Ohio State to welcome a boatload of prospects on campus on Tuesday

Today marks yet another busy day for Ohio State's staff when it comes to welcoming prospects on campus for visits.

Along with rolling out the red carpet to official visitors Terrance Brooks and Tyler Booker yesterday, the Buckeyes have several priority underclassmen taking unofficials on Tuesday. They are also currently playing host to one of their top defensive lineman targets in the 2022 class.

Check out BuckeyeGrove's story on the confirmed visitors that will be in Columbus today.

A reason why we sometimes hold off on publishing these types of pieces too early is so we can see if a surprise visitor or two shows up.

Well, that was the case today as we can confirm that borderline five-star defensive end Brenan Vernon is currently on campus and is camping today.

Vernon is one of the top rising juniors on Ohio State's radar, regardless of position, and is seen by some as a must-get in the 2023 class. The 6-foot-5, 250-pounder has previously praised Larry Johnson for being a guru, so we'll see what he says after getting to work with him one-on-one.

We can also confirm that fellow in-state target Luke Montgomery is on campus. If you recall, Montgomery also made the short trip to Ohio State earlier this month as he visited the school on June 1.

Montgomery has high interest in the Buckeyes, and I am in the mindset that he could end up joining their class before the year is over.

Another late addition to this list is priority 2022 defensive end Caden Curry.

Curry is taking an unofficial visit to Ohio State today, and has made an appearance at the camp. Kevin Noon says that the product of Greenwood (Indiana) was being led around by some staff members, so it's unknown if he will be working out in front of Johnson.

Either way, getting Curry on campus prior to him presumably taking an official visit to Ohio State is great news for Ryan Day and his staff.

One of the biggest names stepping foot on campus today will be Malik Bryant. Bryant, the No. 18 overall prospect in the 2023 class, is set to take a two-day visit to Columbus.

Bryant has previously referred to Ohio State as one of his top options, so we will see if they can impress him during his first-ever trip to the school.

Another highly coveted recruit from IMG Academy who will be heading up to Ohio State today is Carnell Tate. If you recall, the Buckeyes played host to Tate for a two-day visit earlier this month.

With Tate being a native of the Midwest, tOSU being his dream school, and the fact that he's returning for the second time in June, Tate could be on commit watch soon.

Continuing the trend of IMG Academy recruits visiting Columbus, four-star defensive end Justin Benton is supposed to be in town today. We use the word "supposed" as he said this trip was set up all the way back in late May, but there's always a chance his plans may have changed.

Benton is a Georgia Bulldogs legacy, but has previously stated that he's open to all of the options in his recruitment.

As is the case with Bryant, Kirkland is expected to be in Columbus for a multi-day visit starting on Tuesday.

We spoke with Kirkland during our Southern Swing trip a couple of months ago, and it's apparent that the Buckeyes are piquing his interest early on. Kirkland praised Ohio State for their development of offensive linemen, how well they are recruiting on the trail, and said that most of his family grew up as fans of the football team.

The Rivals100 o-lineman is likely to take a patient approach in his recruiting process, but expect for Ryan Day's program to remain a strong contender throughout this one.

The Sunshine State prospects continue to pour in as we can also confirm Derrick LeBlanc is back on campus. The top-40 overall rising junior previously made his way up to Ohio State from June 4-6, so this return is positive news for the Buckeyes.

When exchanging messages with LeBlanc on his previous trip, he told me, "I LOVE IT." He said that everything about the visit was amazing and that he spent a lot of time around Johnson, so I think Ohio State is making a strong surge in his recruitment.

A pair of talented defensive backs from the Peach State are gearing up for their first-ever visits to Ohio State.

Starting with Downs, the No. 81 overall rising junior on Rivals.com told us recently that his interest in the Buckeyes is "very high." Downs says he is in contact with the coaching staff at least once per week, and that their development of players in the secondary is appealing to him.

Nation echoed some of those same sentiments when talking about the school as he said that he has "pretty high" interest in Ohio State. The four-star prospect speaks regularly with Kerry Coombs, and has been in touch with 2021 signee Jordan Hancock as well.

A trio of Rivals100 prospects currently without an offer from Ohio State will be making the trek to the school today.

Starting with Ausberry, the Louisiana-based linebacker told us last month that he is in touch with Al Washington on a daily basis. Ausberry even went as far as to say that an offer from the Buckeyes would put them "really high" in his recruitment.

Based on the mutual interest between him and Ohio State, I would not be surprised if Ausberry lands an offer from the program today.

As for Fleming and Robinson, we have not caught up with the pair of Rivals100 prospects just yet. Based on their rankings and the offers they are armed with, however, they could also be a couple of recruits to pay attention to in terms of potentially getting the green light from the Buckeyes.