(AP) – Ohio State hasn’t played in the Big Ten championship game in three years, but it remains the top recruiting program in the conference.
The Buckeyes on Wednesday signed five of six five-star recruits from Big Ten schools in the 247Sports Composite Rankings. That includes Jeremiah Smith, the No. 1 rookie in the nation. This class was ranked 4th in the nation.
Penn State (14th) and Michigan State (15th) are second and third in the Big Ten, respectively, among the conference’s 2023 teams.
Oregon State, one of four Pac-12 schools entering the league in 2024, will assemble the No. 6 class in the nation and No. 2 in the Big Ten.
leader of the pack
The Buckeyes acquired two five-star receivers, Smith from Hollywood, Fla., and Mylan Graham from New Haven, Conn., and Edric Houston from St. Louis, one of the nation’s top edge rushers. Smith announced his intention to sign with the Buckeyes during a noon press conference, but Ohio State did not receive his letter of intent until nine hours later.
Kyle McCord’s entry into the transfer portal drew attention to four-star quarterback Eyre Noland from Fairburn, Georgia. He could compete with Devin Brown and Lincoln Kienholtz for the starting spot if coach Ryan Day doesn’t go to the portal to find a transfer. Experienced signal caller.
best of the rest
Penn State, Michigan, Nebraska, Wisconsin and Purdue are ranked 2-6 among teams in the Big Ten in 2023 by 247Sports.
The Nittany Lions have acquired their No. 1 TE prospect in Luke Reynolds from Cheshire, Conn. Michigan lost four starting offensive linemen and signed four, led by Andrew Sprague, a 6-foot-8, 295-pound tackle from Kansas City, Missouri. The Wolverines also acquired four-star QB Jadyn Davis from Charlotte, North Carolina.
Nebraska coach Matt Rhule flipped No. 2 QB prospect Dylan Raiola from Georgia and homered No. 2 TE Carter Nelson from Ainsworth, Nebraska, in a big win. With Braylon Allen declaring for the draft, Wisconsin filled a big need by signing four-star running back Dillin Jones from Olney, Maryland. Purdue signed three four-star players, including QB Marcos Davila from Midland, Texas.
secretly
Iowa likes to call itself “Tight End U” And he will try to keep the tradition alive with four-star Gavin Hoffman from Overland Park, Kansas. …Minnesota halted Ohio State’s late run and signed a top-100 recruit in Minnesota Esko’s Koy Pelich. …New Michigan State coach Jonathan Smith has signed 18 high school players in five transfers. …Rutgers signed seven of its 23 recruits from Florida. … Maryland signed 21 players, Illinois 19, Indiana 16 and Northwestern 15.
star of the class
Smith committed to visit Ohio State a year ago and still accepted the visit, with Florida State and Miami making late bids to flip him. When Day was told during his signing day press conference that Smith had announced he would remain with the Buckeyes, he smiled and took an audible deep breath. The 6-foot-3, 198-pound Smith went undefeated at Chaminade-Madonna University Preparatory School, recording 90 catches for 1,389 yards and 19 touchdowns.
the biggest surprise
Raiola, the 247Sports Composite No. 6 overall prospect, has been considered Nebraska’s top recruit since signing national championship quarterback Tommy Frazier in 1992. Raiola previously committed to Ohio State and Georgia, but the Huskers picked up his signature after taking an official visit last weekend. . His father, Dominic Raiola, was an All-America center for the Huskers in 2000 and played professionally for 14 years with the Detroit Lions.