Ohio State’s matchup with Maryland on Saturday is doing more than filling the stands at Ohio Stadium. It’s bringing in the strongest recruiting crowd the Buckeyes have hosted all season.
Three five-star prospects are expected in Columbus, headlined by defensive end Cassell Cruickshank, defensive tackle Jamarcus Johnson and wide receiver Madoxx Davis. Ohio State will also have two of the top running backs in the 2028 class on campus in Jayshawn Mitchell and Xander Edwards, while the 2029 group is represented by one of the country’s best sophomore offensive linemen, Landon Ghea.
For Larry Johnson, this is the kind of weekend that can shape a class. Cruickshank and Johnson are both set to see Ohio State in person, giving the Buckeyes a shot with two elite defensive linemen at once.
Cruickshank, a 6-foot-6, 230-pound end from North Carolina, is ranked as the No. 2 edge rusher and No. 7 overall prospect in the 2028 class. His trip to Columbus was reported by 247Sports on Thursday, and it will be his first visit to Ohio State after the Buckeyes offered him. He’s being chased by just about every major program in the country, and his brother, Mikhie Cruickshank, a 2028 safety with seven FBS offers, will be along for the visit too.
Johnson arrives with plenty of momentum of his own. The 6-foot-5, 330-pound tackle from Lyons, Georgia, is ranked No. 5 among defensive linemen and No. 29 overall in the class.
Ohio State offered him less than a month ago, and now he’s headed to Columbus. With the Buckeyes missing the kind of force Kayden McDonald has provided in the middle of the line this season, Johnson fits the type of body they need to keep stacking up inside.
Ohio State was supposed to have an even bigger defensive line haul this weekend. Kellan Hall, the top-ranked defensive lineman in the 2028 class and the No. 2 overall prospect, had been scheduled to visit but pushed that trip to the Michigan game. Rivals’ Steve Wiltfong reported Friday that Hall will instead be at Kentucky this weekend.
Even without Hall, the Buckeyes still have two premium defensive linemen in town as they continue building around five-star commit Jameer Whyce.
Davis is another major name to watch. Ohio State already holds a commitment from Jett Harrison, who is arguably the best receiver in the 2028 class, but the Buckeyes are still firmly in the mix for other five-star wideouts.
Davis, ranked No. 5 at receiver and No. 23 overall by 247Sports’ composite, has been one of Cortez Hankton’s top 2028 targets since Ohio State offered him in March. The Georgia native had been slated to attend the Alabama-Georgia game in Tuscaloosa, but that trip has been replaced by a visit to Columbus.
On the ground, Carlos Locklyn gets a chance to host two backs near the top of his board. Ohio State is still looking for a second running back to join longtime commit Elijah Newman-Hall in the 2028 class after missing on David Gabriel Georges in the 2027 cycle, and Mitchell and Edwards are both in that conversation.
Mitchell, from San Antonio, Texas, is ranked as the No. 8 running back and No. 113 overall prospect in the 247Sports composite. Rivals has him as the No. 1 running back in the class, which tells you how highly he’s regarded.
Edwards sits just behind him at No. 9 among running backs and No. 116 overall. He’s the son of former NFL and Notre Dame fullback and 1992 Ohio Mr.
Football Marc Edwards, and he’s also a former teammate of Ohio State freshman safety Simeon Caldwell at The Bolles School in Jacksonville. As a sophomore in 2025, Edwards piled up 2,629 yards and 44 touchdowns.
The Buckeyes’ weekend visitor list also reaches into the 2029 class with Ghea, a Georgia offensive lineman who already looks like a major name to know. Rivals has him as the No. 1 offensive tackle and No. 2 overall prospect in the sophomore class, while 247Sports places him as the No. 1 interior offensive lineman and No. 25 overall prospect.
At 6-foot-5 and 275 pounds, he already has the size and athleticism to play anywhere up front. He’s also drawing serious attention, with three dozen offers and an Auburn tight end brother in Ryan Ghea.
Tyler Bowen and Ohio State will have a chance this weekend to make a strong early impression.
There are more names worth tracking beyond the headline visitors. Josiah Eney, a four-star 2028 offensive lineman from Maryland, is set to be in Columbus just two weeks after Ohio State offered him. He’s ranked No. 185 overall in the junior class.
Ohio State will also host Max Hopkins, a 6-foot-8, 235-pound tight end from Indiana in the 2029 class. He’s unranked for now, but he already has offers from Indiana and Purdue, and his size makes him a prospect to keep an eye on.
Kolton Wymer, the younger brother of 2027 offensive line commit Kellen Wymer, will be on campus too as a 2029 offensive line recruit. He doesn’t have an offer yet, but the Buckeyes will be watching his progress closely as his older brother, the No. 61 overall prospect in the 2027 class, gets ready to begin his Ohio State career next year.
In Other News...
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From Ohio States perspective, Hartlines next chapter is still part of the larger coaching tree story, but the Buckeyes have their own issues to sort out as the schedule rolls on. The offense has had trouble getting the rushing game where it needs to be, and while Hartline is now trying to settle in as a head coach, his rough first step back served as another reminder that the margins get small fast once conference and nonconference tests start to pile up. [Read more 🡒]
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Maryland Brings Coaching Drama And A Defense Ohio State Can Exploit
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There is still enough on the defensive front to make Maryland worth studying, especially along the line, where a few key pieces can flash and disrupt a game if the rest of the unit holds together. The problem, as Michael Howes pointed out, is that the tackling has not been dependable enough, and those misses have repeatedly undercut the defense. For Ohio State, that creates a familiar sort of opportunity, one that starts with pressure up front and can quickly turn into a longer afternoon for a defense already carrying too much uncertainty. [Read more 🡒]