Scarlet Sunrise: Ohio State TE commit Damarion Witten earns U.S. Army Bowl MVP honors

Good morning, Ohio State fans, and welcome to the Scarlet Sunrise. Football will always be our focus, but every day we’ll cover news, notes and analysis from across Buckeyes sports. Join us each morning to get caught up on everything you missed in the world of Buckeyes football, recruiting, basketball and more in Scarlet Sunrise.

Ohio State TE commit Damarion Witten earns U.S. Army Bowl MVP honors

Ohio State tight end Damarion Witten is one of the 20-plus Class of 2024 prospects set to sign with Ohio State Wednesday.

But on Monday night, he kept adding to his high school football resume. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound tight end from Glenville High School in Cleveland was named the MVP of the U.S. Army Bowl.

Witten caught four passes for 96 yards. Three of those receptions went for touchdowns, albeit in a losing effort during the high-scoring all-star event that also featured Buckeyes offensive line commits Deontae and Devontae Armstrong. Witten and the Armstrong twins were on the Black team, which fell to the Gold team, 62-37, at The Star in Frisco, Texas.

Witten is a three-star prospect and the No. 19 Ohio recruit this cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking.

Happy National Signing Day!

The early signing period is now open! Ohio State entered Wednesday with 21 commits, including a nation-high four five-star prospects.

The Buckeyes’ 2024 class is currently third in the country behind only Alabama and Georgia, according to the On3 Industry Ranking.

Ohio State’s newest group of signees is expected to be headlined by wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, wide receiver Mylan Graham, EDGE Eddrick Houston, cornerback Aaron Scott Jr. and quarterback Air Noland.

Follow along with Lettermen Row for comprehensive National Signing Day coverage.

Latest buzz on Buckeyes transfer portal pursuits

Ohio State hasn’t added a transfer yet this cycle, but that doesn’t mean the Buckeyes haven’t been doing their due diligence in the portal.

The staff has been in contact with a batch of players and even hosted a few for visits. Lettermen Row has the latest on those visits, plus additional notes on other transfers to keep an eye on.

Get the most recent Ohio State portal intel and analysis here.

Transfer tracker: Breaking down Buckeyes moves, philosophy in transfer portal

Having trouble keeping track of all of Ohio State’s transfer portal departures?

Lettermen Row has you covered.

The Buckeyes have already seen 14 of their scholarship players hit the portal — including starting quarterback Kyle McCord, starting wide receiver Julian Fleming and key running back Chip Trayanum — and there could be more on the way soon.

Follow along here to stay up to date.

Five things to know about Missouri ahead of Cotton Bowl

The attention is on National Signing Day and the transfer portal at the moment, but Ohio State is practicing for the Cotton Bowl, which is fast approaching.

A top-10 showdown between No. 7 Ohio State and No. 9 Missouri is fewer than 10 days away. With that in mind, Lettermen Row is launching into preview content for the Big Ten-SEC matchup in Dallas.

We’re kicking it off with five things to know about the Tigers, including that Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz doesn’t shy away from theatrics and has proved to be one of the more entertaining characters in college football.

Check out the full rundown here.

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• By the numbers: Comparing Ohio State and Missouri

Counting down

Buckeyes vs. Michigan: 346 days

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