Ohio State’s 2028 recruiting board is already taking shape, and the Buckeyes are making sure they stay in the mix for two of the class’s biggest names.
On the defensive line, in-state prospect Thomas Minor remains a clear priority. The Big Walnut High School product has been hearing from Larry Johnson “daily,” a pretty loud signal that Ohio State wants to keep him close to home.
Minor is a 6-foot-3, 275-pound lineman ranked No. 490 nationally and the 52nd-best defensive lineman in the 2028 class by the 247Sports Composite. He already has double-digit offers, with Indiana, Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn State and others in the Midwest joining Ohio State in the chase.
More schools are expected to jump in, too.
Minor won’t have to go far for his next look at the Buckeyes. He’s set to be back in Columbus for the regular season finale against Michigan on Nov. 28, giving Ohio State another chance to strengthen that relationship.
The Buckeyes are also set to host another major 2028 target this weekend in receiver Madoxx Davis. Ohio State’s wideout room continues to sell itself, with Jeremiah Smith leading the way and the group still drawing attention even as Cortez Hankton settles into his first year coaching the position. Davis is the latest elite recruit to take notice.
A 5-foot-10, 190-pound athlete from Cartersville, Georgia, Davis is the No. 23 player in the country and the fifth-ranked receiver in the 2028 class, according to the 247Sports Composite. He’s picked up nearly 50 offers, so getting him on campus for an unofficial visit during Saturday’s homecoming game against Maryland matters.
It will also give Davis a close-up view of a receiver group that blends established players with true freshmen who are already contributing. Ohio State already has Jett Harrison committed in the 2028 class, and Hankton is still working to add more firepower. Davis is firmly in that conversation.
In Other News...
Former Ohio State Coach Brian Hartline Just Took A Brutal First Step Back
Brian Hartlines first months at South Florida had gone smoothly enough, with the former Ohio State offensive coordinator off to a 4-1 start before a stumble at UTSA snapped the momentum. The trip also came with a side note that got plenty of attention, after Hartline made comments about the noise inside the opponents stadium and then had those remarks revisited in a very public way once the game was over.
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 🡒]
Ohio States Elite Passing Game Is Hiding A Bigger Running Back Issue
Ohio States passing game has been humming along at a level few teams in the country can match, but the ground game is carrying a very different kind of conversation. The Buckeyes sit 81st in rushing yards per attempt, a ranking that stands out for a team with this much offensive firepower and one that has had to lean on a rotating backfield rather than finding a clear weekly answer.
The workload has bounced among Ja'Kobi Jackson, Bo Jackson and Isaiah West, with true freshman Legend Bey also part of the early mix. Beys limited role has drawn attention because of questions around why his touches have thinned out, and while there has been speculation about professionalism concerns, nothing has been officially confirmed. For a team built to pressure defenses in every way, the bigger issue may be less about who is getting the carries and more about whether Ohio State has settled on the right one. [Read more 🡒]
Maryland Brings Coaching Drama And A Defense Ohio State Can Exploit
Maryland arrives with plenty of noise around the program, and not much of it has anything to do with what happens between the lines. The uncertainty around Mike Locksleys future has hung over the Terps for a while now, with the athletic director potentially waiting until after the bye week to make a call, and that backdrop only adds to the sense that Ohio State is catching Maryland at a tense moment. At the same time, the offensive side has slipped, with Malik Washingtons play trending down and the Terps searching for steadier footing.
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 🡒]