ACWORTH, Georgia — While Ohio State’s football program did land a commitment from offensive lineman Zenuae Michalski back on Oct. 3, it’s been nearly two months since they’ve added a prospect to their 2022 class.
The last junior recruit to team up with the Buckeyes was Bennett Christian, a top-15 tight end who hails from the Peach State. Christian had been contemplating the possibility of playing at Penn State or Tennessee as well, but ultimately wound up picking Ohio State on the first day of September.
His decision to choose Ryan Day’s program occurred just over eight weeks ago, though the coaching staff is continuing to speak with him as if he is an uncommitted target. In the one-on-one video interview at the top of the page, Christian spoke with BuckeyeGrove about his bond with tight ends coach Kevin Wilson and Day himself.
“I think my relationship with coach Kevin Wilson and coach Ryan Day has been absolutely amazing so far,” Christian said. “Talking almost every day with all those coaches up there. Once you commit, the relationship isn’t over; you keep building it and try to get other guys to join the class. I think so far, it’s been amazing.
“They’re by far the best coaches I’ve talked to. Always checking up on me and how my family is, my grades, all that stuff. So, really just caring about me as a person, not only as a player. So, really just looking forward to getting up there and playing under those guys.”
I’ve heard and read of situations where a prospect commits to a program, and the staff members don’t stay in contact with them nearly as much as they did prior to their decision. For Christian, however, that is not the case.
What does it mean for the product out of Allatoona High School to still be contacted by his future coaches every day?
“It really just shows what kind of guys they are,” Christian replied. “They could easily just say, ‘Hey, we’re done with him. Let’s go work on the next guy.’ But, no, they work on me just as hard as they do other guys. I use myself, my platform to try to get other guys to come join the program, too. We have something coming up real soon for the Class of 2022. It’s going to be awesome. Looking forward to that.”
In that last sentence, Christian teased that something big is on the horizon for Buckeye Nation when it comes to 2022 recruiting.
Over the past week on Twitter, we’ve seen Christian, as well as fellow pledges CJ Hicks and Dasan McCullough, tweet about significant news that should be on the way soon. If you look on the right side of this article, you will also notice that FutureCast predictions for several Ohio State targets have been submitted as well.
Christian did not reveal any names when asked what’s in store for the Buckeyes, but did say he believes the program closes out next year’s cycle with the top class in the nation.
“So, I don’t want to give too much away and ruin it for those guys,” Christian said. “But I will say that it’s going to be probably the most biggest recruiting expedition type of thing in history. It’s going to be huge. Multiple guys, not just one. It’s going to be really awesome. We’re all looking forward to it. It’s going to be one of the best classes… the No. 1 class by the time we’re done.”
One of the players near the top of Christian’s personal wish list is Benji Gosnell, a Rivals250 tight end out of North Carolina. Gosnell has been trending toward Florida recently, but Christian believes there is still strong interest in the Buckeyes.
“Me and Benji, over this time, have become like best friends, almost,” Christian said of Gosnell. “We talk all the time, FaceTime. We do everything virtually as we can. I’m really excited to meet Benji. I think he’s really digging Ohio State, and Benji, if you’re watching this, go Bucks. I know you want to be one.”
As for when Christian and Gosnell will be able to meet each other, that opportunity could present itself in a few months.
Christian noted that his future teammates have talked about the possibility of doing a version of the Buckeye Bash for the 2022 commits and targets. Nothing is set in stone yet, but that event could occur this upcoming January.
Whether it will be in person for that commit-organized event next year or through text, Christian has a message for any recruit considering Ohio State.
“If you want to win national championships, this is the place to come,” Christian said of his pitch. “As you can see, these recruiting classes are going to be amazing, and you’re going to play for the best coaches in America. This is the best place to be. The motto, ‘BIA,’ really is true. It’s the best in America. Best academics. Best everything.
“You’re going to love it there. It’s an awesome atmosphere. It’s a family brotherhood atmosphere. Everybody should join it. It’s awesome.”
Christian’s argument for Ohio State being ‘BIA’ was strengthened this past Saturday when the program handled Nebraska 52-17 in their season opener. Justin Fields and his wide receivers stole the show with how easily their passing attack looked, but the 6-foot-6, 235-pounder paid close attention to their tight end group as well.
While their tandem of Jeremy Ruckert and Luke Farrell only combined for two receptions for 11 yards against the Cornhuskers, it was what they did besides catching the ball that caught his attention.
“It was awesome man,” Christian said of the Buckeyes’ win. “They were physically dominant on the field. You can tell they’ve got a lot of aggression built up from wanting to play so much, so that really showed on the field. I think Jeremy Ruckert and Luke Farrell played amazing games, really good football. A few plays where Ruckert pulled around and absolutely killed people.
“It was awesome to watch. It got my dad, my family really excited. It was really good. I’m excited to watch them play Penn State on Saturday.”
Stay tuned to BuckeyeGrove.
