Hope all of you had a happy Thanksgiving and are at least mostly recovered from any food comas you may have slipped into.
Of course, we are less than 24 hours from The Game, and there’s a host of premier visitors expected to be in attendance and no shortage of recruiting storylines surrounding the weekend. On Thursday, we learned another name of note in the 2024 class will be in attendance in four-star Tennessee running back Boo Carter.
I will be attending the Ohio State and Michigan game Saturday @ncec_recruiting @CoachTonyAlford @Coach_Cass @Birm @CSmithscout @NatlPlaymkrsAca@scoop1914 @coachTBarr@ChadSimmons_ @SWiltfong247 @OhioStateFB pic.twitter.com/H2RWbtNhhe
— Boo Carter (@boo_Carter6) November 24, 2022
Carter plays both running back and cornerback for Brainerd High School (Chattanooga, Tennessee) and is considered the 267th-best player nationally per 247Sports’ composite rankings for 2024. The 5-foot-10, 184-pound Carter does not yet hold an OSU offer, and put out a top 12 in October consisting of Clemson, Jackson State, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Oregon, Kentucky, Michigan State, Penn State, Michigan, Miami, LSU and Arizona State.
Other schools Carter has visited so far this fall include Michigan, Nebraska, Tennessee, LSU and Ole Miss.
Alexander enjoys visit to OSU
While most of the focus this week has been on the upcoming heavyweight matchup, we also caught up with 2025 defensive end Austin Alexander, who visited Columbus for the Buckeyes’ contest against Indiana on Nov. 12.
From the moment Alexander entered the recruiting lounge and saw the buzz around Ohio State, the Kentucky defensive end prospect was captivated by his experience.
“It was so much fun to experience a game in Columbus,” Alexander told Eleven Warriors. “As soon as you got into the recruiting lounge, you just knew they were about business. Everything was done very well. Seeing the stadium from on the field with all the people was an incredible sight. It was such a nice stadium. And watching the players get fired up in the 25-degree snow made you know what they were about. And it was a pleasure to be able to see coach Johnson again. It was a very good time.”
Alexander, the nephew of former NFL MVP and Alabama legend Shaun Alexander, camped at OSU over the summer and was impressive in individual drills. He’s picked up four Division I offers to this point from Akron, Eastern Kentucky, Liberty and Maryland. While Alexander and Johnson have not communicated much in season, that is likely going to change soon.
“I got to talk to him briefly after the game,” Alexander said of Johnson. “We were just catching up on everything since camp. He was glad to see me and was continuing to tell me to be patient and that we’d be in contact over the next few weeks. He wants me to come back in the spring and potentially come back for a camp too. He just likes where I’m at, the skills that I have and the energy that I’m bringing, he just wants to continue to build that relationship.”
Currently 6-foot-3 and 219 pounds, Alexander said he could see himself playing for the Buckeyes.
“It was a dominant performance,” Alexander said of OSU’s defensive line play on Nov. 12. “You just saw those guys take hold of their positions up front and do what they do with coach Johnson’s teachings. I can definitely envision myself there. They’re probably a little bigger than some of the other guys at colleges I’ve been to. But I believe I’m going to be growing into that in the two years I have to go.”
In his sophomore season for Cooper High School (Burlington, Kentucky), Alexander totaled 52 tackles (two for loss) in eight games with five sacks, four quarterback hurries, an interception and a blocked punt.
“I really felt like I built my run-game-stopping ability to get more physical,” Alexander said of his biggest improvement on the field in his sophomore year. “In the past, I’ve felt like I’ve been able to run around players, but once you get to that next level, that’s not going to get you past them. So I’ve been able to build my long arm chop whether it’s a pass rush or standing my ground in the run game to get past the blockers with ease.”
Other schools Alexander has visited this fall include Notre Dame, Kentucky, Cincinnati, Alabama, Maryland and Liberty. The Kentucky prospect said his OSU trip lived up to the hype.
“It’s definitely one of the top visits for sure,” Alexander said. “They just do everything with such class. They take it so seriously, the recruiting game, the only schools that are really coming like that are the other blue-chip programs like Notre Dame and Alabama. They’re definitely near the top.”
Denmark, Hobbs commit elsewhere
As expected, 2023 defensive lineman Daevin Hobbs and 2024 wide receiver Tyseer Denmark committed to schools other than Ohio State. Denmark committed to Oregon on Thanksgiving, his mother’s birthday, while Hobbs committed to Tennessee on Friday.
Committed! @oregonfootball pic.twitter.com/JxHZOPtt1V
— tyseer5denmark (@tyseer5denmark) November 24, 2022
BREAKING: Five-Star DL Daevin Hobbs has Committed to Tennessee!
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) November 25, 2022
The 64 270 DL from Concord, NC chose the Vols over Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, and others.
He is the second five-star commit in Tennessees 23 class alongside QB Nico Iamaleava https://t.co/ToOpI6UnfQ pic.twitter.com/lGRbgsLAgf
