3-2-1: Five-Star University

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 what will transpire next week.

Some of the topics below include a discussion on Ohio State's success with five-star prospects, multiple juniors who could be close to deciding, an elite offensive lineman target having the Buckeyes in his top three, and much more.

1. Ohio State is locking down five-stars everywhere

This past weekend, we saw Ohio State land their third five-star commitment of the 2022 cycle. Jaheim Singletary, the No. 8 overall junior on Rivals, revealed on Saturday that he will be taking his talents to Columbus at the next level.

Along with Singletary being committed, the Buckeyes also hold verbal pledges from CJ Hicks and Quinn Ewers. Hicks is the 10th-ranked player on our rankings service, while Ewers sits at the No. 1 spot in the country.

What's impressive about adding Singletary and Ewers over these past few weeks is that each of them are in states that are hotbeds for talent, and local competition was definitely present.

To add Ewers, the Buckeyes had to beat out the in-state Texas Longhorns, which had previously held a commitment from the product out of Southlake, Texas. To add Singletary, Ohio State needed to win out against Clemson, Georgia and the nearby Florida Gators.

This is stellar work by Ryan Day and his staff as they added an elite quarterback prospect who will assist them in their recruiting efforts in the state. We already saw top-35 overall junior Caleb Burton join the fold less than a week after Ewers committed, and I would not be shocked if another player or two from the Lone Star State join them in Columbus at the next level.

I do not necessarily believe Singletary will carry that same type of weight as a cornerback, but his addition to the program is significant. Singletary is yet another talented prospect from Jacksonville, Florida, to team up with the Buckeyes over the past few years, and the program seems to be establishing a strong pipeline from the city to Columbus.

What's even more incredible is that Ohio State is a top contender for several other five-star prospects in this upcoming class. They are in a good position for Denver Harris, Domani Jackson, Kam Dewberry, Shawn Murphy, Walter Nolen, Will Johnson and Zach Rice so far.

I'm not saying they'll land each of the players mentioned above, but I would not be shocked if they can add three or four from this list before it's all said and done.

Part of being a national brand is successfully recruiting in areas that are traditionally dominated by in-state schools, such as Florida and Texas. Getting Ewers and Singletary on board shows everyone that Ohio State is a force to be reckoned with on the trail, and they are a legitimate option for top targets across the nation.

2. Will Johnson could be close to making his decision

Speaking of Johnson, the five-star cornerback out of Michigan could potentially be making his decision in the near future.

While talking with Rivals.com's Josh Helmholdt this week, Johnson told him that his decision will come "probably pretty soon." He's hoping to make the trek out to USC and potentially Oklahoma, and will then have a better idea of what he wants to do next in his recruitment.

Johnson currently has a top five that features the two schools above, along with Arizona State, Michigan and Ohio State. He's taken trips to each of these college's campuses.

When breaking down his trip to Columbus just under a month ago, the fourth-ranked cornerback on Rivals told me that he could see himself fitting in at the school. He said that it was essentially a one-day visit with his family, but it allowed them to eat lunch on campus and take a tour of Ohio State.

An interesting part of our conversation is that Johnson made it clear he is not a guarantee to wind up at any program. The in-state Michigan Wolverines have a trio of predictions in their favor, and his father, Deon, played at the school, but Johnson stated he isn't a shoo-in for any team.

While I have yet to submit a FutureCast here myself, I actually like where things stand between the Buckeyes and Johnson. The opportunity to play for a championship-contending team and to be developed by Kerry Coombs is appealing to him, and I would go as far as to say they're in the top-two of his unofficial pecking order.

You also can't mentioned Johnson without bringing up fellow five-star DB Domani Jackson. Both have talked about playing together in college, and they essentially have identical groups for their top schools.

Winning the championship on Monday could potentially go a long way toward Ohio State securing commitments from both of these prospects.

3. Another junior has the Buckeyes amongst his top schools

Amidst the jubilation I, along with a lot of people in the world, had for turning of the calendar to 2021, I missed another recruit that had Ohio State in his top schools group.

If you don't recall, nearly a handful of junior targets included the Buckeyes on their respective top schools lists back on New Year's Day. These were Dallan Hayden, Dillon Tatum, Mykel Williams and Xavier Nwankpa.

Another prospect who narrowed down his recruitment to a group of programs that features Ohio State is Tyler Booker. The four-star offensive lineman, who hails from IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, also has Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Jackson State LSU, Miami, Oregon, Penn State and Texas A&M in his final group.

Booker hauled in an offer from the Buckeyes back on Oct. 20, and has kept a close eye on how the football team has played this season. Here is what he had to say to Rivals.com's Adam Gorney when talking about Ohio State this week.

