In a cycle where Michigan has made a concerted effort to recruit more players from Ohio, the most hotly contested battle currently taking place between the Buckeyes and the Wolverines on the recruiting trail is the competition to land four-star Springfield, Ohio cornerback Aaron Scott Jr.
Ranked as the No. 2 Ohioan, No. 7 cornerback and No. 60 overall prospect in 247Sports’ composite rankings for the 2024 class, Scott is a high-priority target for both schools. Ohio State and Michigan are both still looking to land their first cornerback in the 2024 class, and Scott – along with fellow Ohioan Bryce West – sits at or near the top of the board at the position for both rivals.
Both schools are also at or near the top of the board for Scott as he moves toward making his college decision in about two months.
After making a trip to Columbus to participate in the annual Under Armour Next camp at Fortress Obetz on Sunday, Scott said he has been in frequent communication with Ohio State secondary coach Tim Walton and head coach Ryan Day.
“I talk to Coach Walton every day. Talk to Ryan Day every other day,” Scott said. “Definitely talk all the time, check up on me and all that.”
But he said the same is true for his communication with Michigan’s coaching staff, specifically Michigan defensive backs coach Steve Clinkscale.
“Coach Clink, that’s my dog,” Scott said. “I talk to him as much as I talk to Coach Walton. He checks up on me all the time, we talk every day.”
The rivalry is a frequent topic of discussion in his conversations with both schools, as he says neither Ohio State nor Michigan is shy about recruiting against the other. Scott said he doesn’t love being in the middle of the rivalry as a recruit, but he realizes that comes with the territory.
“They talk about each other all the time,” Scott said. “Talking about they don't want me to go there. They’re definitely competitive and preach on going to their schools.”
Scott isn’t just being recruited by the coaches of both schools, but also by the other members of their 2024 classes. Ohio State linebacker commit Garrett Stover specifically mentioned Scott on Sunday as one of the players he’s trying to convince to join him in Columbus, and Scott says he’s been getting the same message from all of Ohio State’s 2024 commits.
“I hear from them every day,” Scott said. “Every time there’s a commit, they all come hit my line, the whole team they be hitting up.”
Yet Scott is feeling the same love from Michigan’s 2024 commits, particularly the four Ohioans – running back Jordan Marshall, offensive linemen Luke Hamilton and Ben Roebuck and defensive end Ted Hammond – who are already committed to join the Wolverines next year.
“They’re my guys,” Scott said. “All the Ohio boys, I talk to them all the time, they all be telling me like come to their school, what we could do, build the best class and all that.”
Scott says he’s “trying to play with the best class in the nation,” and that could apply to either Michigan or Ohio State. The Wolverines currently have the No. 1-ranked class of 2024, but the Buckeyes sit just behind them in second with a higher average composite player rating but two fewer commits.
In addition to Ohio State and Michigan, Scott says he’s also still considering Penn State, Oregon, USC, Tennessee and Notre Dame. He plans to narrow that list of schools down to five before official visits start in June, as the rule change allowing prospects to make official visits to more than five schools won’t go into effect until July.
Although he lives less than an hour away from Columbus, Scott says Oregon was his dream school growing up. Most of his family members, however, are Ohio State fans. And his parents would prefer he stays in the Midwest rather than going to the West Coast, though he says they’ll support whatever decision he makes.
“I feel like it definitely plays a factor, because like Oregon and USC, like I want my parents to come to the game,” Scott said when asked if proximity to Ohio would be a factor in his decision. “They want me to stay close. They really don't care, but they want me to stay close rather than go far away.”
Scott says he has talked with other top players in Ohio’s 2024 class about what they could accomplish together if they team up at Ohio State. He has a particular interest in teaming up with West, whether that be at Ohio State, Michigan or elsewhere.
“We talk here and there, almost like every other day, for real. Just asking questions and stuff,” Scott said of West. “But we definitely want to play with each other in college.”
Ultimately, Scott plans to make his college decision sometime in July. He says he’s still trying to figure out what that decision will be. But he believes his choice will come into view after he completes his official visits in June.
“I feel like the decision is really going to come down to just getting that gut feeling, for real. Because I got a couple schools in mind,” Scott said. “I feel like once I know it's time, then I'll make the decision.”
One of the key factors he’ll be weighing is whether he can see himself winning a championship at his school of choice.
“Really, just knowing, when I get that gut feeling like who I can win a natty with,” Scott said when asked about a deciding factor for his commitment.
