Jayvan Boggs was almost destined to become a Buckeye.
The three-star 2025 wide receiver prospect was born in Dayton but moved to Florida with his family when he was around 5 years old. Despite the move to the Sunshine State, Boggs grew up an Ohio State fan and tuned in every Saturday to watch the Buckeyes. His mother, Krista, still has a baby picture of Boggs donning an Ohio State jersey.
Born to be a Buckeye https://t.co/I5vi3LyILX pic.twitter.com/aZKrEWINmq
— Krista Boggs (@kekei4) October 9, 2023
Ohio State offered Boggs on June 15. From that point forward, he had a feeling he would be a Buckeye.
“It’s kind of crazy, growing up Ohio State was my favorite college team,” Boggs told Eleven Warriors. “I watched all of their games. It was my favorite team. It’s crazy to be able to say I’m committed to them, and that I’m going there to play football.”
Boggs made the decision official on Monday, publicly committing to the team of his childhood. Even though he plans on visiting Ohio State in two weeks for the Penn State game, the Florida prospect saw no reason to delay his commitment. He chose Ohio State over offers from Florida, Boston College, Colorado, Louisville, Ole Miss, Penn State, Pittsburgh, UCF and West Virginia.
COMMITTED!! IM HOME!! @Hayesfawcett3 pic.twitter.com/kD9QfZlGcL
— Jayvan Boggs (@Jayvan_Boggs) October 9, 2023
“Really, the Buckeyes have always had a soft spot in my heart ever since I got the offer,” Boggs said. “I feel like it was that time to get it done. Coach Ryan Day and coach Brian Hartline have been recruiting me really hard. Coach Hartline made it very clear that I was a top priority for them.”
Boggs said Hartline saw similarities between him and former Ohio State standout Jaxon Smith-Njigba, with those comparisons stemming from the 2025 product’s 6-foot, 188-pound frame and his playing style.
“One thing I’d really say that stuck out to me about it was (Hartline) said I really remind him of Jaxon Smith-Njigba,” Boggs said. “That really spoke to me, because he’s a first-round draft pick and was one of the best receivers in college football. I’d love to follow in his footsteps.”
Growing up an Ohio State fan, Boggs felt a tinge of anticipation heading to Columbus for a recruiting camp on June 15 in hopes of earning an offer but knew he just had to be himself to accomplish his goal.
“There’s always a little pressure, but I wouldn’t say it was too crazy or anything like that,” Boggs said of his mindset heading into the camp. “It wasn’t really too crazy, because at the end of the day, you’re playing the game and having fun. I just went out there to have fun and earn an offer, and I did.”
Boggs dominated throughout the camp and later was offered by Ohio State following his impressive performance.
“A smile came over my face,” Boggs said. “I just lit up. It was a great feeling. Ever since, they’ve had a spot in my heart, to be honest.”
Although he’s only considered a three-star recruit by 247Sports’ composite rankings, Boggs has certainly outplayed his ranking so far this season and is likely in for a big rankings bump over the next couple of months. So far in his junior season at Cocoa High School (Cocoa, Florida), Boggs has caught 48 passes for 779 yards with an eye-popping 14 touchdowns in six games.
“It means a lot that all the hard work has paid off from every offseason,” Boggs said of his hot start to the season. “You just have to keep grinding and keep going.”
His standout performance came in Week 2 when he torched five-star 2024 Florida State cornerback commit Charles Lester for 10 receptions, 210 yards and three touchdowns in his team's 31-21 victory.
“(Lester) a great player and has a five-star ranking by his name,” Boggs said. “So I was trying to put on a show and show that I’m one of the great players too and one of the great players in high school football.”
Boggs primarily plays outside receiver for Cocoa, but as he’s been compared to Jaxon Smith-Njigba by Hartline, he’ll likely be an inside receiver at the collegiate level.
“Off of what Hartline told me, he said he reminds me of JSN, so I’ll probably play more inside in the slot,” Boggs said. “But you never know what can happen when I get there. As a player, I’m a deep threat, deliver great yards after the catch, and can make screen plays turn into highlight plays. I have had great speed, route running and catching since Day One. That’s the type of receiver I am.”
After his commitment, Boggs heard from several Ohio State commitments. Boggs’ future quarterback, 2025 four-star prospect Tavien St. Clair, congratulated him over text, and the pair are expected to chat more sometime soon, especially at the Penn State visit. Five-star 2024 Florida wideout Jeremiah Smith also reached out to Boggs and welcomed him “to the brotherhood.”
— Jeremiah Smith (@Jermiah_Smith1) October 9, 2023
He Home!!!!! @Jayvan_Boggs https://t.co/hpHio9PTwe
— Tavien St. Clair (@TJSaint_1) October 9, 2023
Boggs said he hopes to take an active role as a peer recruiter for Ohio State’s 2025 class to “help build it into something great.” He’s started with his high school teammate, four-star 2025 defensive end Javion Hilson.
“I was talking about that a lot with him the other day,” Boggs said of recruiting Hilson to play in Columbus with him.
Although Boggs has more than a year to go before his National Signing Day, he’s already made plans to ensure he’ll be an early enrollee and participate in Ohio State’s spring football season in 2025.
“It’s Ohio State, the fans are crazy there, the culture is great, playing for coach Hartline, that’s a blessing,” Boggs said of the most appealing things about playing for the Buckeyes. “He’s the best receivers coach in college football and puts out first-round receivers almost every year. He has a pedigree of putting wide receivers into the first round of the NFL Draft that I want to be a part of.”
