Ohio State is going to host a plethora of talented wide receivers from the 2023 class on visits this spring.
Expected visitors include Bryson Rodgers, Brandon Inniss and Carnell Tate, just to name a few. Four-star California wideout Rico Flores Jr. will be among the expected visitors planning to attend OSU this spring, though he’s unsure of a specific date his visit will occur to this point. Flores Jr. is approaching the final stages of his recruitment, as he recently put out a top five consisting of Ohio State, UCLA, Notre Dame, Georgia and Texas. He told Eleven Warriors he plans to have his commitment wrapped up by the end of the summer.
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— Rico Flores Jr (@lil_reek_) February 23, 2022
PNUTTY pic.twitter.com/jN32ZrDetB
While Flores Jr. still has multiple visits to different schools on his docket, Ohio State is certainly a viable option for the 6-foot-1, 190-pound wideout rated the 179th-best player in the 2023 class and the 25th-best wide receiver according to 247Sports’ composite rankings. OSU wide receivers coach Brian Hartline and Flores Jr. speak multiple times a week, something that he says makes him feel like a priority to the Buckeyes.
“To get a feeling like that, it feels pretty great,” Flores Jr. said. “It’s definitely going to help with my decision, that’s for sure.
“They just produce receivers. I just see what Hartline does with receivers and how much success they have. And then on top of that, the relationships I’m building with them are great. Everybody is texting me from coach Ryan Day to coach Hartline, just everybody across the offensive side. I feel that plays a big part.”
While Flores Jr. has only recently been on OSU’s radar, getting offered in late November, he’s started for Folsom High School (Folsom, California) since he was a sophomore. Most big-time recruits generally have a moment, whether it comes in a practice or a game, that truly showcases why they’re going to play high-level college football. Well, Flores Jr.’s came early in his prep career.
Folsom High School head coach Paul Doherty knew Flores Jr. was going to be special after the first high school game he ever played, dating back to the California spring season of 2019. Folsom was playing against California powerhouse Oak Ridge, a team that was senior-laden, while Doherty had to start 10 sophomores, including Flores Jr.
Trailing by one possession late in the game, Folsom was backed up to its own 10-yard line and desperately needed a spark. Doherty called for a deep shot to Flores Jr., who ran a go route and was draped in double coverage he’d become all too used to with a safety and cornerback hanging over his arm and back. With his left hand, Rico Flores Jr. made a one-handed, 50-yard grab over the Oak Ridge sideline. Doherty calls it the best catch he’s ever seen at Folsom High School. Flores Jr. still remembers it like it was yesterday.
“I had a go route, and the defense lined up in a one-high safety look,” Flores Jr. said. “He was playing more in the middle of the field and I was at the boundary and had a go route. So I’m running off the line, and mind you he’s playing off, so I’m just running, running, running and I caught up with him. The ball was in the air and I was just focused on the ball. It was the craziest catch. I don’t even know how to explain how I caught it. I guess I just focused so much on the ball.”
Three plays later, Flores Jr. scored the game-winning touchdown on a post route. It was the start of what would turn into a prolific high school career and earn him attention from colleges nationwide. In his junior season, Flores Jr. caught 64 passes for 932 yards and 11 touchdowns in 13 games for Folsom High School.
“He’s had a ton of success offensively for us,” Doherty said. “He’s a big, physical receiver. He’s got great ball skills and hand-eye coordination. He’s super physical for a big kid. He comes down with everything, every ball in one-on-one matchups and the middle of the field and perimeter. He’s a guy that we target frequently and he gives consistent production.
“He got a lot of double coverage, because he plays into the boundary for us. He’s no doubt the No. 1 receiver so he’ll get a linebacker walked on top of him, a corner on him and a safety over the top.”
Special plays like those are what Flores Jr. believes he can bring to the Buckeyes, and they’re a reason why Ohio State is pursuing the California resident so persistently. Where he can make the plays from varies, as Flores Jr. says he’s comfortable playing either slot receiver or lining up outside at the collegiate level and believes he has the versatility to thrive at both.
Additionally, Flores Jr. is high school teammates with Ohio State target four-star 2023 tight end Walker Lyons, who put the Buckeyes in his top six in February. Could Lyons and Flores Jr. eventually suit up in Scarlet and Gray together one day? It’s possible, but each prospect is going to make the decision that’s best for them.
“We talk a lot,” Flores Jr. said. “I feel like it’s a great experience to have because since we’re both on the same team and getting the same feelings from each university, it’s a good thing. Sometimes he’ll go up to someone before I will, so sometimes I’ll get information from him and stuff like that. I feel like there can be a possibility (of a team up), I ain’t gonna lie. But we’re really just going to have to see, to be honest.”
There’s no shortage of talented wideouts interested in Ohio State in the current cycle, ranging from five-star to four-star wide receivers. As Hartline’s recruiting track record has showed the past few years, OSU can’t be counted out for any of them, including Flores Jr. The Buckeyes will likely end up with three or four pass-catchers before all is said and done in the 2023 class.
Perhaps Flores Jr. could be in that group.
“I want somewhere where it feels like home and I feel really welcomed and where I can get a good education,” Flores Jr. said.
