Ohio State’s early grip on the 2028 class keeps getting tighter, and five-star wide receiver Braylon Clark appears to be right in the middle of it.
The Buckeyes have already built a strong foundation in that cycle, with three five-star recruits committed. Now they may be closing in on another big one. According to Rivals, Clark still has Ohio State sitting at the top of his list, and he believes the Buckeyes have been the best program in his recruitment so far.
“They’ve still been the best one recruiting me so far. There is something different with them.”
Clark’s interest matters even more because he would give Ohio State another elite receiver in a class that already includes Jett Harrison, the top recruit in the 2028 cycle and a Buckeye commit. If Clark were to join him, Ohio State would land a dangerous one-two punch on the outside.
At 6'2.5 and 188 pounds, Clark is ranked as the fourth-best receiver in the 2028 class and the 13th-best player overall. His game is built on clean route running and reliable hands, with drops rarely showing up on his tape. That kind of polish is exactly what Ryan Day and his staff want at receiver.
The Buckeyes’ work on the trail has been especially strong in 2028, and it stands in sharp contrast to where things stood with the 2027 group. Ohio State now has the top-rated class in the country, though plenty can still change before Signing Day arrives more than a year from now.
There’s also more opportunity ahead for the Buckeyes to make another impression. Over the next few weeks, they’ll have chances to bring recruits in for some major games in the Shoe, and that could help strengthen the class even further.
Clark has already been to Columbus multiple times over the past couple of years, and Ohio State is trying to keep him around other targets while also showing him up close how much of a force Jeremiah Smith is. Smith is the best player in the country.
Smith caught four touchdown passes last season, and he is hoping for a similar kind of day on Saturday against Iowa. Another standout performance would only reinforce the message Ohio State is sending to Clark: this is a place where elite receivers can keep developing.
In Other News...
Ohio State Just Delivered The Kind Of Road Win Fans Needed
Ohio State went into Kinnick Stadium and delivered the sort of response win its fans had been waiting for, beating Iowa 31-14 and handing the Hawkeyes their first loss of the season. The Buckeyes controlled the game on both sides of the ball, piling up 484 total yards while keeping Iowa to 238 and a paltry 39 rushing yards, which made this feel less like a tense road test and more like a statement about the gap between the two teams.
Jeremiah Smith was at the center of it, turning the trip into one of those performances that travels well beyond the box score. He finished with 11 catches for 206 yards and two touchdowns, giving Ohio State a dynamic edge whenever it needed one and helping offset a couple of turnovers forced by the defense. For a team that needed a clean, convincing road result, this was exactly the kind of night it was looking for. [Read more 🡒]
Jeremiah Smith Just Put Ohio State Fans On Notice Again
Jeremiah Smith kept the Buckeyes moving in Iowa City, turning a road test against the Hawkeyes into another showcase for Ohio States passing game. The freshman wideout tied the Ohio State touchdown record while finishing with 11 catches for 206 yards and two scores, a performance that helped push the Buckeyes to a 4-1 start and add another layer to what has already become a must-watch season in Columbus.
Smiths latest breakout only raises the stakes for what comes next, because Ohio State now heads back home to face Maryland with its young star drawing even more attention. For a team that has spent the early part of the season trying to establish its identity, his ability to create production anywhere on the field has become one of the biggest reasons the Buckeyes keep looking like a contender. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Just Earned The Big Ten Spot Fans Wanted Most
Week 5 brought a clearer picture of the Big Ten race, and Ohio State came out of it looking like the conference team fans expected to see at the top. The Buckeyes handled Iowa in a game that carried more weight than a typical early-season road test, adding a quality win to a rsum that is starting to separate from the pack as the league standings and the national picture begin to take shape.
The rankings around them still have plenty of movement left, with Indiana continuing to push forward, Oregon and UCLA drawing attention for different reasons, and Michigan still trying to sort out its own path. But Ohio States recent momentum is the kind that can hold up as October approaches, especially if the Buckeyes keep matching style points with results in the weeks ahead. [Read more 🡒]