Ohio State’s recruiting weekend got a small shakeup, but the Buckeyes still have a heavyweight visitor on the way.
Five-star 2028 defensive lineman Kellan Hall, who had been expected in Columbus this weekend for an unofficial visit, has reportedly pushed that trip back to Ohio State’s regular-season finale against Michigan. That means the Buckeyes will miss out on an earlier chance to host one of the nation’s most coveted prospects, but landing him for The Game is still a major opportunity.
Hall, a 6-foot-4, 265-pound standout from Louisville, Kentucky, is loaded with options. He already holds more than 30 offers from some of college football’s biggest programs, and the 247Sports Composite has him as the No. 2 player in the country and the top defensive lineman in the 2028 class.
For Larry Johnson and Ohio State, the goal remains the same: stay squarely in the mix. With a recruit of Hall’s caliber, every visit matters, and the Michigan game now gives the Buckeyes a chance to put their program in front of him at one of the season’s biggest moments. The visit has changed, but it’s still happening.
Another name to circle is 2029 linebacker Jayvion Maldon, who will get his first real look at Columbus next month. The Leesburg, Virginia, prospect is already drawing plenty of attention, with nearly 20 offers and a visit schedule that includes Florida, Virginia Tech, Ohio State and Tennessee. He is set to be in Columbus on Nov. 14, when the Buckeyes host Northwestern.
Maldon is listed at 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, and while 247Sports has not ranked him yet, the offer sheet tells the story. Programs are clearly intrigued, and Ohio State will have a chance to show him how James Laurinaitis and the staff use linebackers in the system. Laurinaitis has continued to make his mark both on the trail and with the Buckeyes’ linebackers, and this is another chance for him to build a relationship early.
The Buckeyes’ 2027 class already includes defensive talent, and Wyatt Smith is giving a glimpse of why Ohio State wanted him. The edge rusher, ranked No. 76 nationally and No. 10 at his position in the 247Sports Composite, has opened his senior season strongly at one of the country’s premier high school programs. His early production has only added to the buzz around what he could become in Columbus.
In Other News...
Simeon Caldwell Is Giving Ohio States Secondary A New Decision To Make
Simeon Caldwell arrived at Ohio State with the kind of preseason expectations that usually keep a freshman safety in the background, but his early work has pushed him into a more meaningful spot in the Buckeyes secondary. He has seen the field in multiple games already, and his usage has grown as the coaching staff has continued to trust him more in the defensive rotation. The staffs interest in him has only sharpened because he brings versatility to a room that already has plenty of competition.
Caldwells most notable opportunities have come in expanded snaps against Iowa, where he held up well in coverage and showed he can tackle in space. His role has been growing in nickel and dime packages, the kind of subpackages that demand safeties who can handle tight ends and bigger receivers without sacrificing too much on the back end. For Ohio State, that kind of flexibility gives the defense another option to sort through, and it could keep changing how the secondary is deployed from week to week. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Freshmen Suddenly Have A Real Chance To Break Through
Ryan Days latest update on Ohio States young wide receivers gave a clearer picture of where the room stands heading into Maryland. Freshmen Chris Henry Jr. and Brock Boyd have been making progress, and Day said both have shown the kind of confidence that can earn more trust in the passing game. With the Buckeyes still sorting through their receiver rotation, the door is at least a little more open for the first-year players to carve out snaps.
The timing matters because Ohio State may need extra help at the position, and the staff has already been looking for more ways to spread the field. That creates a real opening for Henry and Boyd to get involved in a game that could test the depth chart a little more than expected, while Kyle Parker is also positioned to enter the mix after missing the early part of the season. The next step is whether those practice flashes turn into actual game reps when the Buckeyes line up against Maryland. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Has A Few Injury Questions At The Worst Time
Ohio States first availability report for the Maryland game brought a few expected bumps, but the overall picture was still fairly manageable. The Buckeyes entered the week with several players either out or uncertain, yet the list also suggested the roster is generally in good shape heading into the matchup.
The biggest concern for the offense is the status of wide receivers Devin McCuin and Brandon Inniss, both of whom were listed as questionable. On the other side of the ball, safety Leroy Roker III was ruled out, leaving Ohio State to sort through a handful of late-week injury questions at a time when depth and stability matter even more. [Read more 🡒]