Buckeyes recruiting board includes tight ends all over country

COLUMBUS — The chance to evaluate 2022 tight ends, like every other position, has been delayed for Ohio State.

That doesn’t mean the Buckeyes, led by offensive coordinator and tight ends coach Kevin Wilson, aren’t doing their homework. There are a handful of interesting young tight ends who have already caught the attention of the Ohio State staff and have elevated themselves into regular conversation with Wilson.

Not every player receiving Ohio State interest has been offered to this point, but there are a handful of kids around the country being closely monitored now with the hope of landing an offer later.

Who are the key names to watch at tight end in the Class of 2022? Let’s take a look at a few of them.

Donovan Green • Texas

Ohio State offered Donovan Green in early May after a couple months of communicating with the country’s No. 1-ranked tight end prospect. The conversation has continued as possible, but the 6-foot-4, 230-pounder with 37 early scholarship offers is going to be a tough pull for the Buckeyes. Kevin Wilson and Ryan Day are involved in the early talks. But in order to take things to the next level, Ohio State will need to get the talented tight end on campus as soon as possible.

Benji Gosnell • North Carolina

Though Donovan Green is the country’s top-ranked tight end, East Surry (Pilot Mountain, N.C.) High School prospect Benji Gosnell may be the top player on Ohio State’s board at the position.

The biggest question, though, is whether or not Gosnell is a tight end or a linebacker. He’s a big, fluid athlete similar to the mold of Pete Werner and some schools could see him on defense. The Buckeyes see him as a tight end, though, and he’s among their early favorites. Worth mentioning: His brother Stephen signed with North Carolina in the Class of 2020.

Andre Dollar • Oklahoma

Lettermen Row first introduced Dollar in late April, and the country’s No. 4-ranked tight end has remained in contact with Ohio State since. Originally from Florida, Dollar’s father grew up in Oklahoma. So, it’s presumed the Sooners will be a major player in the recruitment of this near 6-foot-6, 230-pound prospect.

Corbin Page • West Virginia

The Buckeyes almost landed offensive lineman Doug Nester from Spring Valley (Huntington, W.Va.) in the 2019 cycle, and they could be an early team to beat with 6-foot-5, 245-pound tight end Corbin Page.

Ohio State has not offered to this point. But it has been in communication with West Virginia’s top-ranked player and the country’s No. 8-ranked tight end, who calls the program his “dream school.” A quick look at Page’s frame makes it clear that he could up playing along the defensive line, so his recruitment could alter quite a bit from here.

Jack Nickel • Georgia

The country’s No. 12-ranked tight end, Jack Nickel has family ties to Columbus, which helps. His father, who played at Stanford, is from Mentor and also lived in Westerville, and Nickel has now been on the Buckeyes radar for more than a year already.

If there’s an early out-of-state favorite to end up in the Ohio State class of 2022, it could be Nickel.

Elijah Brown • Ohio

The first true Ohio prospect on the list, Elijah Brown is the country’s No. 20-ranked tight end. He’s a big, athletic 6-foot-5, 230-pound prospect who definitely has the Buckeyes attention. He does not, however, have an Ohio State offer yet. More than anyone else on this list, he was affected by the inability to get on campus and work out for the Buckeyes coaching staff this summer.

Brown has early offers from Michigan State, Nebraska, Penn State and others. But his recruitment could come down to how patient he’s willing to be when it comes to the Ohio State offer.

Ryan Miller • Ohio

Another in-state prospect without an offer yet, Ryan Miller is a two-sport star at Kenston (Chagrin Falls) in Northeast Ohio who has shown up on the Buckeyes radar. At 6-foot-5 and 200-pounds, Miller has the frame to grow into a major college tight end prospect. The Ohio State staff is going to be watching him closely as he enters his junior season.