Ohio State 2023 class boasts double-digits in final On300

COLUMBUS — Ohio State year in and year out brings in talented prospects from all over the country into the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.

The Buckeyes did that once again for the 2023 cycle with 20 high school prospects signed to Ohio State. Several of the signees also early enrolled and are making the first strides in their collegiate careers.

While the 2023 cycle is just a few days away from being fully completed, On3 released its final On300 and rankings update for the cycle.

Lettermen Row breaks down all 15 Ohio State signees inside the On300 and where they previously were at.

No. 14 Jermaine Mathews

Jermaine Mathews had one of the best senior seasons of any high school senior this past fall.

The cornerback from Cincinnati (Ohio) Winton Woods High had a stat line that would make defensive staff gush, especially his ability to come away with the ball in his hands.

Which is exactly why Mathews got a nice bump in the On300. The newly-minted five-star cornerback slides up from No. 35 to No. 14.

No. 26 Noah Rogers

Five-star Rolesville (N.C.) wide receiver Noah Rogers dropped eight spots but remains inside the top 30 and retains his fifth star.

The 6-foot-2, 195-pound wideout was an early graduate and is currently enrolled at Ohio State. He recently signed a contract with The Foundation, an Ohio State NIL collective.

No. 36 Calvin Simpson-Hunt

Four-star Waxahachie (Texas) cornerback Calvin Simpson-Hunt showcased exactly why he’s one of the highest-rated cornerbacks in the country after his performance in the All-American Bowl.

Simpson-Hunt is not an early enrollee, so he will arrive at Ohio State in June. With his counterpart in Mathews picking up a fifth star, there isn’t a reason to think why the Buckeyes have the best cornerback duo in the 2023 cycle.

No. 47 Carnell Tate

Another Buckeye who had an incredible week at the All-American Bowl, four-star IMG Academy wide receiver Carnell Tate bumped up from No. 65 to No. 47.

Tate made plays all over the place for Team East during the game and throughout the week of practice. His catch radius and separation abilities were second to none while in Texas.

Tate is an early enrollee at Ohio State and is currently in his second week on campus.

No. 81 Joshua Mickens

Four-star Indianapolis (Ind) Lawrence Central EDGE Joshua Mickens finished his senior season strong and performed well at the All-American Bowl, but still fell 24 spots in the final On300.

Mickens did look overmatched at times in San Antonio, but using his two greatest assets — speed and length — he was proficient.

No. 94 Brandon Inniss

Consensus five-star Miami Gardens (Fla) American Heritage wide receiver Brandon Inniss remains at No. 94 despite being named one of the best players at the All-American Bowl by On3.

Inniss was one win away from a state championship this fall in Florida and he consistently showcased why Ohio State wide receiver coach Brian Hartline offered him a scholarship.

No. 111 Luke Montgomery

This is the biggest fall of any Ohio State prospect and might be a bit head-scratching.

Four-star Findlay (Ohio) offensive lineman Luke Montgomery once looked like he was going to get his fifth star as the No. 30 prospect in the country. Instead, after a couple of missteps and errors at the All-American Bowl, he fell 81 spots and out of the top 100.

Montgomery is in his second week on Ohio State’s campus and soon enough will begin spring practices with the Buckeyes and the expectation to crack the two-man rotation as a freshman.

No. 119 Lincoln Kienholz

Despite being the only quarterback on his team to lead it for touchdown drives, four-star Pierre (S.D.) T.F. Riggs quarterback Lincoln Kienholz fell three spots in the final On300.

Kienholz threw for over 9,000 career passing yards and 104 touchdowns while winning three state championships. He will move in on campus in June.

No. 133 Jason Moore

Four-star Fort Washington (Md) DeMatha Catholic defensive lineman Jason Moore played in the Under Armour All-American Bowl a few days after the beginning of the new year. Perhaps his play in the game caused for the 47-spot difference in the final rankings.

Moore, while an early signee, is not an early enrollee and will be on campus in June.

No. 142 Arvell Reese

Four-star Cleveland (Ohio) Glenville linebacker Arvell Reese did it all his senior season.

He made play after play, he won a state championship and once he knew where he wanted to go to school, he made the decision.

Even though Reese falls from No. 114 to No. 142, he has one of the biggest ceilings of any prospect in the country.

No. 149 Jelani Thurman

Four-star Fairburn (Ga) Langston Hughes tight end Jelani Thurman received a slight, negative adjustment in the On300 going from No. 132 to No. 149.

Thurman is currently in his second week of classes at Ohio State and is going through the winter workouts inside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.

No. 152 Will Smith Jr.

Four-star Dublin (Ohio) Coffman defensive lineman Will Smith Jr. is the only defensive lineman that’s an early enrollee. Meaning, he has a bit of a headstart on the adjustment to college and college ball. He also received a nice rating bump by going from No. 211 to No. 152.

No. 159 Jayden Bonsu

Four-star Hillside (N.J.) St. Peters safety Jayden Bonsu moved up seven spots in the final On300.

Bonsu is not an early enrollee but will arrive on campus in June.

No. 248 Malik Hartford

Despite one of the more impressive performances from Buckeye in Texas, four-star safety Malik Hartford saw his stock go down.

Hartford is an early enrollee and is continuing through his second week of courses at Ohio State.

No. 272 Austin Siereveld

Four-star Cincinnati (Ohio) Lakota East offensive lineman Austin Siereveld is the final Buckeye inside the On300.

He fell from No. 192 to No. 192. Siereveld is an early enrollee.

Dropped out of ranking

Ohio State had two signees fall outside of the On300.

Four-star wide receiver Bryson Rodgers and four-star Cocoa safety Cedrick Hawkins both fell outside of the On300.