Ohio State’s home game against Illinois this weekend comes with more than just a Big Ten matchup on the schedule. The Buckeyes will also be working a busy recruiting slate, with several major visitors set to be on campus Saturday, including a pair of 2028 defensive backs and some of the program’s own 2027 commitments helping to sell the place.
That peer-recruiting element is part of the plan, and it starts with the Buckeyes’ current commitments. Brady Edmunds and Jimmy Kalis are among the names expected to lend a hand as Ohio State tries to make the most of another game-day visit weekend.
On the defensive back front, North Carolina native Nate Dollard is slated to be in Columbus. The 6-foot, 170-pound athlete is in the 2028 class and ranks as the No. 232 player nationally and the 23rd-best cornerback in the 247Sports Composite. With nearly 40 offers already on the table from major programs across the country, including Ohio State, he’s the kind of prospect Tim Walton can’t afford to treat casually.
Ohio State will also host another 2028 defensive back in Troy Bishop. The Southern California safety, who plays at Mater Dei, checks in as the No. 544 player nationally and the 40th-ranked safety in the 247Sports Composite.
Bishop picked up his Ohio State offer in June, and making the trip back across the country for this game against Illinois suggests real interest on both sides. He already has double-digit offers, with Miami, Notre Dame, Oregon, USC and others in the mix.
Having both of those priority defensive back targets on campus at the same time gives Ohio State a real shot to make a strong impression. Walton and the Buckeye staff will have a chance to show them what the program offers beyond just football.
Ohio State’s momentum isn’t limited to the football side, either. The Buckeyes are also staying in the conversation for one of the top names in the 2027 basketball class: Demarcus Henry.
Henry is a 6-foot-7, 190-pound small forward and the No. 3 player in the country, along with being the top player at his position in the 247Sports Composite. He has offers from 30 programs and is drawing serious attention from Arkansas, BYU, UCONN, Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, North Carolina, and Ohio State.
The Buckeyes have reason to feel like they’re in the mix. Henry’s family connection to the program matters, with his brother being Chris Henry Jr. and his sister currently on campus as a Buckeye.
That doesn’t make the race over, though. Ohio State still has plenty of work ahead if it wants to hold off the rest of the heavy hitters in his recruitment, even if those ties give the staff a meaningful advantage to lean on.
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