The Buckeyes will not bring in Eli Ricks, after all.
Though Ohio State was reportedly the favored destination for the nation's top transfer cornerback, the Buckeyes are no longer considering adding Ricks, Chris Hummer of 247Sports reports.
According to Hummer, there was concern that adding Ricks would result in the immediate transfer of several defensive backs and hurt Ohio State's 2022 recruiting class, which includes three cornerbacks.
This decision goes in line with what Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said on Sunday, as he indicated that the team would be careful about its transfer portal additions as not to upset team chemistry.
Ryan Day: The amount of players in the transfer portal right now, its mind-boggling. Day says the Buckeyes are going to be careful about not bringing in too many players from the transfer portal and potentially upsetting team chemistry.
— Dan Hope (@Dan_Hope) December 5, 2021
There's still a possibility Ricks visits Columbus, Hummer reports, but "something would have to change" for Ohio State to reconsider adding him to the roster.
Ricks is the nation's top-rated transfer cornerback and has been considered an elite talent since high school. Rated as the No. 2 cornerback and No. 14 overall player in the 2020 recruiting class, Ricks was heavily recruited by Ohio State out of high school, but he ultimately signed with LSU, where he made an immediate impact. Ricks appeared in eight games as a true freshman and intercepted four passes – two of which he returned for a touchdown.
Ricks was named a freshman All-American for his debut season in 2020, but multiple injuries caused him to miss most of his sophomore season, including a shoulder injury that required surgery.
Ricks plans to make his decision by mid-December and enroll at his new school in January.
