As Ohio State awaits the Rose Bowl, attention flies to the other 24/7 sport — recruiting. The good news is that the Buckeyes have remained on top of the Big Ten in the annual recruiting rankings (all rankings here are courtesy of 247sports.com), and are poised to have one of the top classes in the nation. Here’s a quick breakdown on where OSU stands with Early Signing Period set to begin on Wednesday.

By the numbers

Overall rank: 4th
B1G rank: 1st
5-stars: 2
4-stars: 14

Did they find a future QB?

A year after the Quinn Ewers recruitment, are we even going down this rabbit hole? CJ Stroud will be the man in Columbus as long as he wants to be. But those two detours aside, the Buckeyes are bringing in an outstanding QB, who if he wades through the depth chart flood, could well be the man in Columbus in the not-too-distant future.

Devin Brown from Utah (and previously Arizona) was the 53rd-ranked player in the nation and the No. 6 QB. In-state target Drew Allar was ranked 4th on that list and is headed to Penn State, but Brown, who committed 2 weeks ago, is a nice option for the Buckeyes. Brown is 6-3, with a big arm and potential big-play ability. He’ll likely benefit from a year of watching Stroud and bulking up, but he could be a player down the line.

Who is the best offensive player?

It might be Brown, who is the highest rated offensive player in the class as of now (Dec. 13). There are a trio of big-time wide receiver commits, with all three ranked in the top 106 players in the class. Given the exodus of Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson, there’ll be a chance to earn immediate playing time for these guys, so it’s probably one of them.

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The highest rated is Caleb Burton, a willowy 6-foot, 165-pounder from Austin, Texas (No. 68 nationally, No. 9 WR). Given his slight build and the fact that he missed almost his entire junior season of high school football, he might not be the first guy out of the chute. Chicago product Kaleb Brown (No. 72 nationally, No. 10 WR) is a 5-foot-11 blazer who has played a good amount of running back in high school, but could well project as a slot guy from day one. Arizona product Kyion Grayes (No. 106 nationally, No. 15 WR) is just 6-foot himself, but could develop into an outside guy for the Bucks. Any or all of these guys could be immediate impact players.

Who is the best defensive player?

The two standouts of the class are a pair of 5-star defenders, CJ Hicks (linebacker) and Sonny Styles (safety). Hicks ranked 12th in the national class-wide rankings, and Styles is 13th. Hicks was an early, early commit in May of 2020, and might be the next OSU freshman star. At 6-3 and 215 pounds, he’s speedy as a blitzer but strong enough to pack a punch in run support. He’s a true every down linebacker, and OSU can’t wait to get him on the field.

Styles was a more recent pickup, committing last month. He’s 6-4 and 215 pounds, and might grow into a linebacker or at least a nickel, where his size and physicality can provide instant impact. That said, OSU’s secondary struggles over the past couple years open doors for immediate playing time as a traditional safety. Put Styles and Denzel Burke back there, and an All-Big Ten secondary can’t be far behind.

What position did they recruit the best?

Arguably, OSU’s best work came in the wide receiver corps. Bringing in multiple day-one players, as highlighted above, was just necessary business for the team that is about to send a pair of 1,000-yard receivers to the NFL. And that didn’t even factor in Kojo Antwi, a versatile Georgia product (No. 146 nationally) who is yet another sterling wide receiver.

Honorable mention goes to linebacker, where the Buckeyes only added 2 players, but they’re both stellar. Along with Hicks, in-state star Gabe Powers (No. 61 nationally, No. 6 LB) is another high-ceiling, early-impact guy who will give OSU another immediate weapon at a fairly shaky position group. At 6-4 and 230 pounds, Powers will pass the eye test and could be out there with Hicks pretty early for OSU.

What position do they still need to recruit?

OSU would love to add some more help on the defensive line, particularly on the edge, as the dominant OSU pass rusher is still somewhat MIA after the 2021 regular season. The Buckeyes are still in for a handful of the top edge rushers in the nation, and are also looking seriously at a few more traditional defensive linemen.

Obviously, for a team like OSU, seeing how NFL Draft decisions and transfer portal decisions shake down might be key in deciding where else to go. For instance, the recruitment of Devin Brown definitely took an uptick late, so look for OSU to be deliberate about their last couple scholarships and to make informed decisions based off of who is leaving Columbus.

Did they keep the best players home?

Yes. Ryan Day has been clear that in-state recruiting matters to him in a very tangible way. This class is continued proof, with the Buckeyes snagging 5 of the top 8 prospects in Ohio. Of the 13 4-star prospects in the state, those 5 are OSU’s share, with other recruiting winners being Penn State (2, claiming Nos. 3 and 4 on the list), Notre Dame (No. 7), Clemson (No. 9), Indiana (No. 10), Alabama (No. 11), Kentucky (No. 12) and Pitt (No. 13).
The losses of Drew Allar (No. 27 nationally, No. 4 QB) and Kaden Saunders (No. 52 nationally, No. 6 WR) to Penn State is a bit disappointing, but in both cases, OSU had no real trouble bringing in other top players at those spots. Under Urban Meyer, there was some criticism that OSU had become a national recruiting school at the expense of the local recruiting scene. Aside from Penn State’s success in Ohio, there’s not much evidence of that now.

Overall, how you should feel about this class …

This is a typical Ohio State class. It’s very, very good, and the only reason that it isn’t even better is that OSU doesn’t recklessly dive in on players it doesn’t need. More than ever, with the transfer portal hanging over everyone’s head like the sword of Damocles, managing a roster is a constant work in progress of keeping returning players happy, being honest with newcomers about their potential for playing time, and monitoring the crazy moves going on elsewhere in the sport.

Is this the most glamorous class ever? No. But it’s very Ryan Day-like. It is a well-thought collection of talented and athletic young players, many of whom arrive to fill significant personnel needs. Like much about OSU football, perception will tell more about the beholder than it does about the product itself. At the end of Early Signing Day, Ryan Day will be happy. And OSU’s fan base probably should be too.