Ohio State may be on the verge of landing another major recruiting win, but the bigger question is what comes after that.
The Buckeyes look likely to come out on top in the expensive chase for 5-star Baylor (TN) running back David Gabriel Georges, a battle that reportedly pulled in Tennessee and Ole Miss before Ohio State emerged in position to win it. If that deal gets done, though, the next step is less clear. For now, the best-case read for OSU appears to be going 1-for-2 on its two most likely blue-chip targets in the 2027 class.
One of those names, 5-star Lawrence North (IN) receiver Monshun Sales, now looks headed toward staying close to home. Rivals’ Steve Wiltfong and Greg Smith both have Sales leaning toward Indiana and Curt Cignetti’s program, which would keep the Indianapolis product in-state at a time when the Hoosiers are suddenly a real force.
Sales has drawn heavy interest from the biggest programs around, including Ohio State and Texas, and it’s still unclear whether the Buckeyes can fit him into their budget. If they can, they’ll have a shot.
Sales is expected to decide later this month.
The other major name is 4-star Ramsay (AL) defensive tackle Karlos May, and Ohio State still has a real opening there. Georgia pushed hard enough that May said the Bulldogs nearly got him to commit during his official visit in Athens.
“I almost wanted to commit on the spot, actually,” May said. “But I changed my mind.
I said I was going to do what I said I would. Go through all my visits.
Things like that. But I definitely felt that way.
“Then the next morning, when I woke up, I said this is the place to be. Honestly, I almost did it, but I had to think about it.
I had to take all the rest of my visits. It might, you don’t know, it might have been just an emotional thing.
Being off emotions or the way I felt about a school, but nah, I still think about Georgia like that. Even a day after I left my visit.”
Georgia and Auburn remain the biggest threats for Ohio State in that recruitment. The Bulldogs have long been strong at keeping elite players close to home, while Auburn is the program that works the Birmingham area harder than anyone. Still, if this turns into a straight money fight, Ohio State has the kind of resources that can separate it from both.
The Buckeyes are also building momentum in the 2027 class, while Auburn has stayed in roughly the same spot and Georgia, by the source’s read, is not matching its usual standard. That doesn’t guarantee anything for May, but it does leave Ohio State with a path if it can keep pushing over the next few weeks.
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The problem is that Smith cannot carry the whole load by himself, and the next wave of help around him is still largely unproven. Brandon Inniss, Kyle Parker, Devin McCuin and Chris Henry Jr. are all part of the picture, but their development will go a long way toward determining how much room Smith has to operate and how dangerous the offense can be with Julian Sayin under center. If those pieces come together, Ohio State can keep feeding its star; if they do not, the Buckeyes may have to find a different way to make the passing game work. [Read more 🡒]