The Buckeyes added the first in-state pledge to their 2023 recruiting class on Thursday night.
Ohio State landed a commitment from one of the state's top players on Thursday night when Huber Heights (Ohio) Wayne four-star offensive guard Joshua Padilla pledged his services to the Buckeyes.
“First, I would like to thank every college coach that has recruited me,” Padilla wrote in a note on Twitter. “I would like to thank God, my family and friends, and everyone that has supported and pushed me to be my best.
“A special thank you to all my high school coaches, both football and wrestling, for molding and guiding me. I give a lot of glory to my dad and brother for helping me be the best offensive lineman I can be. With that being said, I am excited to announce my commitment to The Ohio State University!”
The 6-foot-4 and 265-pound Padilla, who is considered the 10th-best interior offensive lineman and No. 194 prospect overall in the class of 2023, picked Ohio State over scholarship offers from Cincinnati, Georgia Tech, Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Oregon, Penn State, Tennessee and West Virginia, among others.
Padilla became just the fourth in-state prospect in his class to land an offer from the Buckeyes when offensive coordinator/tight ends coach Kevin Wilson and offensive line coach Greg Studrawa stopped by his high school in March.
He camped in Columbus this summer and then took unofficial visits for several games this fall, including Saturday’s 33-24 win over Penn State, which is why it shouldn't be a surprise to see that he's first in-state pledge for Ohio State next cycle.
That said, Padilla is now the second member overall of the Buckeyes’ 2023 recruiting class, joining Thompson’s Station (Tenn.) Independence four-star tight end Ty Lockwood. His pledge pushes the Buckeyes into ninth in the 247Sports composite team rankings, the highest among programs with two or fewer commitments.
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