A highly touted quarterback prospect in the 2027 class is strengthening his relationship with Ohio State.
Illinois signal caller Trae Taylor was among the few dozen highly touted recruiting visitors in attendance for the Buckeyes’ win over Nebraska last week, as the 6-foot-2, 175-pound prospect took in a gameday atmosphere in Columbus for the first time.
“My main takeaways were I was glad I was able to really sit down and talk with coach Chip Kelly,” Taylor told Eleven Warriors. “We’ve started to really build that relationship. Same with coach Ryan Day. I got to talk with him before the game a little bit. I really like Ohio State’s offense. They have a good combination of the run game and pass game. Their run game opened up the passing game and you look at a lot of their big plays, the big plays opened up because they were able to sell it off the play action. Ohio State is always going to have great receivers, you look at the room right now and it really doesn’t get much better. It was my first time seeing a game in The Shoe, so the experience was amazing.”
Had a great weekend @OhioStateFB got to spend time with one of my favorite person @morgan_bphill and spent quality time with @ryandaytime @CoachRLarkin and Coach Kelly will be back soon. @OhioStFootball @PlayBookAthlete @QBHitList @netsportsmgmt @CoachSemaj @TomLoy247 pic.twitter.com/D3wka55wnB
— Trae Taylor (@Qb6Trae) October 28, 2024
Taylor said his conversations with Day and Kelly stuck with him in the days after his visit.
“When I talked to coach Day, a lot of it was about my season and how I’ve been playing and he gave me some tips,” Taylor said. “He also told me to keep fighting and doing my job and make sure that I just stay positive. Which I feel like I’ve done a good job with for my team this year so hearing that from him was nice because it shows we have a lot of the same qualities in terms of leading a team. With coach Kelly, a lot of it was getting to know each other a little more and how my game is, how much I run the ball, how much I pass the ball, my favorite concepts and just talking football with him.”
Taylor has nearly 30 Division I offers, including from highly touted programs like LSU, Michigan, Tennessee, Miami and Oklahoma. He earned his Buckeyes offer last summer during a recruiting camp following an impressive workout.
“It was amazing,” Taylor said of earning his offer. “I’ve always grown up loving Ohio State. So getting an offer and knowing they want me and just being able to get a look from a big school like that is truly amazing. Especially with coach Kelly being there, he was just a head coach last year. He obviously knows football and knows what he’s looking at. So it’s amazing that he would offer me.”
Taylor said once his season wraps up he plans on releasing his top 12 schools and will think about narrowing down his recruitment. He says the education, coaching, personnel and culture the school offers will be critical factors in his recruitment.
“Ohio State is very much standing out to me,” Taylor said of where he views the Buckeyes in his recruitment right now.
Kaden Henderson earns Ohio State offer
Ohio State has entered the race for the No. 1 linebacker prospect in the 2027 class.
After a great conversation with @JLaurinaitis55 I am blessed to receive a offer from The Ohio State University #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/cjIs45Y4HA
— Kaden Henderson 4 LB (@KadenHenderson_) November 1, 2024
Four-star Florida prospect Kaden Henderson picked up an offer from Ohio State linebackers coach James Laurinaitis on Thursday, the 6-foot-2, 200-pound prospect announced on Twitter.
Per 247Sports’ composite rankings, Henderson is considered the No. 43 prospect and the No. 1 linebacker in the 2027 cycle. He’s earned nearly 20 Division I offers, including Florida, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Oregon, SMU, and Tennessee.
Eli Lee turns in strong regular season
Ohio State 2024 linebacker commit Eli Lee just wrapped up a strong regular season for his senior year.
The Archbishop Hoban standout recorded 119 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, four pass breakups, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and one interception while leading his team to an 8-2 record. Lee hopes to enjoy a successful postseason as well, as Hoban faces Firestone Friday in the team’s first playoff game.
