
The Buckeyes’ spring game will take place this weekend and both fans and recruits alike are set to fill Ohio Stadium.
The Ohio State football team has a busy week on its hands. What may be the busiest weekend prior to the start of the regular season will take place in just a few days. Ohio State’s spring game is Saturday, and the team will be working hard in preparation for the massive offseason event. The Buckeyes are preparing to host a plethora of blue-chip prospects this weekend and may get some mid-week fireworks as well.
Ohio State Spring Game visitor list keeps growing
The Ohio State spring game creates the biggest recruiting event for Ohio State every offseason. With tens of thousands of fans in attendance and dozens of blue-chip prospects on the field, the atmosphere the weekend creates may be bigger than any other program can offer in April.
The Buckeyes do not end the weekend with a commitment every year, but even if they do not earn a pledge, they never walk away empty handed. Year in and year out this weekend is what pushes at least one recruit to realize Ohio State is the school for them to continue their football career.
Because of all of this, recruits have been lining up visits for the weekend for weeks now, and the visitor list continues to grow every day. Monday was no different as another group of impressive prospects announced they will be making the trip to Columbus this weekend. Below is just a handful of those recruits.
Four-star DL Nigel Smith
Class: 2024
Hometown: Melissa, TX / Melissa
Size: 6-foot-5, 260 pounds
Offers: Ohio State, Nebraska, Baylor, Notre Dame, Florida State, LSU, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas Tech, TCU, SMU, etc.
Columbus this weekend! #Buckeyes #BuckeyeNation
— Nigel Smith (@NigelSmith_25) April 11, 2022
Four-star LB Edwin Spillman
Class: 2024
Hometown: Nashville, TN / Lipscomb Academy
Size: 6-foot-2, 221 pounds
Offers: Ohio State, Michigan, Indiana, Georgia, Notre Dame, Tennessee, Arizona, Arizona State, etc.
Excited for Ohio State this weekend‼️ @OhioStateFB @ryandaytime @CoachJimKnowles @CoachTonyAlford @MattGuerrieri #BuckeyeNation #gobuckeyes
— Edwin Spillman (@ESpillman13) April 11, 2022
Three-star WR Bryson Rodgers
Class: 2023
Hometown: Zephyrhills, FL / Wiregrass Ranch
Size: 6-foot-2, 170 pounds
Offers: Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Oregon, Utah, West Virginia, Washington, etc.
BUCKEYE NATION! I’m coming back! I will be visiting The Ohio State University on april 15th, and be at the spring game on april 16th! ❤️ @brianhartline @CoachJordan82 #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/Szx2rEwFSn
— Iam_uno (@IBryson13) April 11, 2022
CB Dre Kirkpatrick Jr.
Class: 2024
Hometown: Gadsen, AL / Gadsen City
Size: 5-foot-11, 175 pounds
Offers: N/A
I’ll be at Ohio state Friday! ⚪️@OhioStateFB @ryandaytime @OhioState @Coach_Eliano @OSUCoachKDub @CoachJFrye @CoachTimWalton @Zack_Carp
— Dre Kirkpatrick jr (@KirkpatrickDre) April 11, 2022
OL Jake Cook
Class: 2025
Hometown: Westerville, OH / Westerville North
Size: 6-foot-4, 290 pounds
Offers: Akron, Miami
#BuckeyeNation Super pumped to be back at tOSU Saturday, April 16th to watch the Spring Game! #GoBucks @CoachJFrye @CoachSollenne @CoachGrantOSU @markpantoni @etwill21 @Bill_Kurelic pic.twitter.com/duEHiRHeua
— Jake Cook (@CookJake52) April 11, 2022
Two Ohio State targets set to commit today
Ohio State has a lot on its plate this weekend, but the program is also hoping for some mid-week fireworks. Both 2023 four-star running back Mark Fletcher and 2023 four-star quarterback Christopher Vizzina are set to announce their collegiate schools of choice later today.
Vizzina only just received his scholarship offer from the Buckeyes, making the team appear as on the outside-looking-in for his commitment. Additionally, the Clemson Tigers have long been projected to be the team to beat in his recruitment. While the Buckeyes are technically not out of the running yet, Fletcher will be the one to keep an eye of for Buckeye Nation.
Fletcher is one of the top RB’s in the 2023 class, and the Buckeyes have been in on his recruitment for a little longer, offering him in January of this year. Following up the offer, he took an unofficial visit to Ohio State on April 1.
The visit went as well as possible, and on April 8 he announced his commitment date and a top four schools of Ohio State, Miami, Michigan and Penn State. Ohio State seems to be the team to beat in this one, as the Buckeyes hold 90 percent of the six predictions cast in the 247Sports Crystal Ball. While this is no guarantee, the Buckeyes are looking to add another offensive weapon to the recruiting class.
BREAKING: Class of 2023 QB Christopher Vizzina will announce his Commitment on April 12th, he tells @On3Recruits
More Here (FREE): https://t.co/jMdIPPTDFd pic.twitter.com/Hu5mm8KqSV
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) April 10, 2022
There can only be 1..⏳ @Andrew_Ivins #forverhumble pic.twitter.com/GIa0i8bFpC
— MarkFletcherjr (@fletcherjr_mark) April 8, 2022
Ohio State four-star WR target high on Buckeyes
It is no secret that Ohio State coach Brian Hartline has revamped the Buckeyes’ wide receiver group both in the product on the field as well as the quality of recruits the program is bringing in. Hartline and the Buckeyes have consistently brought in groups of highly talented receivers since Hartline’s tenure at Ohio State began, and there is no reason to thing the end is anywhere in sight.
The Buckeyes brought in four signees at the position in the 2022 class, but has yet to receive a verbal commitment in the 2023 class. But this may not remain the case for long. This past weekend the Buckeyes played host to 2024 four-star WR target Rico Flores, and the visit seemed to go as well as possible as he went to Twitter Monday to say Ohio State will be “tough to beat.”
It’s going to be hard for anyone to top OSU @brianhartline @ryandaytime
— Rico Flores Jr (@lil_reek_) April 11, 2022
The weekend visit was his first to Ohio State after being offered by the Buckeyes in November of 2021, but it likely will not be his last. Flores already has an official visit to Notre Dame lined up for this summer, and it would come as a surprise if the Buckeyes do not receive one of the other four. Texas, Georgia and UCLA will likely receive the other three.
While Flores has not yet hinted at a commitment date, the Buckeyes are not just real contenders for his services, but may now be the team to beat when he is ready. He is the No. 26 WR in the class and is the No. 190 overall prospect. He is also the No. 13 recruit from the talent-rich state of Florida.