3-2-1: Some good news

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 and basketball 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 for the 2022 cycle.

Some of the topics below include a discussion on the Buckeyes' pursuit of a priority defensive tackle target, a 2022 five-star who has Ohio State in his top 10 and a look at the basketball program's recruiting efforts.

1. A Rivals analyst believes Ohio State still leads for Tywone Malone

Back in early April, Rivals recruiting analyst Adam Friedman released a "Ranking the Contenders" edition for elite defensive tackle Tywone Malone.

On Wednesday, Friedman published an updated version called "Re-Ranking the Contenders" as a couple of other programs have been able to enter the mix.

The one similarity between both of these pieces?

Ohio State continues to be the favorite for the fourth-ranked DT in the country.

As Dave Lackford noted in a previous "Skull Session," it appears as if baseball is going to be an important factor for Malone in his decision. Friedman mentioned this in his article as well, and says the Rivals100 prospect is laser-focused on taking visits before a commitment is announced.

The Buckeyes are seemingly the school to beat here, but Malone is still in the process of collecting information about what they would provide for him in the diamond.

"Ohio State has been one of the schools that Malone has developed a great relationship with, and learning under defensive line coach Larry Johnson is a very intriguing option," Freidman wrote. "The Buckeyes have an outstanding defensive line class already and adding Malone to the group would be a huge win.

"Learning more about the baseball team is something that Malone is interested in doing and that could be what ends up determining whether or not Malone is in this class."

Following Ohio State for Malone's services, according to Friedman, are Texas A&M, then Ole Miss, then Rutgers. Newcomers Florida State and USC, which have not yet hosted him for a visit, hold the No. 5 and No. 6 spots, respectively.

We know that baseball is a sport he wants to play in college, and Malone could potentially explore pursuing it as a career. This dinger he hit this week was impressive, so he definitely has some pop in his bat.

I've argued that football is probably the better option professionally because you don't have to go through the grind of the minor leagues, but Malone and his family could decide that a less contact-heavy sport with a fully guaranteed salary at the major league level is more worth it.

If Malone was primarily focused on football, I would have already put in a FutureCast for him to Ohio State, but Greg Beals and his program will most likely play a key role in this recruitment.

2. Emeka Egbuka is a high priority for Kyle McCord

Ohio State signal caller pledge Kyle McCord showed out at the Elite 11 Finals last week, with his Pro Day performance being the highest rated of any player at the event.

On top of slinging the pigskin, McCord also took time to speak with Dave while he was in Nashville. The borderline five-star prospect opened up about his relationships with Buckeye quarterback Justin Fields and future Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy, as well as the players he's recruiting on behalf of the program.

To no one's surprise, McCord revealed that he is heavily pursuing five-star pass catcher Emeka Egbuka. Egbuka, who hails from Steilacoom, Washington, is the top-ranked wide receiver in this class, and is the No. 11 overall prospect in the 2021 cycle.

McCord committed to Ryan Day's staff near the end of his sophomore campaign back in April 2019, and has made it a point to recruit Egbuka heavily from that point forward.

During the interview, McCord said he believes Ohio State is in a "good position to get him." McCord also brought up a rumor that Egbuka would be committing by the end of the summer, but that rumor did not originate from the West Coast target.

If this does come to fruition and Egbuka opts to announce a decision in a few weeks, I would give Ohio State the edge over Clemson, Oklahoma and Washington.

McCord also mentioned that he's spoken with Rivals250 offensive lineman Jager Burton, and says Kentucky is their biggest competition right now.

This interview was definitely encouraging for Buckeye fans as you always look to your quarterback pledge to be the leader of a class. McCord, along with TreVeyon Henderson, is doing an excellent job of recruiting for Ohio State and trying to get other star players to join them.

3. 2022 five-star prospect has the Buckeyes in his top 10

Over three dozen programs have offered five-star defensive back Domani Jackson thus far in his recruiting process.

That's, to say the least, a lot of options to consider as an incoming junior.

With so many schools having given him the green light, Jackson made an early cut to his impressive offer sheet as he released his top 10 on the Fourth of July.

The ones that landed on the list were Alabama, Arizona State, Clemson, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Texas and USC. Rivals national recruiting analyst Adam Gorney caught up with Jackson, who provided a quick breakdown as to why each college made the cut.

As for what led to the Buckeyes being in the mix, Jackson cited their history of producing defensive backs. He also referred to Ohio State as a "really good school."

A comment that one of our subscribers pointed out was that Jackson labeled Michigan as his dream school, and that they're always going to be "up there" in his recruitment.

