The board has undergone some massive changes for July.
Only six prospects remain from last month’s Heat Check, with four names from the previous edition committing to Ohio State within the last few weeks and one committing elsewhere.
Within that same timeframe, Ohio State has finished both its wide receiver and cornerback recruiting for the 2023 cycle, so no prospects from either position group will be on the board.
There’s a new No. 1 on the board for this month, seeing as last month’s No. 1 target Brandon Inniss committed to Ohio State in late June. If you read This Week’s Question in the forums, you probably already know who was slotted ahead in the top spot in this month’s Heat Check, but any argument for either of the top two names deserving the top spot is perfectly valid.
Similar to last month, a run on commitments is entirely possible within the near future, so August’s board may be trickier to put together.
But as of now, here’s the updated board with five new names added since last month. You’ll notice a lot of defensive linemen.
| PROSPECT | POSITION | RANK | PREV. | RATING | OTHERS IN THE MIX |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CALEB DOWNS | S | 1 | 4 | ★★★★★ | Alabama•Georgia•Notre Dame |
| OLAUS ALINEN | OL | 2 | 2 | ★★★★ | Alabama•Georgia•Miami |
| TACKETT CURTIS | LB | 3 | 3 | ★★★★ | Wisconsin•USC |
| MATAYO UIAGALELEI | DE | 4 | 7 | ★★★★★ | USC•Oregon |
| JASON MOORE | DL | 5 | NA | ★★★★ | Michigan•Notre Dame•Penn State |
| JOHN WALKER | DL | 6 | NA | ★★★★ | Miami•UCF•Michigan |
| DESMOND UMEOZULU | DE | 7 | NA | ★★★★ | North Carolina•South Carolina•Pittsburgh |
| JELANI THURMAN | TE | 8 | NA | ★★★★ | Michigan State•Alabama•Auburn |
| TROY BOWLES | LB | 9 | 10 | ★★★★ | Georgia•Oklahoma |
| MILES WALKER | OL | 10 | NA | ★★★ | Texas A&M•Duke•Vanderbilt |
| JUSTICE HAYNES | RB | 11 | 11 | ★★★★ | Georgia•Florida•Alabama |
Caleb Downs
Looking at past Heat Checks, you’ll notice Downs has been ranked very much lower than where his talent indicates he should be. That’s because I’ve been skeptical of the likelihood of a southern recruit with Alabama and Georgia in hot pursuit of him actually coming to Ohio State. Each month, I’ve grown more and more confident the Buckeyes can pull off landing the top-rated safety in the 2023 cycle.
It’s far from a done deal, though, as both southern programs will be in the race till the very end. But landing Downs would go a long way in giving the Buckeyes a true five-star talent to build their secondary around for years to come. This part is secondary, of course, but securing his commitment would also give OSU a legit chance of winning the 2023 recruiting crown.
Can Ohio State secure its most-coveted defensive target this cycle? We may find out later this summer.
Olaus Alinen
Alinen is technically ranked No. 2 on the list, but really, he’s more like a 1B.
The four-star Connecticut resident is OSU’s top target at the Buckeyes’ top positional need in the 2023 class, offensive tackle. He’s used all five of his official visits, and is now home in his native country, Finland, with family contemplating his decision.
Ohio State, Alabama and to some degree Miami each feel they’re in a strong position to land the talented tackle. Justin Frye will certainly be in touch with Alinen daily right until the end.
Tackett Curtis
Jim Knowles has done all he can to land the human hit-stick highlight real. From visiting Curtis in Many, Louisiana countless times, to pitching Curtis on being a foundational piece of the Buckeyes’ defense for years to come, Knowles has put his time in.
Curtis will decide at the end of the month between Ohio State, Wisconsin and USC. While OSU is likely still the front runner, the race for Curtis is probably a lot closer than it once was after his official visits.
Matayo Uiagalelei
Uiagalelei is in no rush to make a decision, but Ohio State continues to be a very real option for the five-star talent. The Buckeyes made quite the impression on Uiagalelei during his official visit in June and will continue to pursue the California product as his recruitment will likely extend into the fall. Uiagalelei might have the most upside of any Ohio State pass-rushing target, so landing him would be another massive recruiting win for Larry Johnson.
