Talking Stuff: Latest on Elias Ricks Ohio State interest, final signing day predictions
COLUMBUS – We have officially entered winning time for Ohio State on the recruiting trail.
At least when it comes to the early signing period, which runs from Dec. 15-17.
With just one week remaining until that three-day run, the Buckeyes still have a handful of top-tier targets remaining in the Class of 2022 who have yet to make decisions.
It is without a doubt the most intense final lead-up to the early signing period during the Ryan Day era with so many high-priority targets still up in the air.
There remains a possibility that some of the Buckeyes top targets elect to hold off on making a final decision until the February signing period – which Ohio State coach Ryan Day suggested earlier this week.
But the majority of those targets are expected to commit soon and sign next week. At the top of the list is Southeast Pollk (Iowa) five-star safety Xavier Nwankpa, who is nearly 24 hours away from making a decision between Iowa, Notre Dame and Ohio State with a commitment announcement set for 5 p.m. Wednesday.
Then there is Caden Curry, who it appears is down to Ohio State and Alabama with a commitment timeline becoming more clear. And Zion Branch is another premier target for the Buckeyes. Branch is likely slipping from the Buckeyes grasp with USC’s splash hire of Lincoln Riley. He is taking an official visit to USC – his second such visit to see the Trojans as NCAA rules allow another official visit if there is a change at head coach – this coming weekend, so the writing may be on the wall there.
Hero Kanu and Omari Abor is another pair whom Ohio State and Larry Johnson are hoping to land to stack a 2022 defensive line class that only has Kenyatta Jackson Jr. in the fold thus far.
On the other side of the ball, Ohio State is set on offensive players with the exception of offensive line. That is where Earnest Greene and Carson Hinzman still remain priorities, and each standout interior lineman appear to be nearing decisions as well.
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Where will each of these high-caliber prospects land come next week? If Ohio State doesn’t strike it big, will the Buckeyes begin searching for other targets to fill the class between mid-December and the February signing period?
So many factors remain that all make up inarguably the most intriguing early signing period that Day has managed during his time as Ohio State head coach.
Oh, and of course there are the swirling rumors, reports and speculation about former five-star cornerback Elias Ricks. The LSU standout entered the transfer portal and was set for an official visit to Ohio State, but it appears that the Buckeyes are out of the running before that visit was set to take place. What happened with the Ricks situation? And what are the Buckeyes’ philosophies on hitting the transfer portal?
The guys are breaking all of it down on the latest episode of Talking Stuff: The Ohio State Recruiting Podcast presented by Byers Auto.
Check out the video below as Lettermen Row’s Jeremy Birmingham and Zack Carpenter take a deep dive into what lies ahead for the Buckeyes.