“It was very impressive,” Booker said. “Just to see how they played against Clemson. They only played six games prior and they not just beat them, they dominated Clemson. To see the offensive linemen, the type of game Trey Sermon had and the game against Northwestern, that’s very attractive to see.

“I love to run block. I have confidence in myself to run block every play. To see Ohio State run the ball that much is very attractive to me.”

Even though it initially appears as if the Buckeyes are at a distance disadvantage here, that's actually not the case. Columbus, Ohio, is actually one of the closest to Booker and his family in his recruitment as he is from New Haven, Connecticut. IMG Academy is essentially a boarding school for high schoolers looking to get a premier athletic experience, so there's no real allegiance to the Sunshine State for Booker.

There are higher targets on the board along the o-line, but Booker is definitely a name to pay attention to.

1. Where do things stand with Zach Rice?

As I noted in November after spending time with five-star offensive tackle Zach Rice, my parting thoughts from our conversation was that Ohio State is a top-three school for him.

He never told this to BuckeyeGrove during our time with him or in interviews he's conducted since then, but Rice confirmed this week what I initially suspected was true.

On Monday, the third-ranked tackle on Rivals told Hayes Fawcett that he has a top three, with Ohio State being in that mix. The other two schools rounding out his group are Notre Dame and North Carolina.

Rice did not delve into whether or not he has shut off communication from other colleges, but this is exceptional news for the Buckeyes. Notre Dame remains their top competitor, in my opinion, though the appeal of staying close to home and going to North Carolina could be weighing heavily on his mind.

If he chose to commit today, hypothetically, I would probably lean toward saying Ohio State would come out on top. I don't have enough to make a FutureCast just yet, but I just like how OSU is setting themselves up for success.

They had a successful endeavor in Virginia in the 2021 cycle by adding TreVeyon Henderson and Tyleik Williams, two guys who could assist them in their pursuit of Rice. The possibility of blocking for two top running backs in Henderson and Evan Pryor is also appealing for Rice.

Something else that should not be overlooked is that Ohio State has the seal of approval from Rice's mother, Mary. She told me back in November that the school is "top notch" when it comes to football and academics, and that her son receiving an offer from the Buckeyes was "truly a blessing."

As one of our members noted, Rice has a good relationship with fellow in-state offensive lineman Gunner Givens, a top-60 overall junior. In fact, when we had trouble reaching Givens during our trip, Rice offered to call him as the two of them know each other well.

With Ohio State figuring to be a top-two or top-three school for each of them, the potential for a package deal of Givens and Rice could be on the table.

One last note on Rice is that he recently mentioned he could commit any day. This is very interesting, especially with the Buckeyes potentially on the brink of their third championship this century.

If Ohio State wins on Monday and Rice feels he's ready to pull the trigger, it would not shock me if he decides to commit to the school, though that is just speculation.

Either way, the Buckeyes are pressing all the right buttons with Rice at this time, and we'll be closely monitoring his recruitment.

2. What are Ohio State's chances with Jalon Walker?

One player who is leaving the door open to commit soon is Rivals100 linebacker Jalon Walker.

This week, Walker spoke with Adam Friedman about his top six and where things stand in his recruiting process. You could read that full article HERE, but Walker did say that his recruitment is winding down and that a commitment could come sooner or later.

Walker also laid out why the Buckeyes are continuing to catch his attention and what his relationship is like with linebackers coach Al Washington.

“Them prioritizing me means a lot and it's truly a blessing," Walker said. "Coach Washington has been with me for a long time. I think Ohio State was my first big Big Ten offer before my recruitment blew up. He's been with me the whole time. Getting to meet him, his assistants, his coaching staff, and his family is like meeting a new family or trying to expand my family with his. He's a great coach and a great person overall."

The ninth-ranked outside LB on Rivals would go on to say that even though he's done plenty of FaceTimes and Zooms with the staff, he is looking to take his first-ever visit to Columbus before he commits.

To answer the question above, I would probably respond by saying Ohio State has a 20 percent chance to land Walker. He definitely is intrigued by the Buckeyes, but it is hard to pick against the Clemson Tigers in this one.

It also doesn't appear as if Ohio State's victory over the Tigers last Friday has affected Walker's consideration of Dabo Swinney's program either. North Carolina is in the mix here as well, but I'm going to lean toward Clemson until I hear any further.

I mentioned this in a post on Wednesday, but I'll say it again here for anyone that did not see it.

I have been told that Ohio State could be landing a commitment from a 2022 prospect as early as Tuesday. Since I am not in the business of ruining someone's moment, however, I will not reveal the name I heard about.

There is no commitment date set in place, but I'm expecting it to occur at some point next week. While I won't reveal the name of the prospect who is supposed to commit to the Buckeyes, I will indeed say that it is a player I have submitted a FutureCast for already.

We will have full coverage as soon as this happens so, as always, stay tuned to BuckeyeGrove.