One of Ohio State’s top running back targets in the 2024 class has narrowed down his recruitment.
Three-star Ohio running back Sam Williams-Dixon narrowed down his school list to five on Friday, with Ohio State, Tennessee, Kentucky, Penn State and Rutgers making the cut.
With that being said these are my top 5 schools. I will be continuing this process and possibly seeing where home is. I also will be attending Pickerington north high school for my senior year @Bill_Kurelic @Birm @AllenTrieu @MickWalker247 @PNAthletics @SWiltfong247 @ChadSimmons_ pic.twitter.com/lQZxUKsDej
— Samuel Dixon (@SamuelDixon24) February 24, 2023
Williams-Dixon will be taking an official visit to each of those five schools later this summer, but he also plans on visiting Columbus on the first day of OSU spring practice on March 7 and could attend more practices as the spring goes on. The 5-foot-11, 203-pound running back plans on making a commitment before the first game of his senior season, which will now be at Pickerington North after Williams-Dixon announced his transfer from West Holmes.
Last season, Williams-Dixon ran for nearly 1,300 rushing yards and scored 41 touchdowns while adding 500 receiving yards.
“I’m very versatile,” Williams-Dixon told Eleven Warriors in late January. “I can do anything, like I can be split out wide, in the slot or running back. I can definitely play a little quarterback, like a little Wildcat. So, I can be everywhere on offense. I think I’m a very evasive runner. Like a Dalvin Cook, Saquon Barkley-type play style I guess.”
Ohio State is in a great spot for Williams-Dixon at the moment, as the Buckeyes were the team the in-state running back grew up rooting for. He was offered by OSU on Jan. 11 and has developed a close relationship with Tony Alford.
“It was like a dream come true,” Williams-Dixon said of the offer. “Just being a kid from Ohio, that offer meant a lot to me and meant a lot to my family. Buckeye Nation and people that live in Ohio just love the team, and I love it too. So it meant a lot. Any kid from Ohio dreams of playing for the Buckeyes.”
Williams-Dixon is one of the top priorities at running back in 2024 for OSU, along with prospects such as Jordan Marshall, James Peoples and Stacy Gage.
Nolan Baudo commits to OSU as PWO
Ohio State has landed a preferred walk-on for the upcoming season. Illinois wide receiver Nolan Baudo committed to the Buckeyes on Friday and will join the team in the summer.
Baudo was the former high school teammate of freshman Carnell Tate at Marist High School (Chicago, Illinois) before Tate transferred to IMG Academy. The new OSU PWO thanked Tate for his help in his commitment announcement.
100% Committed!! #GoBucks @RedHawkFB @OhioStateFB @brianhartline @CoachKee @11W @Tim_OBrien10 pic.twitter.com/IRcOjyPEjO
— Nolan Baudo 2023 (@nolanbaudo) February 24, 2023
Last season for Marist, Baudo caught 29 passes for 313 yards with two touchdowns. OSU added four scholarship freshman wideouts in the 2023 class, including Tate, Brandon Inniss, Bryson Rodgers and Noah Rogers.
Jerrick Gibson to visit OSU this spring
The top-rated running back in the 2023 class will find his way to Columbus this spring. Per 247Sports, five-star Florida running back Jerrick Gibson is working on scheduling a spring visit to Ohio State, along with Oklahoma and Tennessee. Gibson has set four official visits for this summer, confirming he’ll take trips to Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and Texas. How the OSU visit goes in the spring will likely go a long way toward deciding whether Gibson will take an official to Columbus this summer or not.
Per 247Sports’ composite rankings, Gibson is considered the 22nd-best prospect and the top-rated running back in the 2024 cycle.
