Signed: Bennett Christian Adds a Dual-threat Tight End to Ohio State's 2022 Class

But the Buckeyes believe they have the right fit in three-star Georgia tight end Bennett Christian. 

Ohio State has always prioritized recruits that want to be Buckeyes. That held true from the moment Christian was offered on June 2, 2020, as he called Ohio State his No. 1 school immediately after the Buckeyes offered. He chose OSU over Tennessee on Sep. 1, 2020, a big recruiting win for the Buckeyes considering Christian's southern roots. Since then, he has had a relatively drama-free recruitment, assuring Ohio State Tennessee's renewed interest in the spring of 2021 meant little to him. He held true to his word on Wednesday, signing his National Letter of Intent to play for the Buckeyes.

Welcome to the Brotherhood, @BennettC87

From the three year letterman and member of the Jaguars - @LukeFarrell89 #BOOM22 pic.twitter.com/GgzFpc7nVU

— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) December 15, 2021

“I think the way that Ohio State recruited me, they pursued me so hard,” Christian said of one of the reasons he chose the Buckeyes. “They talked to me almost every day. We talked all the time. I felt like I was more of a priority there than the others. I’ve been to Tennessee multiple times, but when I was at Ohio State, it felt like home. I loved it. That was the icing on the cake is what I’d call it.”

Having already been committed, Christian got to visit Ohio State twice after the long dead period was lifted in June, taking an official visit in June and then returning for a gameday visit on Oct. 9 against Maryland. 

“It was great,” Christian told Eleven Warriors of his first OSU gameday experience. “Finally my first OSU game, definitely lived up to the expectations and it was a great atmosphere. Ohio State played really well, so it was fun to watch … To be honest, it was almost exactly like I expected it to be. Just from watching TV and videos. The O-H and then I-O chant around the stadium was really cool. That was probably the highlight of the whole stadium as far as atmosphere goes.”

Christian's senior season had its ups and downs, as the 6-foot-6, 235-pound tight only played in four games for Allatoona High School (Acworth, Georgia), catching five passes for 76 yards. In his junior season, he caught 20 passes for 225 yards and two touchdowns. In October, Christian still was unsure of the exact specifics regarding how he’ll be deployed by the Buckeyes next year. 

“I guess I’ll find out when I get there, I’m not really sure how I’ll be used,” Christian said. “I really like how they split the tight ends out and bring them in and everything in-between. The really complete players are able to catch and block. So I’m just ready to get developed and see where I fit in.”  

Christian, ranked the 379th-best player nationally per 247Sports' composite rankings and the 18th-best tight end, is not lacking confidence in his ability to either block or catch passes, and views himself as a dual-threat tight end. 

“What they always say to me is they think I’m the most complete tight end they’ve seen, so they think I can catch the ball and block,” Christian said. “I’m not better at one area more than the other, but I’m good at both areas. That’s the main thing that I’ve gotten from them.”

In 2022, Bennett Christian likely will sit and learn behind the likes of Gee Scott Jr. and Cade Stover, while learning Ohio State's offense and bulking up in the weight program.