Friday night lights are back in Ohio.
This weekend, all of the Buckeyes’ in-state commits for the 2024, 2025 and 2026 classes will kick off their seasons on the gridiron, save for Chris Henry Jr., who played Thursday evening and who we’ll touch on in a second.
Yours truly will be in attendance at Bellefontaine’s season opener to see Ohio State quarterback commit Tavien St. Clair sling the rock, while Dan will be in Springfield to watch cornerback commit Aaron Scott. You can follow along on social media throughout the evening if that’s your thing. If not, we’ll have plenty of coverage coming on the site in the coming days.
In the meantime, here’s where Ohio State high school commits will be playing their 2023 season openers.
- Four-star 2024 linebacker Garrett Stover and Big Walnut @ Bishop Hartley at 7 p.m. on Friday.
- Three-star 2024 running back Sam Williams-Dixon and Pickerington North @ Elder High School at 7 p.m. on Friday.
- Four-star 2024 cornerback Aaron Scott and Springfield vs. St. Ignatius at 7 p.m. on Friday.
- Four-star 2025 quarterback Tavien St. Clair and Bellefontaine vs. Sidney High School at 7 p.m. on Friday.
- Three-star 2024 offensive lineman Marc Nave and Toledo Central Catholic @ Findlay High School at 7 p.m. Friday.
- Four-star 2024 cornerback Bryce West, four-star 2024 tight end Damarion Witten and Glenville in a neutral site matchup against Dinwiddle (Virginia) at 7 p.m. Saturday in Canton, Ohio. Last season, both teams went 15-0 and won state titles.
- Four-star 2024 offensive tackle Deontae Armstrong, three-star 2024 offensive lineman Devontae Armstrong and St. Edward playing Saturday against Center Grove at noon in Massillon.
Chris Henry Jr. leads Withrow to 42-0 season-opening win
Though most of the Buckeyes’ in-state commitments open their seasons over the next few days, Ohio State 2026 wide receiver commit Chris Henry Jr. kicked off his 2023 campaign on Thursday evening. Considered the No. 1 wide receiver in the country in the 2026 cycle by 247Sports’ composite rankings, Henry Jr. was the focus of Walnut Hills’ defense and saw double-teams for a good portion of the evening.
It didn’t matter too much, as Henry Jr. still tallied more than 80 yards on offense and caught a touchdown en route to a 42-0 victory.
Chris Henry Jr. with his first TD reception this season. Rex Shaffer PAT. Withrow 42, Walnut Hills 0. End 3Q pic.twitter.com/xLLG2masDL
— Mike Dyer (@MikeDyer) August 18, 2023
Henry Jr. and Withrow next face Springboro on the road on Aug. 25.
Sam Greer to visit for Penn State game
Between Maxwell Riley and Sam Greer, the state of Ohio has produced two offensive tackles that cracked 247Sports’ first 100 ranked players in the 2026 class. Both players have offers from the Buckeyes, and both will be priority targets in that class.
Greer, who plays at Archbishop Hoban in Akron, has already confirmed a return trip to OSU with Eleven Warriors, as the 6-foot-8, 290-pound tackle said he’d visit OSU this fall on Oct. 21 when the Buckeyes host Penn State.
Greer visited OSU earlier this summer when he attended the Buckeyes’ SummerFest recruiting event on July 28 and said it was a good opportunity to bond with OSU offensive line coach Justin Frye.
“It went pretty good,” Greer said after the event regarding his discussion with the coaches. “Coach Frye, we have a good relationship. He’s a cool guy. The biggest thing I’ve learned from him is to compete and to always give 100 percent.”
While Greer has plenty of time between now and his class’ National Signing Day, he’s eyeing a short recruitment process. He said his top two schools as of now are Ohio State and Michigan.
“I’m thinking about either the end of this season, maybe going into next summer,” Greer said of his recruitment. “I like (OSU) because they usually always do good and go far, and seem to have that winning mentality.”
