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 one bold prediction about a prospect potentially on the verge of entering the NCAA Transfer Portal.

Some of the topics below include a discussion on a priority target who recently visited Columbus, an OSU signee just earned his fourth star, the numerous questions surrounding J.T. Tuimoloau, and much more.

1. Davis hints at a return trip to Columbus

Admittedly, over these next few days, there are going to continue to be a lot of discussions on Rivals100 linebacker Raesjon Davis.

For one, Davis is one of two remaining targets for the Buckeyes in the 2021 recruiting cycle. The other, J.T. Tuimoloau, has not spoken with the media about his recruitment, so it’s unclear when he will actually sign his Letter of Intent.

For another, Davis continues to make news when it comes to his interest in Ohio State. Less than a week after including OSU in his top five, the product out of Mater Dei High School, along with his parents, took a multi-day trip to Columbus.

Davis’ excitement he expressed on social media wasn’t just for clicks or to generate hype on his own accounts. He spoke with BuckeyeGrove’s Kevin Noon for an exclusive one-on-one interview, and had nothing but positive things to say about his experience.

The reason why I included him in this piece, however, is because of what he and his father tweeted following their stay in the Buckeye State.

The younger Davis tweeted this on the day he arrived back home, “We had a great time in Columbus, might be back soon.” Someone responded with “O-H!” and Davis quote-tweeted the user by saying “I-O!”

Then, later that night, Rashad Davis Sr. tweeted, “Columbus Columbus Columbus Ohio, Wow. We enjoyed every bit of our first trip to Ohio. I can imagine how it would be without covid. A second trip before signing day” followed by the eyes-looking emoji.

Some of our subscribers have asked why I have not submitted a FutureCast yet on Davis’ page. This is mainly because while I favor Ohio State right now, I still think USC could win out with a last-minute surge.

If a return trip to Columbus transpires, however, I think most would agree OSU should be viewed as the prohibitive favorite here.

I really like where things stand between the Buckeyes and Davis with less than a week until he signs his LOI, and we’ll have another update on him for this week’s Skull Session.

2. Jantzen Dunn earns his fourth star

Some may view this as occurring too late, but Ohio State signee Jantzen Dunn has finally earned his fourth star.

The former South Warren High School defensive back had previously been a three-star despite being the second-ranked player in Kentucky. He got his much-deserved bump on Wednesday, and thanked Rivals on Twitter afterwards.

I evaluated Dunn’s skill set back in December, and I went on to say that he was one of the more underrated prospects in the nation. The 6-foot-2, 188-pounder has really good anticipation as a safety, is a solid tackler, and has experience as a pass catcher, so he understands what opposing wideouts want to do.

It would have been kind of unprecedented for Dunn to go from a three-star to in the Rivals250, but I would not have been surprised if that happened because he was underrated from previous rankings updates.

It’s unfortunate, however, that fellow future Buckeye Jaylen Johnson was not able to earn his fourth star as well. Johnson told me in response, “Hey, at least I’m a Buck.”

Every time I gathered statistics from Johnson, he was always approaching double-digit tackles and had multiple games with more than one pass breakup. He was also the catalyst of a La Salle defense that helped lead the Lancers deep into the playoffs this past season.

Going back over to Dunn, his father, Mitchell, told me this about his son’s first few days on campus.

“Everything is great,” Dunn said. “He is ready to get started.”

Good luck to Jantzen and all the other early enrollees as they adjust to their first semester of college.

3. New Buckeyes get their jersey numbers

Speaking of incoming members of Ohio State’s football program, we finally got some numbers for the team’s freshmen.

TreVeyon Henderson is set to wear #32. This is a significant number for Henderson as it is in honor of his late grandfather, who went by the nickname “Airplane.”

Fellow Virginia native Tyleik Williams will wear No. 91 as he looks to anchor down the interior of Ohio State’s defensive line.

In-state wide receiver Jayden Ballard will don the No. 10 jersey. This is the number that was worn by former Heisman Trophy Winner Troy Smith (as a Generation Z member and Florida native, yes, I did have to look this up.)

Jantzen Dunn, who is a fan of Kobe Bryant, will get the chance to wear No. 24 at the next level. I’m not sure whether or not he requested the jersey number specifically to honor Kobe, but he was definitely happy with getting it.

Four-star offensive lineman Zenuae Michalski will get the chance to wear No. 65 in college. This was recently worn by Pat Elflein, who won Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year in 2016.

Michalski will be blocking not only for Henderson in college, but also Rivals100 all-purpose back Evan Pryor. Pryor will wear No. 21, though he had also contemplated wearing No. 3, his number in high school.

