Published Mar 30, 2021
Breaking down 2023 targets on offense that are in the new Rivals100
Joseph Hastings  •  DottingTheEyes
Recruiting Reporter

Earlier today, Rivals unveiled the first edition of the Rivals100 for the Class of 2023.

To no surprise, a boatload of prospects that Ohio State has offered thus far have been labeled as top-100 sophomores in the country.

In the piece below, BuckeyeGrove take a look at all of the offensive targets for the program that are now members of the Rivals100. Stay tuned later today for our breakdown of the defensive recruits that made this coveted list on Tuesday.

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Quarterback(s)

By signing Kyle McCord in December and adding the nation's top-ranked junior - Quinn Ewers - the month prior, Ohio State is able to be a little bit picky when it comes to quarterbacks.

So far in the 2023 cycle, the program has dished out just one offer to a player at the position: Malachi Nelson.

Ohio State actually gave Nelson the green light in November 2019, when he was still in his first year of high school. Nelson, who is one of just four five-star prospects in his class at this time, checks in as the second-ranked overall sophomore on our rankings service.

Nelson intends on getting out to Clemson and Oklahoma soon, and a trip to Columbus would be huge in the Buckeyes' pursuit of the top-ranked quarterback in the 2023 class.

Running Backs

All four of Ohio State's running back offers landed in the Rivals100 today.

Starting off with Young, the No. 27 overall sophomore in the nation recently told Chad Simmons that he intends on making the trek out to Columbus. He also said that running backs coach Tony Alford and him have been building a good relationship over the past couple of months.

Switching over to Treyaun Webb, the former Georgia Bulldogs commit included Ohio State in his top six after decommitting from UGA in January. The number of players that have, or will, become a Buckeye -- such as Jaheim Singletary, Shaun Wade and Tyreke Johnson -- is playing an important role in Webb's consideration of the program.

Moving over from Florida to Georgia, Peach State prospect Justice Haynes reeled in an offer from the Buckeyes last month, and actually goes to the same school Steele Chambers attended. Haynes, who checks in at No. 78 in the new rankings, is also impressed with the number of running backs the team produces into the NFL.

Another RB target that made the Rivals100 today is Tre Wisner, who also was offered by tOSU in February. Wisner has referred to them as "a dream school," and says he's been communicating recently with both Alford and Ryan Day.

Wide Receivers

Two of Ohio State's 2023 wide receiver offers have been labeled by Rivals as top-eight overall prospects in their class.

Starting with Brandon Inniss, the five-star pass catcher saw the Buckeyes dip into his recruitment several weeks ago. He referred to them as a "powerhouse" during our most recent interview, and praised them for the amount of wide receivers they put into the NFL.

Inniss also likes the way Ohio State moves their wide receivers inside and outside, which would fit well with his skill set. You can read our full conversation from last month HERE.

Hale is another recent offer for Day and Company as he received the good news from the program on Feb. 23. The 6-foot-3, 175-pounder definitely looked the part when I saw him in Texas just over a couple of weeks ago, and was one of the top wideouts that participated in the UA Camp in Dallas.

If he teamed up with the Buckeyes at the next level, then Hale believes he could be a key contributor in their offense.

“I think I’d help,” Hale previously told BuckeyeGrove. “I’m a good deep threat. We got some good slots. I know they move their receivers around a lot. I’d help the offense out a lot.”

Another wide receiver offer that landed in the Rivals100 is Joenel Aguero, who was offered by the program last summer. The IMG Academy prospect is impressed with Ohio State's success on the field and in the classroom, and has taken a liking to how they utilize their wideouts.

Aguero is likely to play on offense at the next level, but he hasn't ruled out the possibility of playing on the other side of the ball.

Tight Ends

Even with a pair of tight ends committed in this current cycle, the Buckeyes appear to be potentially willing to take on another couple of players at the position in two years.

Thus far, the program has extended offers to a handful of tight ends that are members of the 2023 class. All of them check in as top-100 prospects on our network.

Luke Hasz, who is the second-ranked TE behind Jaden Greathouse, is a recent recipient of an offer from Ohio State as they did not join the mix until March 16. We are hoping to speak with Hasz soon, but the in-state duo of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State have made a good impression early on with him.

Only three Minnesota-based prospects during the Rivals.com era have ever signed with the Buckeyes, but the program is taking their shot with Jaxon Howard. Howard was offered to start off March, and told us that he "started shaking" after hearing the news from Kevin Wilson.

It's important to note that Howard is being recruited by Ohio State as a tight end right now, but the possibility of playing along the defensive line has not been ruled out.

Going over to Ty Lockwood, the No. 96 overall sophomore prospect was offered back in February, and praised the tradition and culture that has been established in Columbus.

Lockwood also took notice of Jeremy Ruckert's production toward the end of last season, and envisions himself being over to take on that role with the Buckeyes.

Finally, the last two prospects we'll mention here are Duce Robinson and Mac Markway. Not much is known about Robinson at this time, but it's worth pointing out that one of Markway's former teammates is actually 2021 Ohio State signee Jakailin Johnson, and the Buckeyes do fairly well when recruiting in the St. Louis area.

Offensive Linemen

A handful of 2023 offensive linemen in possession of offers from Ohio State are newly minted Rivals100 prospects.

One of those is Kadyn Proctor, a coveted target out of Iowa. The connection for the Buckeyes here is that Proctor attends Southeast Polk High School, the same school that Rivals100 safety Xavier Nwankpa goes to.

Day and the rest of his staff would get a huge boost in their pursuit of Proctor if Nwankpa winds up signing with the program.

Ohio State is more than capable of having success in the Northeast, and threw their hat in the ring for one of the best sophomores in the region back in December by offering Chase Bisontis. Bisontis says he was "speechless" after being offered a few months ago, and likes the way the program develops players during their three-to-five tenure with the school.

Heading down to the Sunshine State, TJ Shanahan was one of the first sophomores Ohio State decided to offer back in the summer. Shanahan, the No. 50 overall prospect in the 2023 class, actually camped at the school a couple of years ago, and a return visit to Columbus sometime after the dead period is over is expected.

Payton Kirkland, a product of Orlando (Florida), currently has the Buckeyes in his top five, along with Florida, Florida State, Oklahoma and Texas A&M. Interestingly enough, Kirkland is from Chicago, so one has to wonder if a return to the Midwest would be appealing to him.

Finally, we'll highlight Alex Birchmeier, who is tabbed as the No. 61 overall player in his class. It was reported a couple of weeks ago that Birchmeier may end up visiting Columbus in June, though nothing is set in stone.

Birchmeier is yet another top o-lineman target from Virginia that Ohio State is pursuing, so we'll see if they are able to capitalize on Birchmeier.

Stay tuned to BuckeyeGrove.