Ohio State 'sent a message' landing Justin Scott

Ohio State sent shockwaves through the recruiting world recently, landing five-star defensive lineman Justin Scott. While the Buckeyes were in the running for the Chicago, IL native, they were not perceived as the leader. Regional rivals Michigan and Notre Dame were near the front, as were Mario Cristobal and the Miami Hurricanes.

In the end, Ryan Day was on the winning end and On3’s J.D. PicKell thinks that “sent a message” to the rest of college football. Ohio State has been one of three true recruiting powers recently, joining Alabama and Georgia. But landing a five-star defensive lineman seemingly out of nowhere is quite the statement.

“They sent a message to the rest of the college football landscape when they landed five-star defensive lineman Justin Scott,” PicKell said. “This was a shocker to a lot of us. It was Michigan, it was Miami, it was Notre Dame. Then Ohio State came out of seemingly nowhere to land the five-star.”

When Scott committed, one person in Columbus played a huge role. He wants to play for defensive line coach Larry Johnson, someone who has a long history of developing talent at Ohio State. The Bosa brothers and Chase Young are already in the NFL, while J.T. Tuimoloau will be a top draft pick in 2024.

“Justin Scott made it very clear — a deciding factor for him picking Ohio State over Michigan was coming and playing for Larry Johnson,” PicKell said. “His track record speaks for itself. They continue to recruit that position well, they continue to develop that position well.”

Ohio State recruiting well at every position

If Ohio State is able to recruit the defensive line at an elite clip, you can just add it to the list. The Buckeyes will go after nearly every elite guy they can, especially on the offensive end.

Everyone knows about Brian Hartline and how, at times, easy he makes his job look.

“This to me says you still have to deal with Ohio State,” PicKell said. “They are always going to be a factor for all of these kids. There isn’t a position that Ohio State doesn’t recruit well. Receiver, Brian Hartline has got that on lock. Quarterback, you come to Ohio State, you go play in the NFL.”

The College Football Playoff trophy has not been won by the Buckeyes since its inaugural 2015 edition (2014 season). But with the way everyone on staff is recruiting, they are setting themselves up to be considered a favorite for the considerable future.