3-2-1: Buckeyes crack top schools lists for multiple targets

In this recruiting-themed edition of "3-2-1," which is presented by Infinit Nutrition, BuckeyeGrove takes a look at some of the most recent news relating to Ohio State football recruiting.

Down below, we talk about three things we learned recently, a couple of questions that we still have and dish out a prediction about a 2022 target for the Buckeyes.

Some of the topics below include a breakdown of a couple of targets who have Ohio State as one of their top schools, five-star offensive lineman Zach Rice's recent interview with Rivals, and we share our thoughts on recent offer Aamil Wagner.

1. Rivals250 RB has Ohio State as one of his nine finalists

The Buckeyes took another step in their pursuit of Shillington (Pennsylvania) target Nicholas Singleton this week.

On Wednesday, the No. 9 running back on Rivals included the program in his top nine. Accompanying Ohio State on that list were Alabama, Auburn, Michigan, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Penn State, Texas A&M and Wisconsin.

Probably even better news for tOSU on Wednesday was what Singleton said to Rivals.com prior to publicly unveiling his list. Singleton told Adam Friedman that he does intend on utilizing an official visit to Columbus, which is huge for Tony Alford and Company.

This is pretty significant as Singleton will have his weekend of June 11-13 occupied on an OV to Penn State, one of the top contenders in his recruitment. Singleton also intends on officially visiting Alabama, Notre Dame and either Northwestern or Wisconsin, though no dates have been locked in just yet.

Switching back to Ryan Day’s program, Singleton broke down why they ended up making the cut for him this week.

"I've really been talking to coach Alford and coach Day and just staying in touch and building this relationship," Singleton said. "They've been telling me I'm number one on their running backs board. They really want me up there. They obviously produce great running backs. They just got TreVeyon Henderson and Evan Pryor and both of them are beasts. They bring in great running backs."

It’s no surprise to hear that Ohio State has Singleton at the No. 1 spot on their 2022 RB board. Dallan Hayden and Damari Alston are also high on their list, but Singleton is definitely the top priority for the staff.

I think this one comes down to the Buckeyes, Penn State or Notre Dame; one interesting factor to consider, however, is the the recruitment of Dallan Hayden. Hayden told me he has the green light to commit to Ohio State, and it’s not out of the realm of possibility that he could commit before Singleton does.

If Singleton wants to commit to the Buckeyes in the middle of the summer— which is when he wants to make his decision — does Ohio State take him even with Hayden onboard?

I would be inclined to say “yes,” meaning this could be another two-running back class after all.

2. 2022 CB has Ohio State in his top three

Singleton was not the only 2022 target to label Ohio State as one of his top choices this week.

Yesterday, Rivals.com’s Chad Simmons posted a video interview with fast-rising defensive back Ryan Turner. The Florida-based prospect revealed that he has a top three of Boston College, Clemson and Ohio State at this time.

It was interesting as later in that interview, Turner said he will be dropping a top 10 on Twitter soon. So, the way I interpreted this is that the trio of colleges listed above are standing out to him the most right now, but it isn’t an official top schools list.

Some may be surprised by Boston College’s inclusion here, but I’m not. The Eagles signed four-star DB Clinton Burton last cycle, and head coach Jeff Hafley has them at No. 17 in the Rivals Team Rankings.

Most, however, would view the Buckeyes and Tigers as the likeliest options for Turner. Clemson and Ohio State offered within three weeks of each other earlier this year, and have done an excellent job of recruiting him.

In fact, when looking at tOSU’s pursuit of the newly minted Rivals250 prospect, secondary coach Matt Barnes even told Turner after offering him last month that he could commit whenever he wants to. Turner told Simmons that Barnes, along with defensive coordinator Kerry Coombs, are making Ohio State stand out in his recruitment.

“Really, Coach Barnes. Coach Coombs, too. That’s my guy," Turner said of why the Buckeyes are catching his attention. "He’s been in the game for a long time, and you know a guy who’s been in the game and been in the league, they know how to progress people well because they’ve been everywhere. Him and Coach Barnes, they’re nice.”

Turner went on to note that the way Ohio State develops players at his position is sticking out to him greatly. He also had the chance last month to conduct a Zoom call with them and learn about the academic opportunities in Columbus. So, Turner has a clear picture of what the Buckeyes offer both on the field and in the classroom.

Looking at this more broadly, Turner is one of Ohio State’s few uncommitted cornerback targets right now, with Austin Jordan and Toriano Pride being a couple of other ones. Even with Jaheim Singletary and Jyaire Brown in the fold, the program is looking to add at least another cornerback before it’s all said and done.

3. Zach Rice talks Ohio State, recruitment in general

I noted in a previous piece that while I don’t believe Ohio State is necessarily slipping for Zach Rice, North Carolina is definitely ascending in his recruitment. This could very much explain the recent offer that was extended to Rivals250 offensive lineman Aamil Wagner.

Even with this offer to Wagner, however, the Buckeyes are not out of the race for Rice whatsoever. The five-star offensive lineman conducted a video interview with Rivals’ recruiting analyst Adam Friedman this week, and said Ohio State remains one of the programs that are pursuing him the hardest.

