Daylan McCutcheon’s first visit to Ohio State couldn’t have gone much better.
The four-star 2025 wide receiver took in an electric atmosphere while watching the Buckeyes beat Penn State 20-12 on Saturday, then was offered by Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline a day later.
#AGTG After a great visit @OhioStateFB
— Daylan McCutcheon (@daylanmccutch11) October 22, 2023
I am proud and blessed to receive an offer from The Ohio State University!!@brianhartline @ryandaytime @ChrisRossLOJO @Coach_Lavender @coach_jackson49 @leopardfootball pic.twitter.com/6afBuiamvM
“It felt amazing,” McCutcheon told Eleven Warriors of getting offered. “Knowing that they’re Wide Receiver University means a lot to me, to be a wide receiver and get offered by the biggest powerhouse in college football.
“(Hartline) was just telling me about Ohio State and told me that for people in my class to get offered, you can have all the talent in the world, but if you don’t have the right mindset or attitude, you won’t be able to play at Ohio State. Those were the things he liked about me and he liked how I played and wants me to continue to keep playing the way that I am.”
McCutcheon also met Ryan Day on his visit.
“We were able to get to know each other and each other’s background,” McCutcheon said. “It was a cool conversation. I really like coach Day, he’s a nice and chill person. I look forward to talking to him more and building a better relationship.”
McCutcheon is teammates with four-star 2024 Ohio State linebacker commit Payton Pierce at Lovejoy High School (Lucas, Texas), and the pair made the trip to Columbus together. Once McCutcheon got offered, it didn’t take long for Pierce to start playing the role of peer recruiter.
Big time!!! WRU!!! Come home!!! https://t.co/jaFC8GZlfs
— Payton Pierce (@payton_pierce26) October 22, 2023
“He was hyped,” McCutcheon said. “He’s always telling me Ohio State is a receiver’s dream. If you want to go there, he always brings up the draft and stuff like that. He (will be there) along with two other of my teammates that are committed to OSU for lacrosse.”
It didn’t hurt McCutcheon’s impression of the Buckeyes that he visited on a day when Marvin Harrison Jr. had 11 catches for 162 yards.
“I thought the receiving corps played really well,” McCutcheon said. “I liked how coach Hartline moved around the receivers and had Marvin Harrison Jr. and (Carnell Tate) not only be outside receivers but moving them into the slot and motioning them. They found ways to get their top receiver the ball. I was impressed.
McCutcheon said he doesn’t have any schools over the other at the moment in his recruitment, but like Pierce before him, acknowledged it would be pretty cool to don nearly the same uniform he wore in high school.
“Being able to play in front of that top-tier crowd,” McCutcheon said about the most appealing thing about potentially playing for Ohio State. “The environment is intense up there and it would be cool to wear the same colors I wore in high school.”
McCutcheon says he’s been in contact with OSU for about a month, so the relationship between him and OSU is in its early stages.
Per 247Sports’ composite rankings, McCutcheon is considered to be the 105th-ranked prospect nationally and the 18th-best wide receiver in the 2025 class. He’s picked up more than 25 Division I offers, including Arkansas, Baylor, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Oregon, Penn State, SMU, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M and Wisconsin.
So far in his junior season, McCutcheon has racked up 43 catches for 708 yards with 12 receiving touchdowns and one rushing touchdown. The 6-foot, 175-pound prospect said he’s open to either playing inside or outside receiver at the collegiate level.
“I like playing (outside) receiver more,” McCutcheon said. “Just because of the routes I’m able to get from it. But I’m good with playing either because I’m able to learn each position pretty easily.”
While McCutcheon doesn’t have any current plans for another visit to OSU, he said he hopes to return to Columbus down the road for another visit.
Naeshaun Montgomery enjoys his visit to OSU
McCutcheon wasn’t the only 2025 wide receiver target who relished his trip to Columbus. Four-star Florida prospect Naeshaun Montgomery was also one of more than 80 prospects in attendance at the OSU vs. PSU game and the environment left the top-70 prospect speechless.
“Ohio State definitely lived up to everything coach Hartline has been talking about,” Montgomery told Eleven Warriors. “The fans had me speechless. They literally stood up the entire game.”
After the game, Montgomery and Hartline had a brief conversation.
“Coach Hartline and I talked and his pitch to me was it’s gonna be hard, but if I want to achieve my dream, (Ohio State is) the best place to be.”
Montgomery is considered the 69th-rated prospect and 12th-best receiver in the 2025 class. The 6-foot, 160-pound product is one of OSU’s top targets in the 2025 cycle and will be a recruiting priority in the coming months.
Ian Moore enjoyed seeing the Buckeyes pull out a win
Four-star Ohio State 2024 offensive tackle commit Ian Moore has been no stranger to OSU games over the past year and was one of the many commitments in Ohio Stadium for the Buckeyes’ win over Penn State.
“Great visit like always,” Moore told Eleven Warriors. “Glad to get back with my guys. The atmosphere was crazy like normal. The loudest game I’ve been to other than the Team Up North game last year. Thought the team showed a lot of resilience. They could’ve given up at any time but they kept grinding and got the win.”
Moore has led New Palestine (New Palestine, Indiana) to an 8-2 record so far this season and is preparing for a second-round playoff matchup on Friday.
