The Buckeyes have taken yet another important step in their pursuit of Rivals100 prospect Zion Branch.

A few minutes ago, the sixth-ranked safety on Rivals.com shaved down his top 11 to five finalists, with Ohio State making the cut. Joining Ryan Day’s program on this list were Alabama, Clemson, Oklahoma, and USC.

Some will argue that Ohio State has all the momentum in Branch’s recruitment right now. Six FutureCasts have been submitted in their favor over the past few weeks, with his official visit to Columbus the first weekend of June seemingly turning things in their favor.

While speaking with Rivals.com’s Woody Wommack last month at Future 50, the product of Las Vegas (Nevada) detailed his thoughts on that official.

"I've been wanting to go to Ohio for a minute just to visit the campus. I talk to the coaches a lot. And to finally go see it was amazing. ... When I got there, I fell in love with it, I loved it there," Branch previously said when breaking down that trip. "The players showed me around -- it was great. The coaching staff, we already have the relationship, and when we got there, it just kind of built off that.”

Ryan Young of TrojanSports recently caught up with Branch to talk about his recruitment as well. Branch, who isn’t expected to announce his decision until the Under Armour All-America Game in January, had the following to say when discussing his interest in the Buckeyes.

“I'm really high on Ohio State right now, too,” Branch said last week. “Their coaching staff's always reaching out to me, and they're definitely continuing to build a relationship with me. Even the players and stuff like that are continuing to reach out to me. Josh Proctor, Lejond Cavazos are always reaching out to see how I'm doing. So, that's really big for me too, like I said, to fit in those locker rooms. I really feel comfortable [with] them.”

Even though Ohio State would likely be the choice if Branch decided to commit today, his other options are making a strong impression here. Oklahoma’s presentation stood out to him and his family during their official last month, and two of the previous three national champions – Alabama (Nov. 5) and Clemson (Nov. 12) – will receive official visits from him in the fall.

USC is also viewed by some as the biggest threat to the Buckeyes’ chances with Branch. The Trojans hosted him on campus twice last year, ace recruiter Donte Williams is heavily prioritizing him, and they present the closest option to Branch’s home.

It’s no surprise to see that Ohio State made the cut today, but they will have their work cut out for them as they battle with Branch’s other finalists over the next few months.

Stay tuned to BuckeyeGrove.