One of the nation’s top wide receivers in the 2025 cycle was in attendance for the Buckeyes victory against Penn State on Oct. 21 and came away impressed by what he saw.
Five-star Florida wideout Jaime Ffrench, who committed to Alabama on July 22, was not short on praise for Ohio State when discussing his visit.
“It was a great visit and experience,” Ffrench told Eleven Warriors of his trip. “It was 10/10 for sure.”
Ffrench remains committed to Alabama, but if anyone is capable of flipping a highly-coveted wide receiver prospect, it’s Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline.
“The Buckeyes still stand high in my recruitment,” Ffrench said.
Per 247Sports’ composite rankings, Ffrench is considered the 12th-best prospect and the fourth-ranked wideout in the 2025 class. This season, Ffrench has caught 36 passes for 816 yards and 10 receiving touchdowns.
Ohio State isn’t the only school trying to flip Ffrench, as he visited Florida last weekend and plans to visit Florida State on Nov. 11.
Donovan Johnson puts OSU in his top five
An Ohio State running back target has narrowed down his recruitment. Four-star IMG Academy running back Donovan Johnson released a top five on Sunday consisting of Ohio State, Tennessee, USC, Georgia and Florida State.
BREAKING: Elite 2025 RB Donovan Johnson is down to 5 Schools!
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) October 29, 2023
The 61 215 RB from Savannah, GA is ranked as a Top 50 Player in 25 (No. 3 RB)
Where Should He Go?https://t.co/rDqwmH1VAM pic.twitter.com/7YmxMgDkAw
“Ever since my first visit and workout with coach Tony Alford at Ohio State our connection has grown,” Johnson told On3. “I love what they’re doing this year and have continued to do for the last decade.”
Johnson hasn’t visited Ohio State since June 2022, but has long been high on the Buckeyes.
“I think of Ezekiel Elliott, Eddie George, all of the greats and all that,” Johnson, considered the 113th-best player and ninth-rated running back in the 2025 class, told Eleven Warriors about OSU after his visit in 2022.
Solomon Thomas includes Ohio State in top 10
Five-star 2025 Florida offensive tackle Solomon Thomas also included the Buckeyes in a trimmed-down school list on Friday. Thomas released a top 10 consisting of Ohio State, Georgia, LSU, Florida State, Florida, Arkansas, South Carolina, Miami, Texas A&M and Tennessee.
BREAKING: Elite 2025 OT Solomon Thomas is down to Schools!
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) October 27, 2023
The 64 313 OT from Jacksonville, FL is ranked as a Top 32 Player in the 25 Class (No. 3 OT)
Where Should He Go?https://t.co/3NqYaQAG27 pic.twitter.com/RilBwaiVCX
Thomas is considered the 21st-ranked prospect and the No. 4 offensive tackle in the 2025 class. Solomon was offered by OSU on Aug. 1, though he has yet to visit Columbus.
Eli Owens puts the Buckeyes in his top nine schools
One of Ohio State’s priority tight end targets in the 2025 class included the Buckeyes among his top nine schools. Four-star Tennessee prospect Eli Owens released a top nine Friday consisting of Ohio State, North Carolina, Virginia Tech, Alabama, USF, Tennessee, Cincinnati, Michigan and Wisconsin.
Top 9 @NCEC_Recruiting @NatlPlaymkrsAca @alcoafootball pic.twitter.com/R0dzj6fwsc
— Eli Owens (@Eli_Owens19) October 27, 2023
Owens visited OSU for the Maryland game earlier this season and was impressed with the experience.
“I thought overall it was a good visit,” Owens told Eleven Warriors. “Getting to see what the fan environment would be like was really important. I already know all the coaches and know what the coaches want from me, so it’s not like you go in there expecting more from them with them already having done all they can do. Getting to see what the fans would do, how they interact and stay in the game, is really cool.”
Owens also said he and tight ends coach Keenan Bailey have a close relationship and he thinks he’d enjoy playing for Bailey.
“A lot of the time, we’re just checking up on each other and seeing how the family is doing on both sides,” Owens said. “We’ll keep up a good friendship and not always talk about too much football because there comes a point where you can talk too much about football. It’s good to get to know somebody as a man and a person, which is just as important.”
Reggie Powers commits to Oklahoma
A former Ohio State safety target in the 2024 class is off the board (again). Four-star in-state prospect Reggie Powers committed to Oklahoma on Saturday, shortly before the Sooners suffered an unfortunate defeat at the hands of the Kansas Jayhawks.
BREAKING: Four-Star Safety Reggie Powers tells me he has Committed to Oklahoma!
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) October 28, 2023
The 61 200 S from Dayton, OH chose the Sooners over Ohio State & UCLA
This is a very special opportunity and great program to be a part of. Sooner Nation lets go win some championships! pic.twitter.com/NWgIpS1qZk
Powers committed to Michigan State in the summer, but later decommitted following Mel Tucker’s departure. OSU didn’t engage much with Powers when he came back on the market. Instead, Ohio State chose to pursue Leroy Roker, who became Ohio State’s second safety commit in the 2024 class four days after he took an official visit to Columbus for the Maryland game.
