Ohio State has identified another target at offensive tackle in the 2023 cycle.
Connecticut offensive tackle Miles Walker has blown up on the recruiting scene the past two weeks, receiving nearly 10 offers. Schools such as Texas A&M, Iowa, Penn State, Indiana, Boston College, Maryland, Syracuse and West Virginia have all taken interest in Walker even though he does not have a composite recruiting ranking.
So too has Ohio State. Justin Frye visited Walker at Brunswick High School (Greenwich, Connecticut) on Wednesday to watch him work out. Frye had a long discussion with Brunswick head coach Wayne McGillicuddy after the workout, then returned to Columbus to evaluate his film. On Thursday evening, Frye called McGillicuddy with the news that Ohio State was going to offer Walker, who posted the news himself Friday morning.
After a great conversation with @CoachJFrye, Im proud to announce I have earned an offer from THE Ohio State University! @ryandaytime @CoachSollenne @CoachMHannigan @Coach_Wayne55 @WickFootball_20 pic.twitter.com/XZv8Zkh1qN
— Miles Walker (@mileswalker76) May 27, 2022
“Coach Frye and I had a really good talk about Miles on Wednesday and he told me he was going to go back to OSU the next day and sit down with the staff and talk about guys they saw on the road,” McGillicuddy told Eleven Warriors. “Obviously he was really impressed with Miles, he had a really good workout. He called Thursday and told us he was going to pull the trigger on Miles.”
Over the last few years, Walker has gone on quite a fitness journey. Three years ago, McGillicuddy said Walker was a “sloppy” 280 pounds, but then shed 45 pounds of bad weight to slim down to 235 by the summer of his junior year.
“He’s one of the only people during COVID where his weight went the other way,” McGillicuddy said with a laugh.
Walker bulked up 10 pounds that summer before the season started, then made the jump back up to 285 pounds by the spring. Brunswick held a showcase for more than 50 college coaches on May 16, where Walker’s performance spearheaded his fast rise in the recruiting scene and the flurry of offers he’s received since.
While Walker is a relatively late bloomer from a recruiting standpoint, he’s not in a rush to make a decision. Walker, who also long snaps for Brunswick, observed former high school teammate and current Michigan wideout Cornelius Johnson navigate through a similar situation in the 2019 cycle, as Johnson didn’t receive many of his Power 5 offers until the summer of his senior year.
“He watched that process and at the end of the day, thought this is more early and more normal than that one,” McGillicuddy said. “He’s done a phenomenal job of staying level-headed.”
The relationship between Frye and Walker is only just beginning, but McGillicuddy said his rising offensive tackle is intrigued by what the Buckeyes have to offer.
“He really enjoyed doing his homework and learning about Ohio State,” McGillicuddy said. “I think coach Frye’s coaching tree and the things he’s done is something that’s really intriguing to him. I think coach Ryan Day being a New Hampshire guy and being from the area is also something that is intriguing to him and his family along with having that family atmosphere.”
Walker has official visits set to Texas A&M, Vanderbilt and Duke this summer. After OSU’s offer, the Buckeyes are earning consideration from Walker for one of his other two officials.
“He is definitely considering taking an official visit,” McGillicuddy said. “The impression that I’m receiving is that I wouldn’t be surprised if he was at Ohio State for an official.”
Andrews also offered
Walker wasn’t the only offensive lineman from New England to receive an Ohio State offer Thursday. Top-100 prospect Liam Andrews became the fourth offensive lineman with an OSU offer in the 2024 cycle.
WWI am very fortunate and thankful to announce I have earned an offer from THE Ohio State University #GoBucks @CoachCDay @CoachJFrye @ryandaytime @OhioStateFB @RivalsFriedman @BrianDohn247 pic.twitter.com/uWBjF9y26W
— Liam Andrews (@liamandrews73) May 26, 2022
The Massachusetts resident plays tackle for Dexter School (Brookline, Massachusetts), but is expected to transition to the interior offensive line at the collegiate level. Andrews is considered the 95th-best prospect and the fifth-best interior offensive lineman in the 2024 class, according to 247Sports’ composite rankings. The 6-foot-4, 270-pound prospect has more than 15 offers, a list that includes Kentucky, Boston College, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Penn State, South Carolina and Tennessee.
He joins Daniel Calhoun, Kam Pringle and Guerby Lambert as offensive linemen with Ohio State offers in the 2024 class.
Gullette’s top seven
Considering four-star 2023 Texas linebacker Derion Gullette has an official visit locked in with Ohio State for June 10-12, it’s not surprising the Buckeyes made his top seven on Thursday. Along with the Buckeyes, the 6-foot-2, 220-pound Gullette is considering Texas A&M, Texas, Miami, Alabama, Florida and Oklahoma.
I just want to say thank you to all the coaches that have been recruiting me! But after long talks with my family , this is where I am in my recruitment! Still 100 percent open ! pic.twitter.com/1WO46VEPxt
— Derion Gullette (@DerionGullette) May 26, 2022
Gullette was offered by OSU on Dec. 2. His official visit will be his first visit to Columbus.
“Ohio State, they have a great football program,” Gullette told 247Sports. “Their message to me, they see me as like a Buck linebacker, like the hybrid linebacker that can run, cover, rush off the edge, blitz, be able to cover and stuff like that. That's what they say they see me as.”
Cant wait to get there ! #Buckeyes @MattGuerrieri @OhioStateFB @ryandaytime pic.twitter.com/oAKSMlWcWm
— Derion Gullette (@DerionGullette) May 25, 2022
