A common criticism of former offensive line coach Justin Frye’s recruiting style from fans and analysts alike often was how small the target board was.
Not that there’s anything wrong with zeroing in on a select few players you’re really high on, but once you strike out on them, it makes it very difficult to secure any fallback options. A few weeks into offensive line coach Tyler Bowen’s tenure at Ohio State, it doesn’t seem like that trend will continue.
Bowen has offered several offensive linemen since arriving in Columbus, including three within the past two days, all of which are in the 2026 recruiting class. We’ll delve into each offer below.
Kelvin Obot
Bowen offered the top prospect in the state of Idaho on Thursday, extending an offer to four-star offensive tackle Kelvin Obot. Per 247Sports’ composite rankings, Obot is considered the No. 147 prospect and the No. 12 offensive tackle.
Absolutely an honor to announce that I have received an offer from the raining national champs Ohio State #GoBucks @TylerBowen pic.twitter.com/sqoQdHrvf4
— Kelvin Obot (@KelvinObot72) February 20, 2025
He’s been offered by 22 Division I schools, primarily from the West Coast and Midwest. Some of those offers include Arizona, Auburn, Boise State, BYU, Cal, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Purdue, Tennessee, USC, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin.
Obot sits at 6-foot-5, 265 pounds and is a dual-sport athlete, also competing in track and field.
Claude Mpouma
Bowen went to the land of Lincoln for his second offensive tackle offer within the past 48 hours, offering four-star Chicago product Claude Mpouma. Mpouma is considered the No. 181 prospect and the No. 16 offensive tackle in the 2026 cycle.
Im blessed to announce that I received an offer to play football at Ohio state University.@TylerBowen @Byfsports @AllenTrieu @SWiltfong_ @EDGYTIM @GregSmithRivals . pic.twitter.com/at4x0MIris
— Claude Mpouma (@claude_mpouma) February 21, 2025
He’s earned 30 Division I offers, which include Auburn, Boston College, Florida, Florida State, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, Missouri, Nebraska, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Penn State, Syracuse, USC and Wisconsin.
Mpouma is from Cameroon originally, and his junior year was his first-ever season of playing American football, so he’s definitely on the raw side. The 6-foot-7, 308-pound prospect also played basketball his freshman year.
Deacon Schmitt
Unlike Mpouma and Obot, four-star Colorado prospect Deacon Schmitt is considered an interior offensive lineman, not a tackle. Bowen offered the 6-foot-5, 310-pound prospect on Friday.
Blessed to have received an offer to play football at Ohio State University! Go Buckeyes! @OhioStateFB @ryandaytime @TylerBowen @Coach_Dickey @brianhartline @RyanMayhew_ @parkerwereb8 @markpantoni @CoachJordan82 @SixZeroAcademy @adamgorney @BrandonHuffman @SWiltfong_ pic.twitter.com/99pvj98GVd
— Deacon Schmitt (@deacon_schmitt) February 21, 2025
He’s earned 25 Division I offers, including Alabama, Cal, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kansas State, Michigan State, Nebraska, Northwestern, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Purdue, Stanford, Tennessee, USC, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin.
Schmitt is considered the No. 385 prospect and the No. 32 interior offensive lineman in the 2026 class. He’ll likely take a visit to Ohio State sometime this spring.
Kayden Dixon-Wyatt sets official visit to Ohio State for May 31
A top Ohio State wide receiver target in the 2026 recruiting class has scheduled an official visit to Columbus. Four-star California wideout Kayden Dixon-Wyatt announced he’ll visit OSU on May 31, and also plans to take official visits to Alabama, USC, Texas and Oregon.
Dixon-Wyatt has a strong relationship with offensive coordinator Brian Hartline and has made several visits to Ohio State over his recruitment. He’s the high school teammate of five-star wide receiver commit Chris Henry Jr., and the pair could play at the next level together should Dixon-Wyatt commit to Ohio State.
