Ohio State’s top tight end target in the 2025 class is down to five schools.
As expected, Ohio State has made the cut for four-star Oklahoma prospect Nate Roberts. The 6-foot-4, 235-pound product released a top five earlier this week that included the Buckeyes, Oregon, Oklahoma, Penn State and Ole Miss.
I would like to thank each school who has recruited me to this point. I will always be grateful for those opportunities, and for those relationships. From this point forward I will focus on my Top 5: pic.twitter.com/F96Zue8i3h
— Nate Roberts (@nateroberts2025) March 11, 2024
The Buckeyes remain a strong contender to land Roberts. Roberts, who last visited Columbus in January, will visit Columbus at least two more times. He’ll be in attendance for Ohio State’s spring game on April 13 and also has confirmed an official visit for June 7.
“The culture that has been at Ohio State has been amazing in past years, they’re the most winning culture right now,” Roberts told Eleven Warriors of Ohio State in June. “I feel like they’ve been using the heck out of the tight ends lately. I feel like Ohio State can be a place where I can get both the best culture and best playing experience.”
Roberts will also take an official visit to each of his other four finalists.
Hayden Lowe picks up an Ohio State offer
Larry Johnson has offered another defensive end in the 2025 class. Four-star California prospect Hayden Lowe was the recipient of the Ohio State offer after Johnson presented it to him on Tuesday.
Blessed to announce that I have received an offer from the university of Ohio state @CoachC_C @BrownKai @G_Town93 @GregBiggins @BrandonHuffman @R2X_Rushmen1 pic.twitter.com/Rlb4v9Y3lP
— Hayden Lowe (@Hayden_lowe323) March 12, 2024
The 6-foot-4, 242-pound Lowe is considered the 209th-best prospect and the 18th-ranked edge prospect in 247Sports’ composite rankings. He’s picked up 27 Division I offers, including Alabama, Arizona, Arizona State, Boston College, Cal, Kansas, Louisville, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oregon, Oregon State, Pittsburgh, San Diego State, Syracuse, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, UCLA, UNLV, USC, Utah and Washington.
In Lowe’s junior season, he recorded 29 tackles, seven tackles for loss, two sacks, two interceptions, seven quarterback hurries and four forced fumbles.
Damien Shanklin puts Buckeyes in top 12
Nearly one week after being offered by Ohio State, four-star Indiana 2025 defensive end Damien Shanklin has included the Buckeyes in his top schools list. Shanklin released a top 12 on Wednesday consisting of OSU, Miami, Texas, Texas A&M, Notre Dame, Oregon, Tennessee, Cincinnati, LSU, Washington, Michigan and USC.
— Damien Dame Shanklin (@D_shanklin42) March 13, 2024
Shanklin picked up his offer after visiting Columbus on Thursday.
“I liked it a lot,” Shanklin told Eleven Warriors of the visit. “It was a great environment and hospitality. (I also loved) just watching the practice, the team was very competitive.”
The Buckeyes hope to host Shanklin back on campus again sometime this summer for an official visit. In his junior season, Shanklin recorded 66 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, three sacks, one interception and four pass deflections.
Kaden Strayhorn, Dorian Barney set spring visits to Columbus visiting OSU April 1
Two more Ohio State targets have confirmed spring visits within the next month.
Four-star 2025 Florida offensive lineman Kaden Strayhorn will be on campus April 1, while four-star 2026 prospect Dorian Barney will be in Columbus on April 13.
Strayhorn will also visit Florida, Florida State, Alabama, Georgia and Michigan this spring. It will be his second visit to Ohio State and his first since being offered by Justin Frye at a recruiting camp last June.
"It felt great to get the offer," Strayhorn told Eleven Warriors shortly after he received it. "Coach Day told me coach Frye said I did outstanding in the camp and that I was offered a scholarship. In camp, coach Frye told me chest over knees, knees over ankles.”
Barney’s visit to Ohio State will be his first since being offered by Tim Walton in January. Barney is considered the 49th-ranked prospect and the sixth-best cornerback in the 2026 cycle.
As a sophomore, the 6-foot-1, 170-pound Barney recorded 32 tackles (two for loss) with two quarterback hurries, 10 pass deflections and four interceptions while helping Peachtree Ridge (Suwanee, Georgia) to a 10-2 record.
