The Hurry-Up: Ohio 2025 Wide Receiver Preston Bowman Picks Up an Ohio State Offer, Four-star DT Jarquez Carter Sets Commitment Date for July 18

By Garrick Hodge on June 24, 2024 at 5:30 pm
Preston Bowman
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On Friday, Brian Hartline added an in-state wide receiver to Ohio State’s 2025 class after Bodpegn Miller committed to the Buckeyes.

Now, he has his eyes on another in-state wideout.

Three-star Pickerington resident Preston Bowman earned an offer from Ohio State on Sunday, one day after committing to the Kentucky Wildcats. Bowman had camped at OSU numerous times this summer and was impressive on each occasion, finally resulting in an offer the day after official visits wrapped up for the summer.

Per 247Sports’ composite rankings, Bowman is considered the No. 1,250th prospect and the No. 181 wideout in the 2025 class. The 6-foot, 190-pound prospect now has 16 Division I offers, including from Michigan and Louisville. 

The timing of the offer isn’t ideal, as Bowman has publicly maintained that despite the offer from OSU he’s locked in with Kentucky. But Bowman grew up a diehard OSU fan and has been to campus frequently, so it’s possible Hartline can flip him if the Buckeyes go all in recruiting him. OSU has three wideouts committed at the moment and are looking to add one or two more. Other targets include Dakorien Moore, Jaime Ffrench Jr., Vernell Brown III, Phillip Bell and Daylan McCutcheon. 

As a junior for Pickerington North, Bowman caught 43 passes for 713 yards and nine touchdowns.

Jarquez Carter sets commitment date for July 18

One of Ohio State’s top remaining defensive tackle targets for the 2025 class is ready to make a decision. 

Four-star Florida defensive lineman Jarquez Carter will announce his college commitment on July 18 and likely choose from a group that includes OSU, Miami, UCF, Penn State and Florida. 

The 6-foot-2, 284-pound prospect took an official visit to Columbus last week on Tuesday through Thursday before he concluded his visit schedule with a trip to Miami over the weekend. At this moment, Miami is likely the biggest threat to the Buckeyes for Carter. 

Another top defensive tackle target will come off the board sooner, with Trajen Odom scheduled to commit on Friday. If that doesn’t go the Buckeyes’ way, it will further strengthen the need for Carter, as OSU ideally wants to take two interior defensive linemen in the 2025 cycle.  

Faizon Brandon eyeing August commitment

One of the top quarterbacks in the 2026 class has moved up his commitment timeline. 

Per 247Sports, four-star North Carolina signal-caller Faizon Brandon will likely decide on a school sometime in August. Brandon, ranked as the No. 30 overall prospect and No. 4 quarterback in 2026, told the recruiting network he plans on releasing five finalists soon. 

Brandon has visited Tennessee, Alabama, LSU, Florida State and North Carolina State this summer. OSU is one of several schools hoping to get him on campus this summer before he makes a decision. 

The Buckeyes have offered 12 quarterbacks in the 2026 class, but options are quickly dwindling. Brandon is one of only four quarterbacks with an OSU offer who remain uncommitted along with Jonas Williams, Troy Huhn and Brady Palmer, the latter two of which visited campus this summer. Two other options came off the board Monday, as Brodie McWhorter committed to West Virginia while Jaden O’Neal pledged to the Sooners.

Zion Grady social media commitment reaction

There’s no shortage of good vibes right now with Ohio State recruiting. The good times continued to roll on Monday after top-100 prospect Zion Grady gave his pledge to the scarlet and gray, making him the second highly touted prospect from Alabama to commit to OSU in the 2025 cycle. 

Following his commitment, reaction poured in on social media from Ohio State staffers, commits and targets. We’ve rounded up some of their reactions below.

Kaden Strayhorn, Mario Nash, Micah DeBose commit to other schools

While Ohio State landed one offensive line target on Sunday with the commitment of Jake Cook, three of OSU’s other offensive line targets in the 2025 class committed elsewhere over the weekend.

Kaden Strayhorn committed to Michigan, Mario Nash pledged to his in-state Mississippi State Bulldogs and Micah DeBose committed to Alabama while on his official visit.

Ohio State continues to hope for a commitment from its biggest priority target in 2025, five-star offensive tackle David Sanders Jr. With a commitment expected later this summer, OSU will wait with plenty of anticipation for the answer to his pivotal recruitment with many of its other top offensive line targets now committed elsewhere.

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