Ohio State climbs to No. 4 class after Luke Montgomery commit

Ohio State now has the No. 4 class in the country after the addition of four-star interior offensive lineman Luke Montgomery.

Montgomery committed to the Buckeyes on Thursday. He had Alabama and Clemson hats on the table, and each had his attention. But the home-state Buckeyes beat rival Michigan for the No. 1 prospect in Ohio.

With the commitment, Ohio State climbed to the No. 4 spot in the On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Ranking. Montgomery’s decision helped the Buckeyes bypass Penn State in the ranking.

The top five after Montgomery’s move: No. 1 USC, No. 2 Notre Dame, No. 3 Georgia, No. 4 Ohio State and No. 5 Penn State. Michigan, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Kentucky and Arkansas round out the top 10 in the On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Ranking.

Ohio State off to good start with 2023 class

After the No. 4 class in 2022, Ohio State is primed for another chase toward the top of the recruiting rankings.

We’ll probably have to wait a little while for some of the blue-chippers on the Buckeyes’ list to make decisions. But a good foundation for a special class is already being set, especially after Montgomery’s commitment.

Montgomery ranks as the No. 35 prospect in the country, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He’s also the third-best interior offensive lineman in the country and the top-overall junior in Ohio.

His commitment gives Ohio State four four-star pledges early in the process. Four-star Ohio State commit Ty Lockwood ranks No. 129 in the country and at No. 10 at tight end. Four-star interior offensive line pledge Josh Padilla is at No. 149 in the country and 11th at his position. And then four-star Buckeyes commit Cedrick Hawkins is the 16th best safety in the country.

All in all, it’s a great start for the Buckeyes. They should be positioned well to make another run toward one of the nation’s best classes.