resident. The 6-foot-4, 240-pound Abor is considered to be the 38th-best player and the fourth-best edge rusher in the 2022 cycle.
Should OSU land the commitment of Abor, it would give the Buckeyes another top-100 prospects in its defensive line class of 2022 along with signees Caden Curry and Kenyatta Jackson Jr. The Buckeyes also are continuing to recruit defensive tackles Hero Kanu and Christen Miller, so OSU could potentially sign up to five defensive linemen.
Flores Jr. puts OSU in top 10
A four-star 2023 wide receiver target has put Ohio State in his top 10. California resident Rico Flores Jr. released a top 10 Thursday consisting of UCLA, Ohio State, Oregon, Pittsburgh, Georgia, Notre Dame, LSU, Texas, USC and Alabama.
Blessed to see another year pic.twitter.com/FZYJ8U2zL4
— Rico Flores Jr (@lil_reek_) December 31, 2021
Flores Jr. picked up an OSU offer on Nov. 30. He has more than 25 Division I offers, and caught 64 passes for 932 yards and 11 touchdowns in 13 games this season for Folsom High School (Folsom, California). He is ranked as the 153rd-best player and the 23rd-best wide receiver in the 2023 class.
Williams, Viliamu-Asa enjoy OSU practice
In Thursday’s Hurry-Up, 2024 four-star safety Peyton Woodyard spoke with Eleven Warriors about his visit to Ohio State’s practice on Monday. The California resident wasn’t the only recruit in attendance the Buckeyes are pursuing from St. John Bosco (Bellflower, California). Two other players that saw the Buckeyes in person were 2024 four-star cornerback Marcelles Williams and 2024 four-star linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa.
“It was nice to finally be able to see them in action and see how their practices are,” Williams told Eleven Warriors.
OSU wrapped up its week of practice ahead of the Rose Bowl on Friday by doing its walkthrough at St. John Bosco, so each of those players also had a second opportunity to see the Buckeyes.
“It was good to see the team,” Viliamu-Asa told Eleven Warriors of the Monday visit. “It was brief, but it was good to see a little bit of what they do.”
Viliamu-Asa is ranked as the 10th-best player and Williams is the 70th-best player in the class of 2024.
Tshabola receives Polynesian Bowl invite
The All-American Game on Jan. 8 in San Antonio won’t be the only recruiting all-star game 2022 Ohio State signee Tegra Tshabola participates in. The Lakota West product also received an invitation to compete in the Polynesian Bowl on Jan. 22 in Hawaii.
4 OT TEGRA TSHABOLA (@tshabola_tegra) has been selected as a 2022 POLYNESIAN BOWL ALL-STAR! #PolyBowl2k22
— Polynesian Bowl (@polynesiabowl) December 30, 2021
Commits: https://t.co/w4biUqOQLS pic.twitter.com/J7Yym1fqaI
The 6-foot-6, 350-pound Tshabola was originally going to enroll early at Ohio State, but decided against it and will instead enroll in the fall.
Other Ohio State signees expected to make the trip to Hawaii include quarterback Devin Brown and linebacker C.J. Hicks. Four-star offensive line target Carson Hinzman, who is still deciding between Ohio State and Wisconsin, also plans to play in the game.
