Ohio State eyeing flip targets visiting this weekend

Ohio State boasts another elite recruiting class in the 2024 cycle. The Buckeyes have 22 commitments, headlined by five five-star recruits, who bolster the No. 2 class in the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings.

There’s still spots to be filled for Ryan Day and Co., however. OSU remains in the mix for some of the best uncommitted prospects in the cycle, but it’s also on the prowl for a couple of major flip targets as well.

On the latest edition of The Inside Scoop, Lettermen Row’s Alex Gleitman joined On3’s Josh Newberg to dish on a pair of crucial recruits headed to Columbus that are currently committed to powerhouse schools in the Sunshine State.

DL Amaris Williams — Florida commit

The Buckeyes remain involved in the recruitment of Clinton (N.C.) four-star defensive lineman Amaris Williams, despite his commitment to Florida back on June 17. After taking an official visit to OSU in October, Williams will be back in Columbus this weekend for an unofficial.

“Obviously huge for Ohio State, they offered him at this point about a month ago, were able to get him on campus for an official visit pretty quickly and now get him back just two-three weeks later, that’s obviously tremendous momentum for this program,” Gleitman said.

Williams is the No. 111 overall prospect and No. 15 DL in the 2024 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He’s also the No. 3 player in North Carolina.

Touted recruiter and expert defensive line coach Larry Johnson is helping lead the Buckeyes’ pursuit of the major prospect. Williams is also scheduled to take an official visit to Tennessee on Nov. 17 as the Volunteers also fight for the blue-chip flip. Ohio State will hope to make another impression on Williams this weekend.

“Larry Johnson has been building a relationship with the North Carolina native, Larry tends to do really well recruiting in that area,” Gleitman said. “They’ve been pressing Amaris Williams hard, he’s a guy that they want really, really bad … just a great chance for them to further show Williams why Ohio State is a better place for him versus Florida, Tennessee or anywhere else he might be considering.”

WR Chance Robinson — Miami commit

Some serious buzz has picked up around the recruitment of Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas four-star wide receiver Chance Robinson following an official visit to Ole Miss last weekend.

The Miami commit was impressed by the Rebels in a trip that “changed his recruitment a lot.” Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin also did his part by delivering an ear-catching quote to Robinson:

“Coach Kiffin told me, if you want to be a draft pick, then you go to Ole Miss or Ohio State,” Robinson told On3’s Chad Simmons. “He was so straightforward about it and I liked that. He said, if you’re an offensive tackle, then you go to Miami. Coach (Mario) Cristobal breeds offensive linemen, but Ole Miss and Ohio State breed receivers.”

With that thought in mind, Robinson, the No. 125 recruit and No. 22 WR, now heads to Columbus for an official visit this weekend. It won’t be his first trip to OSU, but it will be the Buckeyes’ biggest chance to make another serious move with the elite wideout.

“He’s a guy that they offered later in the summer, they actually had him on campus — I think it was for the second game of the year. They’ve been building a relationship for quite a while, Brian Hartline’s been on Chance Robinson, they’ve got three receivers committed in their class, they’ve wanted four,” Gleitman said. “Their message to him is he is the right guy, he can play at Ohio State and he can be very successful at Ohio State, like Lane Kiffin mentioned.”

Robinson has connections to Ohio State, as his St. Thomas Aquinas teammate, four-star running back Jordan Lyle, is a Buckeyes commit. He also has a relationship with Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade-Madonna Five-Star Plus+ WR commit Jeremiah Smith, the No. 1 prospect in the cycle and the headliner for OSU’s class.

“I think Ohio State’s got a solid shot here. As Miami continues to struggle on the field, and as Lane Kiffin pointed out, it’s not like they’ve gotten this recent, great history of producing NFL receivers. There’s certainly a shot. His teammate, Jordan Lyle, is committed, he’s good friends with Jeremiah Smith … I think this is a huge visit. I think we’ll know a lot more where things stand on both sides of the coin after we hear from Chance,” Gleitman said.