The Silver Bulletin’s Chief Recruiting Writer Carson MacRae reveals his latest thoughts on the 2025 Recruiting class for the Ohio State Buckeyes in this edition of Bullet Points. 

This 2025 recruiting class has certainly treated Ohio State well so far on the trail. The Buckeyes, of recent have landed commitments from the No.2 safety in the country in Faheem Delane, and the No.3 RB in the class in Cleveland’s own Bo Jackson. As we look to push through June and into the major official visiting months, we take a deeper dive into how I think this 2025 class is looking to shape up and round out.

Offensive Line

Let’s start with Ohio State’s biggest need in the class at the offensive line. The Buckeyes have overall in the past three cycles been very consistent in finishing with top-five classes, however, that’s due to some high-powered recruiting by the skilled position coaches in WR Coach Brian Hartline and DB Coach Tim Walton. With the Buckeyes struggling the past 3 cycles to land some blue-chip tackles, all eyes turn to Justin Frye and David Sanders Jr.

There are a ton of big targets left on the board for Ohio State but the tackle position is being pressed harder than any other right now. Sanders Jr. is currently eyeing a top three of Ohio State, Georgia, and Tennessee, and I currently have the Buckeyes as my leader. Sanders Jr. recently had a phenomenal visit last month to Columbus and something seemed to definitely click between Coach Frye and Sanders Jr. Call it intuition but I have the Buckeyes slightly ahead of the Dawgs at this time with Tennessee in the backseat riding third.

Wide Receivers

Although it’s never assumed at this point, it’s pretty well true when we say Brian Hartline is hand-picking who he wants across the country right now when it comes to WRs. At this point the Buckeyes are going to finish this class up with two out of three of Hartline’s top players left on the board Vernell Brown III, Dakorien Moore, and Jaime Ffrench. I know there’s been speculation and false reports that Ffrench was no longer a priority but that’s all they are, false reports. Hartline will get 2/3 not because he’s losing on the third but they’re simply planning to only take three receivers in this class and the current Buckeye commit De’Zie Jones is locked in. All I can say is Hartline loves his South Florida Express boys.

Defensive Backs

Ohio State landed the No.2 Safety in the country in Faheem Delane the other day but can they pull off the unthinkable and land the top two corners and top two safeties in the class? I say absolutely. I think Trey McNutt is probably one of the smartest kids in this cycle in terms of building his brand. He’s taking more visits not because he doesn’t know where he wants to go but because he’s building his NIL by making YouTube videos from each one of his visits in order to grow his national audience. It’s quite brilliant really! In terms of recruiting though, this kid grew up an Ohio State fan and dreamed of playing for the Scarlet and Gray like many from the Buckeye State and I realistically think it plays out exactly as you would expect.

https://x.com/faheemdelane/status/1799858966526366074

Running Backs

Here’s the interesting one at the RB position. If you didn’t know before, you sure do now. Ohio State RB Coach Carlos Locklyn can recruit and ‘WIN’ the battles. Bo Jackson was certainly leaning in Georgia’s direction until Jackson got to meet Coach Lock face to face and after a two-day visit that’s all it took to ‘lock’ down the in-state recruit. I’ve been told the Buckeyes are looking to take three RBs in this class and it’s no secret who the top two guys left on the board are in Mater Dei’s Jordon Davison, and St. Joseph’s Prep (Marvin Harrison Jr. Alma Mater) Isaiah West.

West committed to Kentucky before Coach Lock had the chance to go watch him. Once Lock watched him in person, he loved what he saw out of him. The original goal was two RBs until Lock got his sights on West and that’s when things changed. West would not have de-committed from the Wildcats had there not been a committable offer on the table for him from the Buckeye staff.

On the other side with Jordon Davison, it really is a two-headed race between Ohio State and Alabama. Luckily for Ohio State, Coach Lock has been recruiting Davison before ever getting to Columbus and the two have a long-time relationship from when he was at Oregon. This has only benefited the Buckeyes because even Davison has admitted his best relationship with a coach right now nationally is probably Carlos Locklyn. I think it’s probably the tightest of all recruitments right now but I do think the Buckeyes add West and Davison to the class.

For the negative side of it, I do think Ohio State is in a tough spot with Dorian Brew, even with his mom being a legacy Ohio State track star. I think in any other class Brew ends up a Buckeye but at this time I do think there’s an intimidation factor of having the two top corners in the class already locked in. The only way I currently see Brew in this class is if the Tide were able to flip Na’eem Offord which at this time right now, I DO NOT see happening.

This should ultimately end up being at the very least, the 2nd ranked class in the country and I still will take the Vegas odds of Ohio State finishing with the top class.