On top of landing three commitments in July already, Ohio State has made the next round of cuts for multiple targets over the past week.

The Buckeyes landed in the top nine for California-based prospect Hero Kanu last Friday, and made the top five for Rivals100 safety Zion Branch a day later. Last week also saw the program be labeled as one of seven finalists for 2023 recruits Mac Markway, Malachi Nelson and Mathias Barnwell.

And, just moments ago, Ryan Day’s program cracked the top three for Rivals250 offensive tackle Addison Nichols. Besides the Buckeyes, Nichols included the Tennessee Volunteers and the North Carolina Tar Heels on his list.

As indicated by his Rivals.com profile and the fact that there are no FutureCast predictions on it yet, no one truly seems to have a definitive idea as to where Nichols is heading at the next level. We’ve heard that Tennessee is an appealing option for him and that they could be the leader, but it does not appear to be by a huge margin.

Ohio State will thus have a chance to continue to make a strong push for Nichols, who could end up deciding before the start of his senior season. Fortunately for the staff, they got him on campus a month ago, when no other official visitors were in Columbus, to pitch everything the Buckeyes have to offer.

Nichols went on to tell BuckeyeGrove that the trip exceeded his expectations, with the one-on-one time with Day and Greg Studrawa being a highlight for him. The Norcross (Georgia) prospect actually spent a couple of mornings watching Studrawa coach up his position group, and tOSU’s o-line coach emphasized to Nichols that he could potentially play early if he chose Ohio State.

When asked after his visit what had led to the Buckeyes sticking out in his recruitment, Nichols had the following to say.

“For one, their academics are incredible,” Nichols previously told BuckeyeGrove. “They have the No. 1 living alumni base network in the country. It’s either the country or the world. That would really help me in the future being able to have those connections and that networking and having a good degree behind it.

“Also, I feel like the coaches and the staff can really develop me as a player and a young adult,” Nichols added. “Those are the biggest things for me.”

Despite landing George Fitzpatrick on Friday and having Tegra Tshabola already in the fold, Nichols absolutely remains a priority for the staff.

Ohio State is likely to take three tackles and a guard in this class, or a guard and a prospect who can play either position. Nichols certainly fits the bill for a true tackle that could anchor either side of the o-line.

With Tennessee feeling confident about Nichols, the Buckeyes likely have a better shot at landing Kam Dewberry at this time, especially if he commits sooner rather than later.

Nichols is still one to keep an eye on, however, as Ohio State has the following factors they can pitch to Nichols: A chance to contribute early on in his collegiate career, appealing opportunities off the field, and the fact that they’re arguably the closest of his finalists to winning a championship.

Stay tuned to BuckeyeGrove.