More than a week after finishing the Early Signing Period with 20 signees in the 2023 class, Ryan Day and the Buckeyes are deep into preparations for Saturday's College Football Playoff semifinal.
While that game is sure to transcend anything else that happens in OSU-related news over the next 48 hours, attention will soon shift toward building OSU’s 2024 class, one that currently holds three commitments.
OSU did sign a top-six class in the country per 247Sports’ national rankings, but the Buckeyes had quite a few misses on their top targets in 2023, going 0-for-3 on their top five-star defensive ends targets and missing out on five-star safety Caleb Downs.
When meeting with reporters Thursday for the Peach Bowl’s Ohio State Media Day, Ryan Day briefly delved into his recruiting philosophy. Asked what he would tell high school players the Buckeyes are looking for in recruiting, Day continued to prioritize culture fit and the development of a player over anything else.
“I think the first thing is when you recruit, you have to keep the focus on what really matters, and that's their development on and off the field for the rest of their life,” Day said Thursday. “Everyone's chasing the dream of going to the NFL and having a 15-year career in the NFL or whatever it is. But guys in college are still in the most formidable years of their life, and there's going to be life after football. So choosing the right school for the right reasons I think is the most important thing.
“Once you choose a school, you have to go live it. After you put out the tweet and after you go through signing day, now you gotta go live there and you gotta go embrace the culture of the program that's there. So, and I just think for every recruit and their families, the number one thing has to be their development as a person, as a student, in getting a great degree and then obviously as a player.”
OSU still in strong contention for Sammy Brown
The class of 2024’s top-ranked linebacker is one of Ohio State’s highest-priority targets for the next recruiting cycle. And there still remains plenty of interest on five-star Georgia linebacker Sammy Brown’s end in Ohio State.
Per 247Sports, Brown is still heavily considering the Buckeyes as a top destination and could visit Columbus either this spring or this summer.
“Yes, absolutely,” Sammy’s father Mike Brown told 247Sports. “Ohio State is at the top of his list. I do think Ohio State will be one of the teams he will ultimately decide from. When all is said and done I think he will have five or six teams and Ohio State will be one of them. My wife and I have both visited Ohio State once and we really love it.”
Brown has visited OSU twice, once in the 2021 season for a gameday visit against Michigan State and the other coming in September for the season opener against Notre Dame.
“I think that the biggest thing was the family feel that Ohio State has,” Brown told Eleven Warriors in September of his visit to Columbus. “You could just tell that by looking at the alumni that were there. Joe Burrow was there, and he didn’t even finish his college career at Ohio State. I think that shows how much of a family Ohio State is. All those people were there at some point and still feel a family connection.”
Ja’Had Carter has been contacted by OSU
Ohio State is pursuing one of the top safeties available on the transfer portal market. Per 247Sports, the Buckeyes have been in touch with Syracuse safety Ja’Had Carter.
“Yeah, I’ve had contact with them,” Carter told 247Sports. “I’m not sure about my other visits yet. I’m looking to take a few more. I definitely want to take some more in January. I’m interested in Ohio State.”
In 12 games this season, Carter made 36 tackles, broke up six passes and had a team-high three interceptions. The only other school the prized safety prospect has visited since entering the portal is Texas, but Florida State and Oklahoma State could also be in the mix for the 6-foot-2, 200-pound safety.
Ohio State will for sure be looking to fill two safety spots next season after Ronnie Hickman has said he intends to declare for the NFL Draft and Tanner McCalister will exhaust his college eligibility after this season. OSU is also still waiting on a decision from Lathan Ransom on whether or not he will enter the draft or return for another year in Columbus, so there's plenty of opportunity in the secondary for a transfer safety to make an impact in Jim Knowles' three-safety scheme.
