Ohio State’s trip to Iowa will be about more than just surviving Kinnick Stadium.
Yes, the Buckeyes are 14.5-point favorites and yes, the Hawkeyes have a reputation for making life miserable on visiting teams. But Saturday also comes with a built-in recruiting stage, and that matters in Columbus. With ESPN’s “College GameDay” in town and Ohio State once again in a nationally featured matchup, the Buckeyes will have plenty of eyes on them from the 2028 class and beyond.
That spotlight comes after another strong home-game showing last weekend against Illinois, when Ohio State hosted a long list of prospects and kept leaning on game-day visits as a key part of its fall recruiting push. Recruits from a wide range of classes and positions were on campus, and the feedback coming out of the weekend was overwhelmingly positive.
Among the most important visitors was 2028 offensive tackle Amaree Joshua.
The Georgia native had already been to Columbus before, but this was his first chance to see Ohio Stadium on a game day. The trip appears to have left Ohio State in a strong spot with a prospect who should draw plenty of attention. Joshua already has more than 20 offers, including Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Ohio State, Ole Miss and Texas A&M, and the Buckeyes remain firmly in the mix.
At 6-foot-6 and 290 pounds, Joshua is ranked as the No. 146 player nationally and the No. 19 offensive tackle in the 2028 class by the 247Sports Composite. That’s the kind of early evaluation Ohio State wants to stay on top of, especially at a position where the Buckeyes can’t afford to be passive.
Tyler Bowen will have competition here, and plenty of it. Several SEC programs are much closer to home, so Ohio State will need to keep giving Joshua reasons to make the trip north. For now, though, the Buckeyes seem to be doing just that.
There’s also a fresh opening with another 2028 lineman tied to Ohio.
Anthony Blalock Jr., a Youngstown native, committed to Alabama in July after drawing more than 20 offers, including one from Ohio State. On Tuesday, though, he backed off that pledge and reopened his recruitment, which gives the Buckeyes another chance to get involved.
Blalock is listed at 6-foot-5 and 305 pounds and is ranked as the No. 255 player nationally and No. 16 player at his position in the 2028 class by the 247Sports Composite.
Given his Ohio roots and his profile as a priority offensive line target, it would be no surprise if Ohio State jumped back in. The Buckeyes missed on him once, but this decommitment gives Bowen and his staff a second shot to try to change the outcome.
In Other News...
Ohio State Heads To Iowa With Two Starters Suddenly In Doubt
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There is at least one encouraging note for the defense, though, with defensive end Zion Grady cleared to return after missing two games. Iowa, meanwhile, will be short a starter of its own, with safety Tyler Brown ruled out as he continues to recover, so both teams are heading into the matchup with some moving parts still unresolved. [Read more 🡒]
Jeremiah Smith Just Forced An Ohio State Greatness Debate
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Jeremiah Smiths physical tools and production have drawn praise from analysts and former players alike, and the early rsum is starting to look the part of a legacy candidate. The debate now carries into the next stretch of the schedule, where more big games will help determine whether this was a dazzling milestone or the start of a case for the top spot in Ohio State receiver history. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Faces One Big Roster Question Entering Dieblers Third Season
Ohio States annual media day offered the first real look at Jake Diebler entering his third season, and the Buckeyes came away sounding encouraged about what this roster can become. With six returning players and nine newcomers, the mix is still coming together, but Diebler pointed to the teams size, depth and a non-conference schedule that should give the group an early measuring stick after a week of practice.
What remains unsettled is how quickly all of those pieces will fit, especially with exhibition games on the horizon and the regular season set to start Nov. 2. The Buckeyes have plenty of new faces to sort through and enough talent to make the early weeks interesting, but the next stretch will reveal whether the rosters promise can translate into something more defined once the games begin to matter. [Read more 🡒]