Besides tOSU, Rice says he hears from Alabama, North Carolina, Notre Dame and Virginia the most. He intends on visiting all of these schools that are contacting him the most, along with Miami.

The Crimson Tide are noteworthy as they are the team that’s gained the most ground in Rice’s recruitment recently. They didn’t make his top eight in November, but their championship victory has put them in the conversation.

I will say that the three schools to pay attention to here are Notre Dame, Ohio State and UNC. I could see it going anyway, and I’m not confident enough to put in a FutureCast for any program.

What Rice said about Studrawa this week did stand out to me. Studrawa isn’t the type of recruiter who is on the phone 24/7 with his targets, but the o-line coach has shown Rice he’s a top priority for him.

“Obviously, the big thing for me is we would wake up Saturday mornings early in the AM,” Rice said. “He would have six o’clock workouts with his players, and he would just film it. And then, right after that, he would take me and show me the video; him and Coach [Kennedy] Cook. It was pretty cool because you see, ‘Man, he cares about you.’”

Rice has previously stated that he may commit at any time, but I’m not expecting that to happen until he takes his visits. While I don’t envision him in Ohio State’s class as of today, that can all change if he’s blown away by a visit to Columbus, so I’m not ruling him out just yet.

1. Is Aamil Wagner close to joining this class?

Rivals250 offensive lineman Aamil Wagner was a player I was waiting for the Buckeyes to give the green light to for the past several months.

For one, he’s one of the top offensive tackles in the 2022 cycle, and his ceiling is off the charts.

Also, he’s roughly an hour away from the school, so Studrawa and the rest of the staff are very familiar with him. In fact, Wagner heard from a trio of Ohio State coaches on Sept. 1, and he’s been in touch with them since.

So, it initially surprised me that the program waited until this week to extend an offer to the top-30 OT on Rivals, but I can see why.

In my opinion, the Buckeyes knew that Wagner would likely jump on the opportunity to join this class if given the chance. As a result, they probably held off on offering him to see the progress they made with other targets.

I definitely believe Monday's offer is indicative of how the staff feels about some of the coveted o-linemen they are after, and them not wanting to blow their shot with Wagner.

To answer this question directly, I am in the mindset that Wagner will indeed jump on this opportunity quickly. I recently submitted a FutureCast in favor of the Buckeyes, and while I don’t have a timeline for when a commitment could transpire, I wouldn’t be shocked if it happens soon.

This is a time when recruits have been very open about the impact the dead period and the ensuing inability to attend school camps, as well as having no spring evaluation period. That is why you’ve seen prospects push up their commitment dates and not put all their eggs in the basket when it comes to hoping the NCAA will do the right thing.

I believe Wagner recognizes that Ohio State has offered over a dozen tackles and, with just one being committed, they have plenty of open spots at this time. Also, the Buckeyes are arguably the biggest offer in his recruitment to this point.

Wagner wants to wrap everything up in the next couple of weeks, and if that’s true, I don’t see tOSU not being the choice.

2. What’s the latest on Shawn Murphy?

I wanted to highlight Shawn Murphy here as we have not talked much about him since speaking with the five-star linebacker in person back in November.

Also, Rivals.com ran another Rumor Mill piece this week, with Murphy being one of the prospects mentioned. Murphy seemed to confirm what was discussed here as he retweeted the article.

In it, it’s stated that Clemson, Georgia and Oregon are high on his list as they’ve been putting on the full-court press for his services. It was also mentioned that the Buckeyes are still in serious contention and have been recruiting him just as hard as the other schools mentioned above.

This is not too much of a surprise as Murphy is a prospect Al Washington has been able to dedicate a lot of time to since he landed a trio of LBs in a four-month span last year. Murphy praised Washington’s recruiting efforts in November when we spoke with him, and former teammate/tOSU signee Tyleik Williams is continuing to let him know that he should make the move to Columbus as well.

It stands to reason that Murphy will become even more of a priority for the Buckeyes following Jalon Walker’s decision later this month. Most assume the Rivals100 LB won’t be committing to Ohio State, so that will give Washington and Company even more time to dedicate to Murphy.

I was recently asked on The Horseshoe Lounge why I thought the program needed another linebacker in this class. The reason why they’re going after another player at the position in this cycle is that Gabe Powers could wind up growing into a defensive end at the next level, and Dasan McCullough is likely to take over that hybrid linebacker-safety role.

So, adding another traditional LB like Murphy is important for Ohio State, especially with the top four players at the position group from a year ago not returning.

I didn’t think this prediction was bold enough initially, so I added “this month” to raise the stakes a little bit.

A few days ago, Wagner told our Josh Helmholdt that he wants to wrap up his recruitment over the next couple of weeks. If that’s true, it would be hard to bet against the Buckeyes in this one.

Notre Dame shouldn’t be overlooked given how well they recruit offensive linemen, especially in the Midwest. Kentucky is also in play here, and they are benefitted from Wagner’s brother, Ahmad, having been on the team a few years ago.

In my opinion, I think it is going to be tough for either of these programs to beat out Ohio State here. If he follows through with the timeline he told Helmholdt, I see the Buckeyes landing Wagner in the month of March.

Stay tuned to BuckeyeGrove.