Jason Moore
A flurry of Crystal Ball projections have been forecasted in Ohio State’s favor for Moore over the last week or so. Considering Moore just set a commitment date for Sunday, things are certainly trending in the Buckeyes’ favor in landing a premier defensive lineman in 2023.
Ill be announcing my commitment Sunday at 7pm!!
— Jason Moore (@jayymoneyy32_) July 6, 2022
For a good portion of Moore’s recruitment, he was considered a Notre Dame lean, so if OSU can seal the deal and land his commitment, it will certainly lessen the sting of Darron Reed committing to LSU on Monday.
John Walker
Of the defensive linemen on this list, Walker is the only true defensive tackle prospect, though Moore could play either end or tackle at the next level. Landing an interior presence like Walker would go a long way in solidifying OSU’s 2023 class, and with a July 28 commitment date set, OSU might have another need crossed off its list by the end of the month.
Who will it be? 7/28 pic.twitter.com/3Fh0FnQ3jI
— John walker (@Johnwal60517678) July 1, 2022
Desmond Umeozulu
Despite being ranked lower than Moore and Uiagalelei on the list, Umeozulu profiles as a prolific edge rusher that would be a fine addition to Ohio State’s Rushmen package. After his official visit to OSU, the Buckeyes seem to be in the driver’s seat for Umeozulu’s commitment. The way things are headed, it’s possible OSU will have two defensive linemen commitments from Maryland in Moore and Umeozulu when all is said and done.
Jelani Thurman
Ohio State has been searching for a second tight end to pair with Ty Lockwood for quite some time now. It appears Thurman is the Buckeyes’ best chance to land another highly-touted prospect at that position. The Georgia product took an official visit to OSU June 24-26, but the Buckeyes will be in a fight with Michigan State and Alabama to secure Thurman’s commitment at the end of the month.
Troy Bowles
Bowles would be higher on this list if he wasn’t appearing to lean toward Georgia nine days before his commitment. But Ohio State has been on Bowles’ radar for a long time, and the Buckeyes are going to fight tooth and nail for Bowles’ commitment right up until his announcement on July 16.
BREAKING: The Nations No. 2 LB Troy Bowles is down to 3 Schools!
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) July 6, 2022
The 61 205 LB from Tampa, FL will announce his college decision on July 16th.
More Here (FREE): https://t.co/usPFz7mZ3f pic.twitter.com/eRqsKETQQS
Miles Walker
His national ranking isn’t going to blow anyone away in comparison in comparison to any other prospect on the board, but Ohio State is a big believer in Walker’s potential at the collegiate level. Offensive tackle is still OSU’s biggest need and Walker profiles as a true offensive tackle prospect.
His decision should come fairly soon, possibly this week. Ohio State is perceived to be the front runner in Walker’s recruitment.
Justice Haynes
Haynes still feels like a bit of a long shot, but Ohio State isn’t out of it yet. Haynes took his official visit to Columbus on June 24-26, but it’s going to be tough to beat his hometown Georgia Bulldogs for his commitment.
Honorable mentions
Ohio linebacker Arvell Reese is practically a shoo-in to make August’s Heat Check after the next wave of commitments, so the Glenville product will be well-represented next time around.
Four-star quarterback Austin Novosad will be making his decision this week, and the thinking is it’s likely he’ll honor his commitment to Baylor, otherwise, he would have cracked the board. That’s far from a certainty though, as OSU is still engaging with Novosad, and the Texas gunslinger is very well aware of both Ryan Day’s quarterback track record and that he’s going to have a hard time finding better wide receivers than in Columbus.
Ohio State is high on four-star New Jersey safety Jayden Bonsu, but considering other safety prospects already on board in 2023 and Miami potentially surging ahead, he slightly just misses the cut.
I feel like a broken record saying this, but should Samson Okunlola or Monroe Freeling ever make it to Columbus for a visit, they’ll instantly be ranked highly on the board. The same logic goes for a ramped-up pursuit of Notre Dame commit Keon Keeley, or Florida prospect Damon Wilson.
