Ohio State has four five-star prospects among its 2020 signees.
With the 2020 recruiting cycle coming to a close, the three major recruiting services offered their final player rankings within the past few days, and the Buckeyes will finish with four players rated as five-star prospects by at least one recruiting service with two players earning five-stars from all three services.
Here's a look at each of Ohio State's four five-star prospects, which outlet(s) gave them the rating, and how their ratings differ across the different recruiting services.
Julian Fleming – Wide Receiver
- 247 Sports: #1 Wide Receiver, #4 Overall
- Rivals: #1 Wide Receiver, #14 Overall
- ESPN: #1 Wide Receiver, #1 Overall
Julian Fleming is a consensus five-star prospect and the consensus No. 1 receiver in the country, taking the top spot among all wide receivers and earning a five-star rating among all three major rankings services.
The Pennsylvania prospect is ranked highest by ESPN, where he's rated as the top player in the entire 2020 class, and has his lowest rating at Rivals, checking in as the No. 14 player in the class.
Fleming is the No. 3 overall prospect and a five-star in the composite rankings and is the highest-rated wide receiver ever to sign with Ohio State.
Paris Johnson Jr. – Offensive Tackle
- 247Sports: #1 Offensive Tackle, #8 Overall
- Rivals: #3 Offensive Tackle, #21 Overall
- ESPN: #2 Offensive Tackle, #11 Overall
Paris Johnson Jr. is Ohio State's second consensus five-star prospect, earning a five-star rating from all three major recruiting services.
Johnson peaks in the 247 Sports rankings, checking in as the No. 1 offensive tackle and the No. 8 overall prospect in the country. Johnson has his lowest ranking on Rivals, who has him ranked as the No. 3 offensive tackle and No. 21 prospect in the country.
In the composite rankings, Johnson is a five-star and the No. 1 overall offensive tackle and No. 9 overall. He will be the second highest-rated offensive lineman on Ohio State's roster behind former five-star prospect Nicholas Petit-Frere.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba – Wide Receiver
- 247Sports: #2 Wide Receiver, #15 Overall
- Rivals: #4 Wide Receiver, #20 Overall
Jaxon Smith-Njigba is a five-star prospect according to two of the three major recruiting services – Rivals and 247Sports. The receiver out of Rockwall, Texas earned his fifth star for the first time in the final rankings for both services.
Smith-Njigba has his highest overall rating at 247Sports, where he is ranked as the No. 15 player overall and the No. 2 receiver in the class, behind only Fleming.
He has by far his lowest rating at ESPN, where he's a four-star prospect ranked No. 10 among receivers and No. 91 overall.
Despite the low ranking from ESPN, Smith-Njigba is the No. 28 overall player and a five-star prospect in the composite rankings.
C.J. Stroud – Quarterback
- 247Sports: #2 Pro-Style Quarterback, #29 Overall
C.J. Stroud is only a five-star prospect according to one recruiting service, 247Sports, and he earned the rating in just the last set of rankings, but he is a five-star nonetheless. According to 247Sports, Stroud is the No. 2 pro-style quarterback and the No. 29 overall player in the country.
Stroud is rated as a four-star prospect by both Rivals and ESPN. At Rivals, he is the No. 3 pro-style quarterback in the class and the No. 51 player in the country while at ESPN he's the No. 2 pro-style quarterback and No. 104 player in the class.
Stroud checks in at No. 41 overall – a four-star – in the composite rankings, rated as the No. 2 pro-style quarterback in the class.