I went back on Jackson's profile, and actually found an interesting remark Jackson made when discussing the Wolverines. The product out of Mater Dei High School said over a year ago that although Michigan is his dream school, the Buckeyes are a very appealing option for him as well.

"Ohio State is also up there with Michigan," Jackson previously told Rivals. "My whole family is from Youngstown and the Niles area so they would love if I played there."

With well over a year left until he will sign his Letter of Intent, every program in Jackson's top 10 appears to have an equal chance at landing him for the time being.

1. What should we make of Ohio State being in Noah Josey's top five?

We know that Jager Burton is Greg Studrawa's top remaining interior offensive lineman target in this class.

No doubt about that.

Burton, however, is far away from being a guarantee for the Buckeyes as the other programs in his top seven are Alabama, Clemson, Kentucky, Oregon, Penn State and Texas. It's safe to say that this will be tough competition for Ohio State, especially with them having to go up against the in-state Wildcats.

If Burton winds up choosing Kentucky, decides to team up with childhood friend Walker Parks at Clemson or picks any of the other schools listed above not named Ohio State, then the Buckeyes could explore some backup options.

One of those players they may choose to start recruiting intensely is fellow Rivals250 guard Noah Josey. The product out of Brentwood, Tennessee, checks in as the ninth-ranked player at his position in this cycle.

Dave actually had an opportunity to catch up with Josey last week during a camp run by trainer Daryl Graham. In the video interview, Josey says he currently has a top five that features Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Ohio State and Stanford.

Josey speaks the most with Stanford, which is interesting as the school has yet to dish out an offer to him. He also mentioned that the Crimson Tide are pushing for him the second hardest.

When opening up about Ohio State, Josey says the staff has been in touch with him since he visited the school in July 2019, which is when they extended an offer to him. Studrawa and Tony Alford, his area recruiter, are the primary coaches he speaks with from the Buckeyes.

This appears to be a situation where the Buckeyes could possibly explore picking up their pursuit of Josey if they strike out on Burton. He's definitely someone of interest for the program, but Burton is arguably one of their top five overall targets in this class.

2. Does Chris Holtmann's staff have a chance with Rivals150 guard Kobe Bufkin?

Just over a couple of weeks ago, head basketball coach Chris Holtmann and his staff delivered an offer to four-star prospect Kobe Bufkin, one of the premier shooting guards in the 2021 cycle.

On Tuesday, Bufkin put the Buckeyes in his top five, along with DePaul, LSU, Michigan and Michigan State. The No. 61 overall player in his class also announced that he is slated to be committing tomorrow.

On the surface, the timing here appeared to be in Ohio State' favor, but it's looking like Bufkin is heading to another program in the Big 10. A wave of FutureCast predictions had been submitted in favor of the Wolverines starting on Sunday, and it would be a shocker if the Michigan-based prospect picks any other program tomorrow.

While Bufkin may be off the table following Friday's announcement, the Buckeyes are still in pursuit of several players residing in the Rivals150.

Ohio State is a contender for top-35 recruit Malaki Branham, who is from Columbus. Branham is also giving a strong look at Alabama, Louisville and Xavier. Dallan "Deebo" Coleman, a recent offer for the Buckeyes, listed the program as one of eight schools he speaks with the most.

They also recently cracked the top schools lists for priority center targets Chet Holmgren and Charles Bediako.

I was also told a month ago that Holtmann's staff is pursuing Efton Reid, Jalen Warley, Jordan Longino, Mason Miller, Max Christie and Trevor Keels. Keels, however, informed me in mid-June that Ohio State isn't recruiting him anymore.

As of right now, Holtmann's current class features Kalen Eztler and Meechie Johnson. Based off what I've been told and their recent offers, it looks like the Buckeyes are hoping to add a center and a shooting guard before it's all said and done.

Ohio State will secure a commitment from Dasan McCullough

Shortly before I was about to publish this article, I stumbled upon the following tweet by top-100 overall rising junior Dasan McCullough. McCullough had directed the tweet toward 2022 Ohio State pledge C.J. Hicks.

There was some buzz last month that McCullough may end up committing to the Buckeyes, but that never transpired. Given his versatility and how coveted of a prospect he is, there is no doubt in my mind that he would be a take for the staff right now if he wants in.

I was told a couple of weeks ago that Ohio State is feeling good about where things stand with McCullough at this time. Even though McCullough recently told me he's not close to making a decision as he just released a top 10, I don't believe he sent out the tweet above as a troll effort.

McCullough is from Ohio, has a strong relationship with the coaching staff and has a business-first approach in his recruitment. Whether it's later this week or in a few months, I view the Buckeyes as the ones to beat for McCullough, and my prediction is that he will end up in this class.

Stay tuned to BuckeyeGrove.