Freshman signal caller Kyle McCord will get the chance to wear No. 12 at Ohio State. Buckeye fans associate this number with greatness as it was worn by Cardale Jones, who led the program to a national championship over half a decade ago.

Finally, we have Arizona native Denzel Burke set to take over the No. 26 jersey on defense at OSU. Another defensive back that wore this number was Ashton Youboty, who made First-Team All-Big Ten in 2005.

We’re looking forward to seeing these future Buckeyes cement their legacies in Columbus.

1. What is going to happen with J.T. Tuimoloau?

Usually, when I ask these questions in the “3-2-1” pieces, I can answer the questions to some extent.

With this section, however, this is a genuine question I have.

I’ve been covering recruiting for several years, and I have never seen a prospect keep his recruitment so close to the vest. Tuimoloau rarely conducts interviews and even when he does, he makes it a point not to reveal anything.

If a prospect is difficult to reach or does not want to do interviews, I would reach out to his family members. I have only been successful one time when doing so with Tuimoloau, and his uncle gave nothing away during our conversation.

Attempts to reach Tuimoloau recently have been unsuccessful, and there remains a number of questions.

When is he going to sign? Is he planning on taking any self-guided visits? Would he consider waiting to sign until the spring so he can take his officials?

These are all questions I wish I had answers to for our wonderful members, but I just don’t at this time.

Tuimoloau’s last tweet related to his recruitment was over a month ago when he unveiled his top five.

The programs in that top group are Alabama, Ohio State, Oregon, USC and Washington. Most see Tuimoloau as an OSU lean with Alabama second, but Oregon could be an appealing option if he wants to stay close to home.

Tuimoloau’s recruitment has been one of the most intriguing in recent memory. Not only does he rarely do interviews and doesn’t give away what he’s feeling to anybody, but there’s also barely any tape on him as a defensive end. There have also been limited evaluation opportunities of the No. 6 overall prospect in the 2021 cycle.

I’m sticking by my Buckeyes prediction for now, but I’m interested in seeing what Tuimoloau ultimately decides to do when it comes to the day he chooses to sign.

2. What does a quiet period mean for prospects?

On Wednesday, Yahoo Sports’ Pete Thamel sent out a fairly important tweet when it comes to what may transpire in the spring.

In his tweet, Thamel said that the world of recruiting should see an update “soon” in regards to the end of the dead period, which is set to end on April 15. This unprecedented time without on-campus or off-campus visits began back in mid-March as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Thamel would go on to say that a note sent to administrators included a recommendation for a quiet period, “depending on medical guidance.” If implemented, this quiet period would go from April 16 through June 30.

Some have asked what a quiet period is and how it differs from a dead period. This is the definition of it, per the NCAA’s own website:

“During a quiet period, a college coach may only have face-to-face contact with college-bound student-athletes or their parents on the college’s campus. A coach may not watch student-athletes compete (unless a competition occurs on the college’s campus) or visit their high schools.”

It’s important to mention that written and over-the-phone communication may continue during this time.

Thamel’s report would go on to note that the D1 Council will have an “action item” in a couple of months to determine whether coaches can go out recruiting in July. This is very important.

High school recruits, especially ones under the radar, rely on coaches being able to see them in person to land coveted offers. College staffs have done the best they can relying on Hudl and game film over these past 10 months, but it’s nothing close to what players get from being evaluated in person.

Even a quiet period would be huge for prospects, mainly those in the 2022 class. It could also be very important for Tuimoloau, who could opt to wait to sign after he’s visited all the programs in his top five.

I think I speak for recruits, coaches and analysts across the country when I say I am ready for the dead period to finally be over.

I usually dread this section because I want to indeed make a prediction I believe will come true, but I also want to make sure it lives up to the the title that is, “Bold Prediction.”

So, while I’m not saying this will definitively happen, I just get the feeling Elias Ricks will be entering the NCAA Transfer Portal any day now. If that happens, Ohio State will almost certainly be the school he winds up at.

I'm not connected to Ricks' camp or Ricks himself, but I'm just reading the tea leaves here.

For one, there have been numerous rumors recently, yet Ricks has yet to deny any of them. If there was not any truth about him considering entering the portal, then he would have come out on social media and put an end to the speculation.

For another, look at his social media. Unless you know beforehand he plays for LSU, you wouldn't be able to come to that conclusion based on his profiles.

His Twitter features an all-black profile picture with the words "Still Climbing..." in his bio, and Los Angeles, California, as his location. His Instagram's bio reads, "Almost over.." with the Los Angeles location as well.

This a young man who is definitely mulling over his options, and I think it's a matter of time before he hits the portal. If so, then Ohio State will be the heavy favorite for one of the more coveted portal entrees in recent memory.

Stay tuned to BuckeyeGrove.