Ohio State has already landed one stud defensive playmaker from Buford High School for its 2024 class in Eddrick Houston.
They’d love to add another from the Georgia powerhouse in the 2025 class with four-star cornerback Devin Williams, who has helped lead Buford to a 2-0 start to the season, racking up a few pass deflections and a blocked punt in back-to-back weeks.
“It’s been a pretty good season so far,” Williams told Eleven Warriors. “We’re trying to stack up these wins and make it to state this year.”
The 5-foot-11, 170-pound cornerback is considered the 62nd-ranked prospect and the seventh-rated cornerback in the 2025 class per 247Sports’ composite rankings. He has nearly 30 Division I offers to his name. Ohio State offered the southern standout when he visited Columbus last April, and since then, secondary coach Tim Walton and safeties coach Perry Eliano have been in hot pursuit.
“They contact me every other day, I would say,” Williams said. “They just send me tips and tricks on techniques and let me know how they’re doing meetings and everything. They’re definitely in touch with me a lot.”
Williams’ primary recruiter is Walton, who he said has stood out to him in his recruitment.
“Coach Walton is very down to earth with our generation,” Williams said. “I love coach Walton. We definitely have a good relationship, and he’s definitely one of my favorite coaches.”
Since his commitment to Ohio State on Aug. 22, Houston – the No. 23 overall prospect and No. 4 defensive lineman in the class of 2024 – has been in Williams’ ear about potentially teaming up at the next level.
“Obviously, he wants me to come to Ohio State with him,” Williams said of Houston. “He’s been recruiting me pretty hard. He’s told me that he thinks I’d like it up there and he definitely sees me as a teammate of his one day. He’s trying to recruit me pretty hard right now.”
Williams has already planned his next trip to Columbus. He and his family will return to campus on Oct. 21 for the Penn State game.
“I definitely can’t wait to get back,” Williams said. “The visit there was amazing the first time I went there in the spring. It was amazing and unforgettable. I can’t wait to see what the game atmosphere is like and what the fans are like along with how the players prepare for gameday. I can’t wait to be back in Columbus for the game.”
Along with Ohio State, Williams said the schools that have reached out to him the most are Notre Dame, Michigan, South Carolina and USC. He hopes to narrow his list down at the end of his junior season and eventually commit before his senior year starts.
“Being coached by the best,” Williams said of the most appealing thing about potentially playing for Ohio State. “Coach Walton has coached a lot of the greats, so being able to be coached by him would be amazing.”
Dominick McKinley commits to Texas A&M
One of Ohio State’s top remaining targets in the 2024 class is headed elsewhere. While the Buckeyes have long been considered a longshot to land four-star defensive lineman Dominick McKinley, the Louisiana defensive tackle made his college choice official on Friday as he committed to Texas A&M.
BREAKING: Five-Star DL Dominick McKinley tells me he has Committed to Texas A&M!
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) September 1, 2023
The 66 270 DL from Lafayette, LA chose the Aggies over Texas, Oklahoma, LSU, & Ohio State
McKinley is ranked as the No. 17 Player in the 24 Class (No. 4 DL)https://t.co/OzH9BCU3tE pic.twitter.com/yQ37oGj8me
McKinley had a favorable relationship with Ohio State defensive line coach Larry Johnson, but distance from home may have been the biggest factor in this recruitment. The Buckeyes have two defensive linemen committed in the 2024 class in five-star prospects Justin Scott and Eddrick Houston. They are still pursuing Florida edge prospect Booker Pickett Jr., and perhaps Ernest Wilnor Jr. Ohio State will also continue to try to flip Marquise Lightfoot between now and National Signing Day.
Carter Lowe hopes to visit Ohio State this season
A top Ohio offensive lineman in the 2025 class plans to attend an Ohio State game later this season. Four-star Toledo Whitmer prospect Carter Lowe told Eleven Warriors he hopes to visit Columbus for a gameday trip sometime this season but is unsure of specifics yet.
Lowe has visited Ohio State twice recently, attending a recruiting camp in June then visiting for the Buckeyes’ SummerFest event in late July. He’ll be one of Ohio State's top in-state targets in 2025, though it could shape up to be a race between the Buckeyes and the Wolverines.
“Ohio State and Michigan is always gonna be at the top for me, for sure, though,” Lowe said after his camp in June.
