This week’s Real Pod Wednesdays is all about recruiting as Garrick Hodge fills in as co-host for this week’s episode.
With Griffin Strom on vacation, Garrick joins Dan Hope for nearly an hour’s worth of conversation about Ohio State’s recruiting efforts in the 2024 and 2025 recruiting classes. It’s an apropos time for Garrick to join the show, as both Dan and Garrick were at the Under Armour Next camp on Sunday and the start of official visit season is just a few weeks away.
A lot has changed since Garrick’s last appearance on RPW in March, when Ohio State had just four commits in the 2024 class. The Buckeyes have 13 commits now and are ranked second in the 2024 rankings, giving Ohio State fans plenty to feel good about on the recruiting front. Michigan is the one team ranked ahead of Ohio State, however, so we spend some time evaluating to what extent the Buckeyes should be worried about the Wolverines’ recruiting momentum.
We also discuss our biggest takeaways from attending Sunday’s camp, including impressive performances by Ohio State commits Garrett Stover, Mylan Graham and Sam Williams-Dixon, how Bryce Underwood and Ryan Montgomery continued to solidify themselves as Ohio State’s top two quarterbacks in the 2025 class and how Ohio State can benefit from a surge in talent in its own backyard.
Then, we play a game of “In or Out” with 16 of the Buckeyes’ top remaining targets in the 2024 class: cornerbacks Bryce West and Aaron Scott, safeties KJ Bolden, Peyton Woodyard and Reggie Powers, linebackers Sammy Brown and Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asu, defensive ends Dylan Stewart, Eddrick Houston and Nigel Smith, defensive tackle Justin Scott, offensive tackle Brandon Baker, guard Jordan Seaton, tight end Damarion Witten and wide receivers Jeremiah McClellan and Joshisa Trader.
Finally, we shift gears to a bit of Ohio State basketball talk to discuss the two dominoes that fell last week to likely set the Buckeyes’ 2023-24 roster – the addition of Penn State transfer Evan Mahaffey and Bronny James’ commitment to USC – and share our thoughts on whether that roster is good enough for Chris Holtmann’s squad to make a long-awaited breakthrough.
The full rundown for this week’s episode:
- 1:19: Garrick told us not to panic about only four commits in March, and he was right
- 3:02: But business needs to pick up in defensive recruiting
- 5:10: Michigan’s improved recruiting makes emergence as championship contender more sustainable
- 7:19: Jordan Marshall UM’s only true recruiting win over OSU, but Wolverines remain aggressive in Ohio
- 12:50: Garrett Stover, Mylan Graham and Sam Williams-Dixon stand out at Under Armour Next camp
- 16:08: Xavier Johnson’s role this year could lay blueprint for Williams-Dixon’s role at Ohio State
- 20:43: Deontae and Devontae Armstrong, Marc Nave Jr. are O-line projects with promise
- 24:21: Ryan Montgomery is an OSU-caliber QB, but Bryce Underwood is too talented not to pursue
- 32:11: Jamison Kitna, Tavien St. Clair give Ohio State additional in-state QB options in 2025 class
- 35:51: Bo Jackson shows why he’s a top target for Ohio State in the 2025 class
- 37:41: Sunday’s camp showed there’s no shortage of top talent in the Midwest right now
- 39:28: “In or Out” predictions for 16 of Ohio State’s top remaining targets in the 2024 class
- 54:18: Edwin Spillman, Miles Lockhart, Zabien Brown, Jayden Jackson among other potential commits
- 55:28: Bronny James was probably never coming to Ohio State, but it would have been fun to watch
- 58:35: Which much-hyped prospect will have the better career: Arch Manning or Bronny James?
- 1:00:30: Ohio State basketball should be better than last year, but the Sweet 16 still looks like a stretch
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