Ohio State has missed on a major priority target in the 2024 class.
After being seen as the favorite to land five-star defensive end Dylan Stewart following June's official visits, OSU couldn't close on the talented Washington, D.C. product, who committed to South Carolina on Tuesday.
COMMITTED #ITSOVER @Hayesfawcett3 pic.twitter.com/3adfDaWvKB
— Dylan Stewart (@Dylan1Stewart_) August 1, 2023
Stewart visited South Carolina over the weekend, then committed to the Gamecocks a few days later. He was one of OSU's top priorities at defensive end this cycle, along with five-star Georgia prospect Eddrick Houston. With Houston set to make a decision on Aug. 22, landing the Buford High School product will be more critical than ever for Larry Johnson after missing out on Stewart.
So far in the 2024 cycle, defensive recruiting has been a mixed bag for the Buckeyes. OSU pulled off a major recruiting win nobody expected in July by landing five-star defensive tackle Justin Scott, and also kept top-55 prospects and in-state cornerbacks Aaron Scott and Bryce West home. But the Buckeyes have also missed out on Stewart, defensive end Marquise Lightfoot and linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa despite being front runners for all three at one point.
Ohio State has another priority defensive target set to make a decision this week in five-star safety KJ Bolden, though his college choice remains uncertain heading into his announcement on Saturday.
Despite the misses, OSU still ranks as the No. 2 overall class nationally in 247Sports' recruiting class rankings.
