Much has changed since the last edition of the Heat Check.
In the last seven weeks, Ohio State has gone from three commitments to 12 and owns the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class per 247Sports’ national rankings. Now that the Buckeyes have concluded spring practices, we figured this would be a perfect opportunity to reset the board before prospects start taking official visits in June.
For those that are new to the recurring monthly series, the criteria used to select the top 12 for Eleven Warriors’ Ohio State recruiting board editorial is based on many factors, including roster needs for the Buckeyes in future seasons, the caliber of the player and how likely that player is to sign with the Buckeyes.
Ohio State has 10 commitments from offensive players and two from the defensive side of the ball, so this month’s board is heavily slanted toward defense with nine of the 12 prospects being defensive players. OSU will be hoping for a few more dominoes to fall on that side of the ball over the next month, and the players listed below are among those the Buckeyes will be recruiting most heavily.
| PROSPECT | POSITION | RANK | PREV. | RATING | OTHERS IN THE MIX |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KJ BOLDEN | S | 1 | 1 | ★★★★★ | Alabama•Georgia•Clemson•Auburn•Florida State•Arkansas |
| BRYCE WEST | CB | 2 | 2 | ★★★★ | Michigan•Michigan State•Penn State |
| BRANDON BAKER | OT | 3 | NA | ★★★★ | Michigan•Georgia•Miami•Oregon•USC•Washington |
| DYLAN STEWART | DE | 4 | 10 | ★★★★★ | Alabama•South Carolina•Georgia |
| AARON SCOTT JR. | CB | 5 | NA | ★★★★ | Michigan•Kentucky•Penn State•USC |
| EDDRICK HOUSTON | DE | 6 | NA | ★★★★★ | Alabama•Clemson•Oklahoma•Georgia•Tennessee |
| PEYTON WOODYARD | S | 7 | NA | ★★★★ | Georgia•Alabama |
| DAMARION WITTEN | TE | 8 | 11 | ★★★★ | Kentucky•Michigan•Tennessee•Louisville |
| CHARLES LESTER III | CB | 9 | 6 | ★★★★★ | Alabama•Florida State•Florida•Georgia |
| SAMMY BROWN | LB | 10 | 4 | ★★★★★ | Clemson•Oklahoma•Georgia•Tennessee |
| KYNGSTONN VILIAMU-ASA | LB | 11 | NA | ★★★★ | Notre Dame•Tennessee•Washington•Miami•Michigan |
| JOSHISA TRADER | WR | 12 | 7 | ★★★★★ | Florida•Florida State•Miami•Tennessee |
KJ Bolden
Bolden remains a key target for Perry Eliano and Ohio State as the top-ranked safety in the 2024 recruiting class. From a talent standpoint, Bolden possesses the capability of anchoring OSU’s secondary for multiple years should the Buckeyes land him, and a full-court press will be put on him during his official visit to OSU on June 16.
Bryce West
West is both the Buckeyes’ top in-state target and a top priority at cornerback for the 2024 class. OSU continues to be in a good position to land West, who will take an official visit to Columbus on June 23. Originally, West planned to take his recruitment the distance and make a decision in December, but he said recently his commitment may come sooner than that.
had a great 2 days at THEEE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY Block @OhioStateFB @ryandaytime @CoachTimWalton #BIA pic.twitter.com/wShcuj7zht
— (@bryvonny) April 4, 2023
Brandon Baker
Between Baker visiting OSU this spring and scheduling an official visit for June 9, he’s both shown enough interest in the Buckeyes and is a high-enough caliber of a prospect to justify putting him as OSU’s top remaining offensive target for the 2024 class. The No. 1-ranked offensive tackle in the 2024 class, Baker would give Justin Frye a fantastic offensive line haul for the 2024 cycle.
Had a great visit at THE Ohio State! Nice meeting you @ParisJohnsonJr
— Brandon Baker (@BrandonBaker73) March 21, 2023
Thank you Coach Day & Coach Frye was a great time! Cant wait to get back. #GoBuckeyes pic.twitter.com/aS9u6D8HiB
Dylan Stewart
Ohio State fans still probably have some scars from the 2023 cycle and the Buckeyes missing on all of their top three defensive end targets: Keon Keeley, Damon Wilson and Matayo Uiagalelei. But while there’s still a long way to go in Stewart’s recruitment, the Buckeyes appear to have a real opportunity to land the five-star edge rusher. Stewart’s visit in March was said to have gone well from his standpoint, and he’s scheduled an official visit with OSU for June 16.
