Sure, Brian Hartline may be gone, but Ohio State is not letting that impact the standards they have set at the wide receiver position.
Still one of the most talented groups in the country, the on-field
production will be counted on in 2026. Newly named position coach Cortez Hankton will be expected to uphold the strong recruiting success as well.
Wednesday provided an early hint that the Buckeyes will still be in a good spot when it comes to recruiting the top players at the position moving forward as well.
An Ohio State target for some time now, Indiana native Monshun Sales is a familiar name, and one that will continue to be until he signs with the school of his choice. A 6-foot-5, 195 pound athlete, Sales is the No. nine player nationally and second best receiver per the 247Sports Composite. Holding offers from nearly 40 schools and every blue blood in the college landscape, the Buckeyes are all in on this target, and remain at the front of his mind.
Releasing a group of four finalists on Wednesday, Sales included Ohio State with Alabama, Indiana, and Miami rounding out the others. From here, Hankton will continue to keep the lines of communication open and pitching why the development in Columbus is still the best in the country under his leadership.
A decision in Ohio State’s favor is the ultimate goal, and the efforts will be made weekly to ensure they have the best shot at his commitment.
The Buckeyes have started off with some real momentum in the 2027 recruiting class, and have no signs of slowing down in the current cycle.
Making the cut for several top players and already owning a top national class with nine commitments in the fold, Ohio State is consistently making moves, Wednesday proved to be no different.
Finding their name on another top schools list for a big time athlete, the Buckeyes are setting themselves up for continued success if they hit on even some of these targeting players.
Texas native Taelyn Mayo the focus here, the 6-foot-3, 185 pound defensive back released his latest recruiting update, trimming his top schools list to just five programs. Offers from nearly 30 schools and many of the nations best for that matter, getting down to just five means Mayo is getting closer to making a final call, and the Buckeyes remain included.
The No. 135 player nationally and 12th best cornerback in the 2027 class per the 247Sports Composite, Mayo is down to LSU, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas A&M, and Ohio State as mentioned. From the jump, seeing the two in-state schools in the mix certainly makes sense, but the Buckeyes have proven themselves multiple times in the Lone Star State over the years, and Mayo is one of the latest names to be in the running to keep their track record going.
The top safety in the country for the 2027 class, San Diego, California native Honor Fa’alave-Johnson checks all of the boxes to be a real star at the next level.
The No. 16 player nationally regardless of position per the 247Sports Composite as well, every top program in the country covets this five-star prospect including the Buckeyes. At 6-foot-1, 190 pounds, he displays solid size that is only going to continue to develop and certainly that leads to his on-field production as well.
A player Ohio State is recruiting actively, Wednesday provided an unfortunate update, but maybe not all is lost. Social media saw the latest news concerning his recruitment, and it included six top schools which didn’t include Ohio State. LSU, Miami, Notre Dame, Oregon, Texas, and USC are finalists, but the interesting note is Tuesday saw Honor’s spring visit plans, and that featured a visit to Ohio State lined up for April 4.
Maybe that visit doesn’t in fact take place with his six schools being shared Wednesday, but if he does make the trek to Columbus, typically the coaching staff can reinsert themselves into consideration. Position coach Matt Guerrieri just visited Honor in person within the last month, so odds are this staff isn’t scared of getting back in contention.
