A top 2026 cornerback with a half dozen Power Five offers was thrilled with his unofficial visit on Saturday at Ohio State.
Georgia prospect Demari Clemons said he enjoyed his time in Columbus for the Buckeyes’ home opener. He is already looking forward to the next opportunity he’ll have to be on campus.
“The visit was what I expected and more,” Clemons told Eleven Warriors. “Being at a game day and having the opportunity to experience 100k fans cheering the team on every snap was a great feeling. Watching the secondary lets me know how well-prepared those guys are and the amount of work they put in. Those guys are the definition of a no-fly zone and were ready for what was coming at them.
I would like to thank @CoachDuHart @CoachTimWalton for the game day experience vs Youngstown State. YOU HAD TO BS THERE. The way the secondary was flying all over the field kept me on my feet the entire time. This was definitely a bucket list experience today. Again thank you pic.twitter.com/wrL5MIX7dE
— Demari Clemons (@ClemonsDemari) September 9, 2023
“My favorite part of the visit was how they treated every athlete, including their families, as the number one priority regardless of their status," Clemons said. "That shows a lot about the culture of Ohio State.”
The 5-foot-10, 155-pound Clemons holds seven Division I offers thus far, including Buffalo, Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Syracuse and West Virginia. He hopes to add an Ohio State offer to the list in the future.
“To get an OSU offer would mean the world to me,” he said. “It’ll define all the hard work and dedication I put in and trusting the process that playing at a university like Ohio State is possible. My best abilities on the field are being someone willing to learn and listen to my coaches and players on the team. If the team needs me to play on the line, I’ll put my best foot forward and give it a shot. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to better the team.”
T=Tradition H=Honor E=Excellence Ohio State University @OhioStateFB @MarvHarrisonJr WEGOTACTION pic.twitter.com/Y4szZtWwde
— Demari Clemons (@ClemonsDemari) September 10, 2023
On his visit, Clemons spoke primarily with Ohio State defensive assistant coach Gerren DuHart, but camped in Columbus in June and received feedback from secondary coach Tim Walton.
“I spoke with coach DuHart (on Saturday) but have spoken with coach Walton at the camp this past summer,” Clemons said. “Exactly what they expect from players in camp, was similar to what they expect from the players on game day. Coach DuHart told me to trust the process and that they can’t wait to have me back on campus.”
Clemons is equally anticipating his next return visit.
“The most appealing thing about potentially playing for Ohio State is having the opportunity to represent what the brand of Ohio State stands for,” he said. “I plan on returning soon so I can pick up where I left off.”
Top-5 2025 prospect Armondo Blount puts OSU in top five
One of the top players in the entire 2025 class has narrowed down his college recruitment to five teams. Five-star Florida defensive lineman Armondo Blount released a top-five on Tuesday consisting of Ohio State, USC, Oklahoma, Miami and Florida State.
Wheres home? @Valentiauntrell @Hayesfawcett3 @dareal_coachmal @CoachJube @paragon52 pic.twitter.com/xKVqkAnw9X
— Armondo Blount (@ArmondoBlount) September 12, 2023
Blount is considered the fifth-ranked prospect and second-best defensive lineman in 2025 per 247Sports’ composite rankings, and Ohio State offered him in January 2022. The 6-foot-3, 250-pound prospect doesn’t have a timeline for a decision yet but has decided to focus on those schools primarily going forward.
“They are known for making defensive linemen better,” Blount told On3 about what appeals to him about Ohio State.
Micah Hudson commits to Texas Tech, CFB seeing recruiting parity with cycle’s top 50 prospects
The No. 2-ranked wide receiver in the 2024 class is off the board. Texas prospect Micah Hudson committed to Texas Tech on Monday, not only giving the Red Raiders their first five-star prospect in the 2024 cycle, but their first five-star prospect ever.
@TexasTechFB x @Hayesfawcett3 pic.twitter.com/ta0w7XuGmA
— 1X (@iammike1x) September 12, 2023
Hudson had an Ohio State offer and visited Columbus last fall, but he and the Buckeyes had been going in different directions for months before his decision. Ohio State already has a star-powered wide receiver corps in the cycle consisting of Jeremiah Smith, Jeremiah McClellan and Mylan Graham, though it wouldn’t be opposed to trying to flip someone like Chance Robinson or Joshisa Trader from Miami.
Ultimately, Hudson and similar prospects going to the Texas Tech’s of the world is fun and creates more parity for college football. Perhaps it’s due to NIL incentives, perhaps it’s due to something else, but it seems like a wide variety of schools sure have been in the mix for the top 50 recruits in the 247Sports composite rankings this season.
Of the top 50 prospects, 43 are currently committed, with 20 different schools splitting those 43 players.
Schools that have multiple players in the top 50 include Ohio State (seven), Georgia (six), Florida State (four), Florida (three), Alabama (two), Oklahoma (two), Texas A&M (two), Tennessee (two), Clemson (two) and Auburn (two).
Schools that have a single top-50 player committed include Boise State, Texas Tech, Missouri, Texas, South Carolina, Miami, Arizona, Notre Dame, Penn State and Ole Miss.
So far in the current cycle, there’s even a bit more parity than in the 2023 class, where 19 schools split the top 50 players, with the obvious caveat that there are seven remaining athletes to commit in 2024 and that flips are always a thing and nothing is official until the ink is dry on National Signing Day.
Schools signing multiple top-50 players in 2023 included Alabama (10), Georgia (seven), Texas (six), USC (four), Texas A&M (three), Oklahoma (three), Miami (two), LSU (two), Oregon (two) and Clemson (two) while Ohio State, Penn State, Florida, Tennessee, UCLA, Colorado, Ole Miss, South Carolina and Florida State signed a single top-50 prospect.
