Buckeyes add Burke to stellar 2021 class

Ohio State has struck again in the state of Arizona as the Buckeyes have landed the pledge of cornerback Denzel Burke earlier today. The 6-foot 180-pounder is a member of the Rivals250 as the nation's No. 141 player and is the fifth defensive back commitment in the class of 2021 for the Buckeyes.

Burke had recently cut his list down to five schools and picked the Buckeyes over Southern Cal, Colorado, Oregon and Washington.

Burke joins Jakalin Johnson, Devonta Smith and potentially Jantzen Dunn as cornerbacks in the current class for the Buckeyes. The Buckeyes will lose Shaun Wade and Marcus Williamson after this season and will only have five corners on the roster after the 2020 season with three in the class of 2020 with Cameron Martinez, Ryan Watts and Lejond Cavazos, so corner is an obvious position of need for Ohio State.

The Buckeyes are still pursuing Rivals100 cornerback Jaylin Davies and a visit will be important in that race once college football emerges from the NCAA-mandated dead period. This commitment of Burke does take one of those critical spots left in the Ohio State class but certainly does not close that door, but just may make a more difficult path with several other needs still on the board.

The Buckeyes now are sitting at 19 commits in the current class, a class that is expected to land in the 25-player range once everyone is signed and all of the dust settles.

Weill will have more on this breaking news later day.