Tony Alford has done it again.
On Saturday, Ohio State finished its 2024 running back recruiting by landing four-star Florida running back commitment Jordan Lyle.
Lyle is the third and final running back commitment in the Buckeyes' 2024 recruiting class, and the 13th-ranked running back overall. He had recently put the Buckeyes in his top five on Monday along with Alabama, Miami, Georgia and Florida State. He'll now take his official visit to Columbus on June 2 as a commitment, and not a target.
Lets goooo Buckeye Nation#GoBuckeyes @Hayesfawcett3 @CoachHarriott @EugeneBethea1 @ryandaytime @CoachTonyAlford @CoachRLarkin @247Sports @StaBooster @STA_Football @OhioStateFB pic.twitter.com/OMxDm1SGvp
— Jordan M Lyle (@jlyle0) April 29, 2023
Lyle picked up his OSU offer on Jan. 10 and took his first visit to Columbus in March. He'll join a running back corps in the 2024 class that also consists of James Peoples and Sam Williams-Dixon. Alford adding three running backs in the current cycle is a big response by the OSU running backs coach after not singing a high school running back a season ago and missing out on Ohio prospect Jordan Marshall to Michigan earlier this spring.
The Lyle File
- Class: 2024
- Size: 6-0/180
- Pos: RB
- School: St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Florida)
- Composite Rating: ★★★★
- Composite Rank: #320 (#27 RB)
Per 247Sports’ composite rankings, Lyle is considered the 320th-best player and 27th-best running back in the 2024 cycle.
With Lyle's commitment, Ohio State stays at No. 2 in 247Sports' national recruiting class rankings, two points behind arch rival Michigan, who currently has 14 commitments in 2024.
He's the second commitment in the 2024 class to hail from Florida, with five-star wideout Jeremiah Smith being the other. Other Florida commitments from past cycles include Bryson Rodgers, Brandon Inniss, Cedrick Hawkins in the 2023 class and Kenyatta Jackson Jr., Ryan Turner in 2022.
Lyle picked Ohio State over nearly 30 other Division I offers, including Alabama, Arkansas, Cincinnati, Colorado, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisville, Maryland, Miami, Michigan State, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oregon, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Purdue, South Carolina, Texas A&M, UCF and USC.
| Pos | Name | Rating | Rank | Size | School |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WR | JEREMIAH SMITH | ★★★★★ | #2 NATL | #1 WR | 6-3 | 198 | Chaminade-Madonna Prep (Opa Locka, Florida) |
| WR | MYLAN GRAHAM | ★★★★★ | #27 NATL | #5 WR | 6-1 | 170 | New Haven (New Haven, Indiana) |
| RB | JAMES PEOPLES | ★★★★ | #69 NATL | #5 RB | 5-10 | 192 | Veterans Memorial (San Antonio, Texas) |
| QB | AIR NOLAND | ★★★★ | #84 NATL | #8 QB | 6-3 | 195 | Langston Hughes (Fairburn, Georgia) |
| OT | IAN MOORE | ★★★★ | #88 NATL | #4 IOL | 6-5 | 295 | New Palestine (New Palestine, Indiana) |
| LB | GARRETT STOVER | ★★★★ | #139 NATL | #12 LB | 6-0 | 195 | Big Walnut (Sunbury, OH) |
| LB | PAYTON PIERCE | ★★★★ | #151 NATL | #15 LB | 6-1 | 225 | Lovejoy (Lucas, Texas) |
| TE | MAX LEBLANC | ★★★★ | #273 NATL | #14 TE | 6-4 | 222 | Baylor School (Chattanooga, Tennessee) |
| RB | JORDAN LYLE | ★★★★ | #320 NATL | #27 RB | 6-0 | 180 | St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Laderdale, Florida) |
| OT | DEONTAE ARMSTRONG | ★★★★ | #313 NATL | #25 OT | 6-6 | 280 | St. Edward (Lakewood, OH) |
| OL | DEVONTAE ARMSTRONG | ★★★★ | #354 NATL | #23 IOL | 6-4 | 265 | St. Edward (Lakewood, OH) |
| OL | MARC NAVE | ★★★ | #549 NATL | #31 IOL | 6-5 | 315 | Central Catholic (Toledo, OH) |
| RB | SAM WILLIAMS-DIXON | ★★★ | #694 NATL | #77 ATH | 5-11 | 203 | Pickerington North (Columbus, OH) |
| Prospect Rating Data: 247Sports | |||||
Lyle brings a versatile profile to Ohio State backfield
Last season for St. Thomas Aquinas High School (Fort Lauderdale, Florida), Lyle helped lead his team to an undefeated season at 14-0 and a state title. He ran for 1,015 yards on 91 carries (11.2 yards per carry) and 12 rushing touchdowns. He also caught six passes for 55 yards. His junior season was his first year being his high school's lead running back, as he totaled 225 yards and two touchdowns while averaging 6.6 yards per carry in his sophomore campaign.
Lyle primarily ran out of a shotgun offense, so he shouldn't have much of an adjustment period adjusting to Ohio State's scheme. The 6-foot, 180-pound running back is patient at allowing running lanes to develop and has the burst necessary to hit home runs when he gets to the second level. Lyle is also capable of shaking off arm tackles and evading would-be tacklers, displaying a rare combination of both speed and size at the position.
His size could turn him into a plus pass blocker at the next level, though like any prospect he'll need to continue to develop his craft and put on additional weight. Lyle may have to wait his turn on to get on the field, but as the Buckeyes have shown recently with Dallan Hayden and TreVeyon Henderson, they're not afraid to give true freshman running backs carries right away if they earn them.
