Bryson Rodgers has rocked a scarlet and gray jersey of his favorite collegiate team since he was three years old.
Next year, he’ll be able to don one of his own with his name stitched across the back.
The three-star wide receiver gave his verbal commitment to the Buckeyes on Sunday, ensuring the 6-foot-2, 170-pound prospect will play for the team he grew up rooting for. Committing early was essential for Rodgers to ensure his spot in the class, as Ohio State has always felt like home to Rodgers.
That’s because Ohio is where his roots are.
Even though the three-star wide receiver currently lives in Florida, Rodgers is from Warren, Ohio, and has spent a month or two in his home state every year visiting relatives. While he had to do his due diligence with his other offers, Rodgers knew from the moment he was offered by OSU in January that Columbus was where he wanted to be.
“It was a dream come true,” Rodgers told Eleven Warriors in February of his OSU offer. “There's definitely a great bond between myself and coach Hartline. It’s amazing just getting to know him more and how he puts his players in the best position to succeed. He asked my offensive coordinator and my D-line coach questions about my character and the type of person that I am. He even talked to my family on FaceTime and he said ‘I was trying to find things not to like, and I couldn’t find them.’ Hearing that was awesome. He coached some great dudes all throughout the program and was a NFL wide receiver himself, so it’s like a dream come true and now I’m just taking it step-by-step.”
After taking his first visit to the Buckeyes in March, Rodgers said the Buckeyes were the clear favorite to land him. Just over a month later, Rodgers joined OSU’s 2023 class.
On the Field
From the jump, Rodgers has said he can play either outside or inside receiver at the next level. He’s already lined up at both spots for Wiregrass Ranch High School (Zephyrhills, Florida).
“It’s a tough question because there’s perks to each one,” Rodgers said of his preference regarding where he lines up pre-snap. “Outside, I like to create mismatches with DBs that don’t want to get on a faster, big frame. Then in the slot I feel like I can see the field better and read the zone. I love playing the slot position, I feel more into the action. I love playing outside, too; I could see myself as a slot, though.”
Rodgers is a crisp route runner who displays soft hands. He’ll use his height to jockey for position on jump balls. His route tree is already diverse as he’s run everything from bubble screens to posts to corners to fly routes to whatever else his coach has asked of him. Rodgers will also fight for extra yardage whenever possible, never afraid to give up his body to get a crucial first down.
Per 247Sports' composite rankings, Rodgers is the 367th-best player nationally and the 48th-best wideout in the 2023 class. He caught 42 passes for 645 yards with 14 receiving touchdowns for Wiregrass Ranch last year.
In the Class
Rodgers is the eighth commitment for OSU in the 2023 class, giving the Buckeyes six four-star commits and two three-star commits. The Florida resident became the third player from Florida this cycle to commit to the Buckeyes, joining four-star running back Mark Fletcher and four-star safety Cedrick Hawkins. One hour later, four-star cornerback Dijon Johnson became the ninth commit in the class and the fourth commit from Florida.
Rodgers is the first wide receiver on the board for Ohio State in the 2023 recruiting class, in which the Buckeyes are likely to take three or four wideouts. OSU’s primary targets are five-stars Carnell Tate and Brandon Inniss, also Florida residents, but with Tennessee surging for Tate as of late, the Buckeyes may need to look elsewhere if they can’t reel in one of their top two targets.
Other options for OSU at wide receiver include Rico Flores, Noah Rogers — who, like Rodgers, just visited Columbus this weekend — Jalen Hale, Hykeem Williams, Johntay Cook and Jaquaize Pettaway.
