From a recruiting perspective, the attention from Larry Johnson and company is on finishing off on a strong note when it comes to pursuing 2022 prospects in the trenches over the next few months.

At the same time, however, the Buckeyes also want to jumpstart their efforts in the following class, especially with Brenan Vernon coming off the board in June.

One of the junior targets on Ohio State’s radar is New Bern (North Carolina) product Keith Sampson. Sampson, who ventured up to Columbus in June to attend a camp, told BuckeyeGrove that his skill set has improved after spending time with Johnson this summer.

“The overall takeaway was taking all that he was coaching me about. The little things he was telling me about that I didn’t realize I had flaws in just helped make my game better,” Sampson said of Johnson. “In those couple of hours of going over my film and from me at camp that day, I can tell that those little flaws were stopping me from being an even better player than I was already.”