It’s been a while since the last edition of the Heat Check.
But with summer official visits completed and several commitment dates set by top Ohio State targets, we’d figure it would be a good time to break out another edition after a short one-month hiatus.
For those that are new to the recurring 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 landed six commitments since the last edition of the Heat Check, with four out of six coming on the defensive side of the ball. Alas, the disparity of the Buckeyes’ offensive and defensive commitments remains stark, with 12 being offensive players and six from the defensive side of the ball. So it’ll come as no surprise that 10 of the 12 targets on this month’s edition are defensive prospects.
With that in mind, we dive into Eleven Warriors’ top 12 targets for Ohio State in the July edition of the Heat Check.
| PROSPECT | POSITION | RANK | PREV. | RATING | OTHERS IN THE MIX |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KJ BOLDEN | S | 1 | 1 | ★★★★★ | Alabama•Georgia•Auburn•Florida State |
| EDDRICK HOUSTON | DL | 2 | 6 | ★★★★★ | Alabama•Clemson•USC•Georgia |
| DYLAN STEWART | DE | 3 | 4 | ★★★★★ | South Carolina•Miami•Georgia |
| AARON SCOTT | CB | 4 | 5 | ★★★★ | Michigan•Oregon |
| KYNGSTONN VILIAMU-ASA | LB | 5 | 11 | ★★★★ | Notre Dame•USC |
| JEREMIAH MCCLELLAN | WR | 6 | NA | ★★★★ | Oregon•LSU |
| BRANDON BAKER | OT | 7 | 3 | ★★★★★ | Georgia•Texas•Miami•Oregon |
| KOBE BLACK | CB | 8 | NA | ★★★★★ | Texas•Alabama•Oklahoma•LSU |
| DOMINICK MCKINLEY | DL | 9 | NA | ★★★★★ | Oklahoma•Texas•Texas A&M•LSU |
| CHARLESTON COLLINS | DL | 10 | NA | ★★★★ | Arkansas |
| BOOKER PICKETT JR. | DE | 11 | NA | ★★★★ | Florida State•Georgia•Miami |
| EDWIN SPILLMAN | LB | 12 | NA | ★★★★ | Tennessee |
KJ Bolden
Bolden has held a firm grip on the No. 1 spot in Heat Check dating back to January, and there’s no reason to waver from that stance. The five-star prospect from Georgia has a decision date set for Aug. 5 and has narrowed his decision down to Ohio State, Alabama, Georgia, Florida State and Auburn. The Buckeyes, Crimson Tide and Bulldogs all have cautious optimism a few weeks away from Bolden’s commitment date. Landing Bolden would be the biggest recruiting win in the tenure of Ohio State safeties coach Perry Eliano and would give OSU plenty to dream on for future seasons.
Eddrick Houston
Congratulations to Buford High School (Buford, Georgia), which boasts the top two players in this version of the Heat Check between Bolden and Houston. Of the two, Ohio State is probably more likely to land Houston, who will commit on Aug. 22. Houston could play inside or on the edge at the next level, giving Larry Johnson another premier pass-rushing talent for the 2024 class.
Dylan Stewart
Stewart is another five-star pass rusher prominently featured in this month’s edition. Several 247Sports Crystal Ball projections have been cast in favor of the Buckeyes landing Stewart, leading to positive momentum along defensive line recruiting between him and Houston. South Carolina is seen as the main competitor to the Buckeyes for Stewart, and this one should remain a competitive race until the end.
Aaron Scott
Two weeks away from his announcement, the recruitment of Scott is still too close to call. Scott has announced a final three of Oregon, Ohio State and Michigan, but this recruitment is believed to be down to the Buckeyes and Wolverines. Scott is by far the top remaining in-state prospect remaining for Ohio State, and landing him would hurt its archrival in addition to bolstering its secondary. Plenty is on the line on July 30.
Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa
All of Viliamu-Asa’s final three candidates feel good about where they stand in recruiting the four-star California product. But only one of Ohio State, Notre Dame and USC can land the premier linebacker. Viliamu-Asa has a looming decision ahead of him on July 23, so the Buckeyes will soon learn where they stand with their top remaining linebacker target.
“It’s a really tough choice, they’re all great universities,” Viliamu-Asa told Eleven Warriors in June. “They all have great things to offer. It’s going to be tough to tell two of them no. But I’m not stressing. I’m just trusting the process and trusting God will lead me in the right direction.”
Jeremiah McClellan
Ohio State has two five-star wide receivers already committed in 2024. Still, the Buckeyes seem set on taking three wide receivers in the class, and the board is barren after McClellan following Joshisa Trader’s commitment to Miami. McClellan is set to release a top-five school list later today, and Ohio State remains in a good position for the Missouri wideout, with Oregon presenting the main challenge to the Buckeyes in this recruitment.
Brandon Baker
Baker represents the premier offensive tackle prospect the Buckeyes have coveted in the last few recruiting cycles. As such, it should be no surprise there’s plenty of competition for the Mater Dei product. The Buckeyes remain in the mix for Baker, but between Oregon, Texas, Miami and others, this race will remain tight until the end.
Kobe Black
We’ve officially crept into the “longshot” portion of the Heat Check. Black took an official visit to Ohio State on June 16, a successful visit for both parties. While the Buckeyes have a puncher’s chance in this recruitment, it wouldn’t be fair to consider them the leader, with Black being considered a Texas lean in the recruiting industry.
Dominick McKinley
Though McKinley did take an official visit to Ohio State on June 2, the Buckeyes aren't considered the frontrunner for the talented interior defensive lineman. Though, the same thing could have been said with the Buckeyes and Justin Scott leading into his commitment. After Ohio State landed Scott earlier this month and missed on Jayden Jackson, the Buckeyes can afford to be selective about any further interior defensive line targets.
Charleston Collins
Outside of a few conversations between him and Larry Johnson, not much has been reported publicly concerning Ohio State’s pursuit of the current Arkansas defensive line commitment. Should Collins take an official visit to Columbus later this fall, that would be a big indicator from both parties that things have started to pick up steam in that recruitment, though he remains committed to the Razorbacks for now.
Booker Pickett Jr.
Per 247Sports, Pickett Jr. will take an official visit to Ohio State later this fall. How much interest both parties have in the other when that visit occurs, though, may be contingent on the decisions of some of the Buckeyes’ more top-end targets.
Edwin Spillman
Spillman will commit later this month and is down to Ohio State and Tennessee. It would be a surprise if he picked the Buckeyes at this point, hence why he’s at the bottom of this list. Still, Spillman is held in such high regard by Ohio State that the Buckeyes would take both him and Viliamu-Asa to finish linebacker recruiting if it were possible.
