Ohio State rises to No. 1 in On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Rankings

There is a new top team in the 2023 On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Rankings. Ohio State surpassed Notre Dame for the nation’s No. 1 class after a commitment from Fort Washington (Md.) DeMatha Catholic four-star defensive lineman Jason Moore.

With his pledge, Moore became the 18th recruit in the Buckeyes’ 2023 class, which is comprised of two five-stars, 14 four-stars and two three-stars. The group is led by five-star wide receivers Carnell Tate and Brandon Inniss, who rank No. 15 and No. 22, respectively, in the 2023 On3 Consensus.

Moore, who chose the Buckeyes over programs including Notre Dame, Michigan and Penn State, is the fourth Ohio State commit ranked in the top 50 of the On3 Consensus.

The Maryland native ranks as the No. 46 overall prospect and the No. 5 defensive lineman in the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He is also the top player in Maryland.

How Ohio State retook the top spot

After the commitment of Inniss on June 21, the Buckeyes rose to the No. 1 team in the Consensus Team Rankings. They added a commitment from Rolesville (N.C.) four-star wide receiver Noah Rogers a day later.

“I like what (wide receivers) coach (Brian) Hartline has going on,” Rogers said in an interview in May. “I like the program. They play fast, it’s the best of the best. I like how it reminds me of being down here (in Rolesville). There’s a great group of wide receivers that could make me better. It reminds me of Rolesville.”

However, their time at the top was not long since the Fighting Irish earned commitments from two four-star recruits.

Despite falling back to No. 2, Ohio State’s class was in great shape. They had commitments from three of the country’s top receivers, Findlay (Ohio) four-star interior offensive lineman Luke Montgomery and Tampa (Fla.) Wharton four-star cornerback Dijon Johnson.

The Buckeyes earned even more momentum on the recruiting trial when they notched pledges from Ellenwood (Ga.) Cedar Grove four-star cornerback Kayin Lee and Waxahachie (Tex.) Calvin Simpson-Hunt, a former Texas Tech commit.

“They’ve got a huge influence in football and that’s a good thing that I’d like to see and check out for the football experience while I’m there,” Simpson-Hunt told On3 prior to his Ohio State visit. “I realize in college, football, you’re going to be doing that a lot.”

Even though the Irish continued their hold on the No. 1 position with two more commitments from four-star recruits, Moore’s pledge was enough to get the Buckeyes back into first place.

Buckeyes still in the hunt for top prospects

Eight of Ohio State’s commitments rank in the top 10 at their position including Tate, Inniss, Montgomery, Moore, Rogers, Johnson, Thompson’s Station (Tenn.) Independence four-star tight end Ty Lockwood and West Chester (Ohio) Lakota West four-star safety Malik Hartford.

Yet the Buckeyes are still in search of more top talent. Ohio State is one of the favorites for Hoschton (Ga.) Mill Creek five-star safety Caleb Downs. According to On3’s Chad Simmons, the chase for Downs’ commitment is between the Buckeyes, Alabama and Georgia.

Simmons also reported that he believes Ohio State is the favorite for Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco five-star defensive lineman Matayo Uiagalelei.

“If I had to pick a favorite right now to land Matayo, I would pick Ohio State because of (defensive line coach) Larry Johnson, the resume and just how they’ve connected with not just Matayo, but the people around him as well,” Simmons said.