The group is headlined by eight five-star prospects from the 2023 and 2024 recruiting classes.
Saturday’s Student Appreciation Day will double as a massive recruiting event for Ohio State, as the Buckeyes are set to welcome more than two dozen of the nation’s top-rated prospects to campus this weekend.
The group is headlined by several five-star prospects from the class of 2023, including Detroit Martin Luther King quarterback Dante Moore; Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy wide receiver Carnell Tate; Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) American Heritage wide receiver Brandon Inniss; Longview, Texas, wide receiver Jalen Hale; and Lakeland (Fla.) Lake Gibson cornerback Cormani McClain.
Titusville (Fla.) Cocoa four-star safety Cedrick Hawkins is also making his first trip to Columbus since committing to Ohio State in the middle of the Rose Bowl. He notably plays for the same 7-on-7 as Tate, Inniss and McClain, the South Florida Express, and would surely love to continue his career alongside some of his current teammates.
Hawkins won’t be the only commitment on campus, either, as Thompson’s Station (Tenn.) Independence four-star tight end Ty Lockwood will make his third unofficial visit since pledging his services to the Buckeyes last August.
That said, the other recruits who are already on campus this weekend or expected to be include:
- 2023 Orlando (Fla.) Edgewater four-star running back Cedric Baxter
- 2023 Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) American Heritage four-star running back Mark Fletcher
- 2023 Washington Courthouse, Ohio, three-star tight end Tanner Lemaster
- 2023 Columbus (Ga.) Carver four-star defensive lineman Darron Reed
- 2023 Forth Worth (Texas) North Crowley three-star linebacker S’Maje Burrell
- 2023 Jacksonville (Fla.) Bartram Trail four-star cornerback Sharif Denson
- 2023 Tampa (Fla.) Wharton four-star cornerback Dijon Johnson
- 2023 Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) American Heritage four-star safety Daemon Fagan
- 2023 Alpharetta (Ga.) Milton three-star safety Bryce Thornton, the younger brother of 2022 four-star point guard signee Bruce Thornton
- 2024 Chandler, Ariz., five-star quarterback Dylan Raiola
- 2024 Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy five-star running back Stacy Gage
- 2024 Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade-Madonna Prep five-star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith
- 2024 Miami (Fla.) Central four-star wide receiver Joshisa Trader
- 2024 Richmond (Va.) tight end Luca Puccinelli
- 2024 Bloomington (Ind.) South tight end Tysen Smith
- 2024 Brentwood (Tenn.) Academy tight end Hank Weber
- 2024 Loganville (Ga.) Grayson four-star offensive guard Waltclaire Flynn
- 2024 Tampa (Fla.) Wharton four-star defensive end Booker Pickett
- 2024 Cincinnati Withrow cornerback Terhyon Nichols
- 2024 Springfield, Ohio, defensive back Aaron Scott
- 2024 Sunbury (Ohio) Big Walnut athlete Garrett Stover
- 2025 Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy wide receiver Winston Watkins
- 2025 Westerville (Ohio) North offensive guard Jake Cook
Stay tuned to BuckeyesNow in the coming days for more coverage from this massive recruiting weekend, as several of the aforementioned prospects could be on commitment watch.
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