Ohio State linebacker, former five-star recruit CJ Hicks issues statement on returning starters 

Freshman linebacker CJ Hicks was one of the top recruits in the 2022 recruiting class. Still in his first year at Ohio State, the Ohio native found it challenging to carve out a role on the Buckeyes’ defense this past season.

Usually, in the new era of college sports, a trip into the transfer portal would be on the mind of one of the nation’s top recruits after a lack of playing time. Especially after the starters Tommy Elchenberg and Steele Chambers decided to return instead of going pro. However, Hicks has no interest and leaving Ohio State at this time. And recently, he released a statement highlighting his resolve to stay with the Buckeyes.

“Coming in, yes, I wanted to play, obviously,” said Hicks. “But I don’t have any problem sitting down and watching my teammates ball out, put the best guys out there and ball out and do what’s best for the team. I’m not a selfish guy. I want to see all my guys eat, and Tommy and Steele are eating.”

Hicks played high school football at Archbishop Alter High in Dayton, OH, where he was a five-star prospect. He was the No. 14 overall recruit in the 2022 cycle, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

Still, the Buckeyes’ don’t focus on those things, and incoming players have to earn their opportunity on the field. Just ask offensive breakout star wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr, who had to wait behind Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba before getting his opportunity.

Ohio State offers 2024 top-150 LB Payton Pierce

Lucas (Texas) Lovejoy four-star linebacker Payton Pierce received an offer from Ohio State Friday. He announced the news on Twitter.

Pierce is the No. 10 overall prospect and No. 11 linebacker in the 2024 cycle, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He is also the No. 17 player in Texas.

The 6-foot-1, 220-pound Pierce holds 30 Power Five offers.

The On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine currently has Notre Dame as the heavy favorite to land a commitment from Pierce at 89%.

RPM was released to the public in December. The On3 engineering group teamed up with Spiny.ai to create the industry’s first algorithm and machine learning-based product to predict where athletes will attend college.It factors in machine learning, social sentiment, visits and historical trends. However, expert predictions are still a big piece of the RPM equation.