Ohio State Remains In The Fight For A Massive 2028 Recruit

As college football programs vie for the commitment of standout defensive lineman Kellan Hall, the nation's No. 2 overall prospect, fans are eager to see where he will ultimately choose to make his mark.

One of the biggest names in the 2028 class has already narrowed the board.

Five-star defensive lineman Kellan Hall has cut his list to 12 schools as he moves deeper into a recruitment that has had Power Four programs chasing him from the start. The news was first reported by Rivals national recruiting reporter Hayes Fawcett.

Hall, who plays at Christian Academy in Louisville, Ky., checks in at 6-foot-5 and roughly 270-275 pounds. According to an industry weighted average of national recruiting expert opinion, he is the No. 2 overall prospect in the 2028 class and the top defensive lineman in the country.

That ranking makes sense when you look at the profile. Hall has the kind of frame that can carry more weight without losing movement, and he has already shown the athleticism to match. His 40 time has been clocked in the 4.8- to 4.9-second range at national camps, and scouts have repeatedly pointed to his speed-to-power ability, his disruption in the backfield, and the way he plays with effort snap after snap.

He has also been a major part of Christian Academy’s recent run, including an undefeated season and a Class 3A state championship. As a sophomore, Hall posted 53 tackles, 17.5 stops for a loss, and 6.5 sacks.

The list of schools around him has been heavy with national powers. Oklahoma is currently the name sitting at the top of many prediction models, while Ohio State, Notre Dame, Tennessee, and Michigan remain in the mix.

Other programs that have stayed involved include Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Miami, Texas, Oregon, and Texas A&M.

The decision to trim things now comes while Hall is still early in the process, but the evaluation is clearly moving forward. He is weighing coaching relationships, scheme fit, developmental pathways, culture, and long-term playing opportunity as he sorts through the finalists.

For a prospect this young, there is still plenty of runway. But the field is now down to an elite dozen, and the next stretch of his recruitment will bring more attention as he heads into another high-profile high school season.

In Other News...

Kentucky Missed On A Key Big Man And The Pressure Just Grew

Kentuckys search for frontcourt help took a hit when Jaxon Kohler chose BYU after weighing the Wildcats along with Kansas and Louisville. The 6-foot-10 forward from American Fork, Utah, had been one of the more important names on Kentuckys board as the staff continues to look for size and versatility in the paint, and his decision leaves the Wildcats still chasing answers with the roster picture not fully settled.

The ripple effect matters because Kentuckys attention has already shifted toward Mark Mitchell, another player whose status is tied to an eligibility lawsuit and a possible move into the transfer portal if a court ruling breaks his way. It leaves the Wildcats in the familiar position of waiting on the legal side of roster building while trying to line up alternatives, with the next few decisions likely to shape just how much pressure remains on the staff to land a difference-maker inside. [Read more 🡒]

Kentuckys Newest Offer May Be More Complete Than His Ranking Suggests

Kentucky has continued casting a wide net early in the 2027 cycle, and its latest offer went to Asa Montgomery, a 6-foot-7 small forward whose rsum already looks deeper than a simple ranking snapshot. The four-star prospect has been productive on the Nike Elite Youth Champions League stage, where he led the circuit in scoring, and he also played a part in the United States FIBA Under-17 World Cup title run.

What makes Montgomery especially intriguing for the Wildcats is the way coaches describe his game. His versatility, basketball IQ and ability to use his length on both ends give him a profile that can translate in a lot of different ways, which is often what major programs value when they are identifying early targets. Kentucky is clearly seeing more than a ranking here, and it will be worth watching how much momentum this offer creates as his recruitment develops. [Read more 🡒]

Kentuckys 2022 Eligibility Fight Just Put One Wildcat In Limbo

A legal twist in the 2022 eligibility battle has left some college football players in a precarious spot, and Kentucky is directly affected. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit granted the NCAAs request for a stay in a Colorado class-action case that had briefly opened the door for 2022 players to claim a fifth year, stripping away federal protection for players who do not have temporary restraining orders from state court cases.

For Kentucky, the most immediate consequence is Alex Afaris status, which is now in limbo under the stay, while Mark Mitchells future hinges on a pending ruling from Judge Brian Edwards in a Kentucky lawsuit. Some players who already won state-level cases are still able to keep their fifth year for now, but the ones without that kind of ruling are back in uncertainty as the broader fight continues. [Read more 🡒]