Safety target locks in Ohio State official visit
Ohio State’s 2027 recruiting class is already off to a strong start, but there is still plenty of work to be done in the defensive backfield. As things currently stand, the Buckeyes have just two defensive backs committed, and with the coaching staff continuing to evaluate prospects all across the country, it is clear that they are nowhere near finished at either cornerback or safety.
Over the last few weeks, Ohio State has been active in extending new
offers to players they believe fit what it is trying to build in the secondary. One of the latest names to earn an offer from the Buckeyes is Georgia safety Seth Williams, a prospect whose recruitment has taken off in a hurry.
Williams, a 6-foot-2, 185-pound safety, was previously committed to Clemson before backing off that pledge and reopening his recruitment. While he may not be one of the highest-ranked prospects in the country at the moment — checking in as the No. 849 player nationally and 87th best safety in the 247Sports Composite — the offer sheet tells a much different story than the rankings do.
In just the last month, Williams has seen programs like Georgia, Ohio State, Michigan, Auburn, Texas Tech, LSU, and others jump into the mix. That kind of attention does not come by accident, and it is safe to say his stock is trending in the right direction as more staffs get a closer look at what he brings to the table.
For Ohio State, the next step will be getting Williams to campus, and the Buckeyes are set to have that opportunity. Williams has an official visit scheduled to Columbus for June 19, giving Matt Guerrieri and the rest of the Ohio State staff a chance to make their pitch in person.
Of course, the Buckeyes will have plenty of competition. Georgia, Florida, and LSU are also among the programs expected to get visits, and with Williams being a Peach State product, the Bulldogs are always going to be a team to watch. Still, Ohio State has never been shy about going head-to-head with the SEC for defensive talent, and this recruitment appears to be no different.
Williams is one of the faster-rising names in the 2027 cycle, and while the Buckeyes may have arrived a little later than some, they are firmly in the conversation. Now, the goal will be simple: get him to Columbus, show him what the program has to offer, and leave a strong enough impression to stay near the top of his recruitment moving forward.
New prediction favors Ohio State for 4-star athlete
When it comes to trying to figure out where a recruitment is trending, prediction features are usually a pretty solid place to start. Whether it be the 247Sports Crystal Ball or On3’s RPM, these forecasts are not the end-all, be-all by any means, but they are submitted for a reason. For Ohio State, the Buckeyes have been on the right side of some recent prediction momentum, and the hope now is that those projections turn into actual commitments sooner rather than later.
Looking at one of the latest examples, Ohio State picked up a new RPM pick on Wednesday from Alex Gleitman, who logged his prediction in favor of the Buckeyes for in-state standout Deontay Malone.
A Massillon Washington product, Malone is a 5-foot-11, 175-pound athlete and one of the better prospects in the state of Ohio for the 2027 cycle. Per the 247Sports Composite rankings, Malone checks in as the No. 303 player nationally and the 18th-best athlete in the class. Holding double-digit offers and a four-star status, Malone is certainly a player the Buckeyes would love to keep home for the next several years.
Fortunately for Ohio State, things seem to be trending in the right direction.
Set to be back on campus this weekend for the start of his official visit, Malone is one of several key targets the Buckeyes will host during what is shaping up to be a major recruiting weekend in Columbus. With the summer official visit season now in full swing, this is typically when programs start to see some of their biggest recruiting wins come together, and Ohio State would certainly like Malone to be part of that next wave.
As always, predictions are not commitments until the prospect makes things official. Still, where there is smoke, there is usually fire, and right now the smoke around Malone’s recruitment appears to be pointing toward Ohio State.
Keeping top in-state talent home is always a priority for the Buckeyes, and landing Malone would be another strong step toward building out what already has the makings of an impressive 2027 class.
Pennsylvania offensive tackle sets visit to Columbus
With visit season continuing to take shape across the country, Ohio State is still seeing its list of expected visitors grow by the day. The Buckeyes have already done a solid job getting several key targets to make plans for Columbus, and now another offensive line prospect can be added to the group.
Taking to social media on Wednesday to announce his summer schedule, 2028 offensive tackle Tyrie Davis-Winn shared that he will be making a trip to Ohio State on June 10.
A Pennsylvania native, Davis-Winn already has the frame that college programs are going to love. Standing at 6-foot-8 and weighing in at 270 pounds, he is listed as the No. 213 player nationally and 23rd best offensive tackle in the 2028 class per the 247Sports Composite rankings.
With an Ohio State offer already in hand, getting Davis-Winn to campus this early in his recruitment is certainly a positive development for the Buckeyes. Offensive line coach Tyler Bowen has been busy building relationships in the trenches, and having a player of Davis-Winn’s caliber make the trip to Columbus gives Ohio State another opportunity to make an early impression.
There is still a long way to go in this recruitment with Davis-Winn being part of the 2028 cycle, but visits like this are how programs begin laying the groundwork. For Ohio State, getting him on campus in June is a win, and now the goal will be to make sure the visit gives him plenty of reasons to keep the Buckeyes near the top of his recruitment moving forward.