Aaron Scott
With cornerback being a position of need for Ohio State in the 2024 cycle, it’s fortunate for the Buckeyes that there are two top-100 in-state cornerback prospects in West and Scott. The pair visited Columbus on the same day earlier in April, and they could eventually line up on opposite sides of each other in Ohio State’s defense. The Buckeyes are in a prime position to land Scott and will continue to recruit him heavily going forward.
Eddrick Houston
Landing Houston, a five-star Georgia defensive end, may be an uphill battle, but the Buckeyes have a real shot as they do with Stewart. Houston has shown genuine interest in OSU, visiting Columbus earlier this spring and scheduling an official visit for June 16. Landing either Stewart or Houston would be monumental for OSU’s 2024 class.
Peyton Woodyard
As a general rule, I tend to avoid putting committed prospects on the Heat Check even if Ohio State continues to pursue them. I’ll make an exception for Woodyard. The Georgia commit visited OSU earlier this month for a spring visit, and following his visit, there’s been some cautious optimism from the Buckeyes that they could indeed flip the California product. If OSU can flip Woodyard, the top-100 prospect would be a big get for the Buckeyes at safety.
Damarion Witten
Ohio State already has one tight end in the 2024 class in Max LeBlanc, but the Buckeyes have been searching for that elusive two-tight end class for a few cycles now. Witten is a dynamic pass catcher for Glenville and could develop into a real weapon in OSU’s offense if the Buckeyes can land the Ohio product.
Had a great time at Thee Saturday ! @CoachKee cant wait to be back pic.twitter.com/6aLUtrsK8T
— Damarion Witten (@DamarionW1_) April 3, 2023
Charles Lester
Florida State remains the team to beat for the talented five-star cornerback, but between Lester taking a spring visit to OSU and scheduling an official visit for June 16, the Buckeyes are still alive in this recruitment.
@OhioStateFB pic.twitter.com/UWcxDQP6PW
— 5charles CL3 lester III (@cl3slimee) April 2, 2023
Sammy Brown
With Garrett Stover and Payton Pierce already committed to Ohio State, the Buckeyes’ need for linebackers isn’t quite as glaring as it once was, but Jim Knowles and James Laurinaitis would still love to add a player of Brown’s caliber to OSU’s defense. Pulling Brown away from the South will be difficult, but the Buckeyes will have their shot when the No. 1 linebacker in the class takes an official visit on June 16.
Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa
If Brown and Viliamu-Asa both want to join OSU’s 2024 recruiting class, the Buckeyes would likely take both. Viliamu-Asa, who visited Ohio State in March, seems to be the more likely prospect between them to end up in Columbus.
#Buckeyenation Whats up??? pic.twitter.com/1FfNdc96Y2
— Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa (@AsaViliamu) April 11, 2023
Joshisa Trader
Trader barely holds onto the final spot in this list based on his sheer talent alone and the thought of how deadly a wide receiver corps of Jeremiah Smith, Mylan Graham and Trader would be in future seasons. The Florida prospect was supposed to visit OSU last weekend for the spring game, but severe flooding in Florida prevented that visit from happening. Smith, Trader’s high school teammate, will continue to actively recruit Trader to join him in Columbus, though it’s going to be difficult to convince him to leave Florida.
Honorable mentions
It’s hard to leave four-star California cornerback Zabien Brown off the list after he took two visits to OSU this spring, but he does indeed just miss the cut.
Booker Pickett Jr. and Edwin Spillman were also close to making the board, as the Buckeyes are still heavily interested in both linebackers.
Both Jordan Seaton and Guerby Lambert were left off the board in this month’s edition, but both offensive linemen could find themselves back on it in a heartbeat if Ohio State picks up more momentum in their recruitments.
Corian Gipson, Ify Obidegwu, Miles Lockhart, Jordon Johnson-Rubell, Reggie Powers and Vaboue Toure are all defensive backs who have visited OSU and could potentially end up in the Buckeyes’ secondary.
Marquise Lightfoot, Darien Mayo, Elias Rudolph, Justin Scott, Aydin Breland, Nigel Smith, Jayden Jackson and Sean Sevillano Jr. were among the other defensive linemen considered for spots on the board.
