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Looking back at who the Ohio State coaching staff visited from Jan. 27-31

2iQTwToy.jpg-mediumby:Mick Walker•about 11 hours•

mickdwalker

Bralan Womack and Ryan Day
Bralan Womack with Ryan Day

COLUMBUS – Ohio State won the 2025 College Football Playoff National Championship on Monday, Jan. 20. The Buckeyes held their national title celebration on Sunday, Jan. 27 and that was the end of the festivities for the coaching staff.

The Ohio State coaching staff hit the recruiting trail from Jan. 27-31 to visit with dozens of top targets before the January contact period ended. Lettermen Row has break down of who the Buckeyes saw last week.

Monday, Jan. 27

Cornerbacks coach Tim Walton visited four-star Akron (Ohio) Archbishop Hoban cornerback Elbert Hill, the No. 1 cornerback in the On3 Industry Rankings, on his first day out on the recruiting trail. Walton also met with four-star Avon (Ohio) cornerback and Ohio State commit Jakob Weatherspoon on Jan. 27.

Assistant quarterbacks coach Billy Fessler visited four-star Nazareth (Pa.) quarterback Peyton Falzone on Monday, Jan. 27. The former Virginia Tech commit visited Ohio State this season for the Buckeyes win over Purdue.

Wide receivers coach Brian Hartline made Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei his first stop following the National Championship. He visited Ohio State commit Chris Henry Jr. and four-star wide receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt. Hartline also stopped by Gardena (Calif.) Junipero Serra on Jan. 27 and offered 2027 four-star athlete Duvay Williams.

Running backs coach Carlos Locklyn visited four-star Mineral (Va.) Louisa County running back Savion Hiter on Monday, Jan. 27. Hiter, the No. 1 running back in the On3 Industry Rankings, did not post about the visit until Tuesday, however.

Locklyn also visited Hiter during the Buckeyes second bye week this season. Hiter visited Ohio State for the Buckeyes win over Purdue.

Tuesday, Jan. 28

The first stop for Ohio State head coach Ryan Day after winning the National Championship was to see Five-Star Plus+ Nixa (Mo.) offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell on Tuesday. Day then visited four-star Brandon (Miss.) Hartfield Academy safety Bralan Womack and five-star Baton Rouge (La.) Catholic safety Blaine Bradford.

Billy Fessler stopped at Ashland (Ohio) on Tuesday to see three-star quarterback Nathan Bernhard. The 6-foot-5, 220-pound signal-caller visited Ohio State this season. Fessler also stopped at Westerville (Ohio) Central to get eyes on 2028 offensive lineman Brock Baumann who was named a Second Team Freshman All-American by MaxPreps.

Ohio State tight ends coach Keenan Bailey visited Cincinnati (Ohio) Winton Woods and other Cincinnati area high schools on Tuesday.

Carlos Locklyn visited four-star Fairburn (Ga.) Langston Hughes standout Carsyn Baker on Tuesday. Ohio State offered Baker following a strong camp performance in June of 2024. Locklyn also stopped Milton (Ga.) Fellowship Christian School to see three-star running back CJ Givers. Finally, he met with four-star Moultrie (Ga.) Colquitt County running back Jae Lamar on Tuesday night.

Cornerbacks coach Tim Walton conducted an in-home visit with four-star Oradell (N.J.) Bergen Catholic athlete Jordan Thomas on Tuesday as well.

Wednesday, Jan. 29

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day continued his tour of the south on Wednesday. He, Tim Walton and defensive line coach Larry Johnson were at Buford (Ga.) High school in the morning see multiple targets. Walton, Day and Johnson then stopped at Suwanee (Ga.) Collins Hill to see four-star defensive lineman Deuce Geralds.

Finally, all three met up with linebackers coach James Lauriniatis to visit with five-star Lawrenceville (Ga.) Grayson linebacker Tyler Atkinson on Wednesday.

James Laurinaitis also spent time at Gainesville (Ga.) on Wednesday to see four-star linebacker and USC commit Xavier Griffin.

Wide receivers coach Brian Hartline visited four-star Red Oak (Texas) wide receiver Brayden Robinson on Wednesday. Robinson has since scheduled an official visit to Ohio State.

Billy Fessler and former offensive coordinator Chip Kelly also conducted an in-home visit with five-star Nashville Christian School (Tenn.) quarterback Jared Curtis on Wednesday.

Thursday, Jan. 30

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day visited four-star Fort Pierce (Fla.) Vero Beach offensive tackle Micah Smith on Thursday. He and Carlos Locklyn also visited four-star Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Chaminade-Madonna Prep running back Derrek Cooper. Day also made stops at Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas and Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy while in the Sunshine State.

Brian Hartline visited four-star Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Monarch wide receiver Jabari Brady on Thursday as well. Brady has visited Ohio State several times throughout his recruitment.

Billy Fessler offered four-star Celina (Texas) quarterback Bowe Bentley on Thursday after stopping by the school. The 6-foot-3 and 200-pound Bentley was one of the top signal-callers at the 2025 Navy All-American Bowl. 

Friday, Jan. 31

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day finished the week in Ohio after spending time in Missouri, Mississippi, Louisiana, Georgia and Florida. Day and James Laurinaitis visited Lewis Center (Ohio) Olentangy to see four-star safety Kaden Gebhardt and four-star linebacker CJ Sanna on Friday. The Buckeyes offered Sanna following their visit with the Central Ohio native.

Day also stopped at Columbus (Ohio) Bishop Watterson to see 2026 offensive lineman Pete Eglitis.

Safeties coach Matt Guerrieri conducted an in-home visit with four-star Jacksonville (Fla.) The Bolles School safety Simeon Caldwell on Friday.

Billy Fessler stopped by Folsom (Calif.) High School on Friday. Fessler offered five-star quarterback Ryder Lyons following the visit.

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