Ohio State Could Be on the Verge of a Defensive Recruiting Surge

There are plenty of good vibes emanating from the Woody Hayes Athletic Center following its most recent weekend of official visits.While Ohio State hasn’t landed any new commitments yet, the Buckeyes certainly appear to be expecting some soon following a weekend in which they hosted four five-star defensive prospects: defensive ends Dylan Stewart and Eddrick Houston, safety KJ Bolden and cornerback Kobe Black. Landing even one or two of those prospects would be a huge and much-needed boost for a 2024 recruiting class that currently includes only three defensive commits: linebackers Garrett Stover and Payton Pierce and safety Jaylen McClain.Several more marquee targets will be making their way to campus this weekend for Ohio State’s final official visit weekend of June, including in-state cornerbacks Bryce West and Aaron Scott Jr., five-star defensive tackle Justin Scott, California linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa and Glenville tight end Damarion Witten. The Buckeyes are facing real competition for all of them, with Michigan providing the stiffest competition for West and Scott, making this weekend just as important as last weekend for Ohio State to make a big impression on its visitors.We talk about all of that to start this week’s episode of Real Pod Wednesdays. We also talk about who’s stood out to us most during Ohio State’s high school football camps. Later in the show, we shift gears to discuss where Brice Sensabaugh could land in Thursday night’s NBA draft, who we voted for to be Ohio State’s Four Kings at quarterback and linebacker and Ohio State’s top athletes of 2022-23.The full rundown for this week’s episode: 0:28: Ohio State feels good about its chances with KJ Bolden, Dylan Stewart and Eddrick Houston 5:42: The perception that Ohio State has struggled in defensive recruiting is overblown 11:16: With Michigan lurking, Ohio State must impress Bryce West and Aaron Scott this weekend 13:58: Ohio State will be fine with losing Elias Rudolph if it lands Stewart and Houston 18:20: Ohio State must focus on landing best players possible, not who could end up at Michigan 21:15: Buckeyes must also impress Damarion Witten, Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa this weekend 25:20: Tavien St. Clair giving Ryan Montgomery real competition to be Ohio State’s 2025 quarterback 33:12: Devin Sanchez, Damarion Witten, Luka Gilbert, Will Griffin among camp standouts 41:11: Brice Sensabaugh’s NBA draft selection should strengthen Chris Holtmann’s recruiting pitch 45:18: Potential landing spots for Sensabaugh as a likely (but not a lock) first-round draft pick 51:48: Our picks for Ohio State’s four best quarterbacks and linebackers of all-time 1:03:53: Dan’s picks for Ohio State’s top athletes of the year and who Griffin would have ranked higher