Ohio State remains in mix for 2024 safety Jaylen Heyward
COLUMBUS – Ohio State remains in the mix for a top-50 prospect in the 2024 class.
Four-star Rockledge (Florida) High safety Jaylen Heyward began narrowing his focus after he released his top 12 schools, and the Buckeyes made the cut. Heyward is the No. 4 rated safety prospect in the country and the No. 49 overall player, according to the On3 Consensus Rankings.
The other schools rounding out Heyward’s top 12 include Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas A&M, UCF and Florida.
A rising junior, Heyward is listed 5-foot-10, 175-pound frame makes him a fast-moving safety with an ability to play downhill quickly and cross the field in the passing game.
Jaylen Heyward hasn’t visited Ohio State yet, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t heard from safeties coach Perry Eliano throughout the recruiting process.
“They began reaching out in January,” Heyward told Lettermen Row in May. “They said they liked my leadership and that I’m always trying to put my teammates and myself in the right spots. Schools love how I fly around and get in and out my breaks fast, my ball skills and leadership.”
Even without the visit, Heyward has appreciated the Buckeyes’ approach to his recruitment.
“I like how they’re trying to recruit me hard and as much as they can,” he said. “They can only do so much since I’m an underclassman and I do respect that. Ohio State has always been known for sending its defensive backs to the next level. Coach Eliano, he coached Sauce Gardner, at the University of Cincinnati. He’s a good coach that can help me train and prepare for the next level.”
Eliano’s impact at Ohio State is already being felt on the recruiting trail too. He earned commitments from in-state four-star Lakota East (West Chester) safety Malik Hartford and four-star Cocoa (Titusville, Florida) safety Cedrick Hawkins.
The On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine currently has UCF as the favorite to land Heyward with a 26.4-percent chance. Ohio State isn’t currently listed in the top RPMs for Heyward. But that can change quickly, as Heyward has kept the Buckeyes in the mix.
