Ohio State trending for On3 No. 1 recruit Dylan Stewart

Ohio State has been on a recruiting roll in recent months, and Washington (D.C.) Friendship Collegiate Academy five-star EDGE Dylan Stewart is the Buckeyes’ next big target.

The 6-foot-5, 240-pounder announced his top five of Georgia, Maryland, Miami, Ohio State and South Carolina late last month, and now the Buckeyes are trending as the favorite to land him, according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM).

Following updated picks from around the recruiting industry, the Buckeyes now hold a 51.6 percent chance of securing Stewart’s commitment.

On3 Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons was the first to predict Stewart to the Buckeyes back in March, and he continues to hear there is momentum in Ohio State’s direction.

“He released a top five last week, but I continue to hear buzz around three schools,” Simmons wrote last week. “Those are Georgia, Ohio State and South Carolina. My prediction is on the Buckeyes, and I have had it there since early spring, and there is still a level of confidence from the Big Ten program. South Carolina’s confidence is growing too, after a successful official visit last weekend. Georgia is a school you cannot sleep on. There is consistent communication there too. But I hear a little more about the Buckeyes and the Gamecocks.”

Larry Johnson playing a key role in Dylan Stewart’s recruitment

Stewart visited the Buckeyes unofficially back in late March, which cemented them as a major contender. A big reason for that is the presence of longtime Buckeyes’ defensive line coach Larry Johnson, who has coached the likes of Chase Young, Nick Bosa and Joey Bosa in recent years.

“Ohio State is a great place with great people,” Stewart told Simmons last month. “I really like Coach Larry Johnson. I have spent time with him, he is a great coach and he has sent a lot of guys to the NFL.”

One of the nation’s premier recruits

Stewart is the No. 7 overall prospect and No. 2 EDGE in the 2024 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He is also the No. 1 player in D.C.

He also ranks as the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2024 On300, and after the latest updates from around the recruiting rankings industry, he is consider a Five-Star Plus+ prospect. That signifies that he is among the elite of the elite recruits, ranking as a five-star by all four services.

On3 was the first service to name him a five-star back and elevated him to the nation’s No. 1 overall recruit back in February after a strong junior season.

“The 6-foot-5, 230-pounder ranks as On3’s top pass rusher and rises up from No. 5 to No. 1 in this update,” On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power wrote. “Stewart’s combination of size, length (34.25-inch arms), athleticism, bend and production (16 sacks) as a junior points to a projectable skill set. His translatable tools and body of work while playing a premium position put him in pole position for the top spot as we move into the camp season.