Eric Boggs
Ohio State had a big weekend for their football team with a lot of important recruits on their official visit to the capitol city.
Quincy Porter, a top wide receiver for 2025, was supposed to make his decision on July 14th. But on Friday, he announced he would join Ohio State instead of Michigan and canceled his visit to Ann Arbor.
The Buckeyes had good news for the past two weekends, getting commitments from Bo Jackson and Faheem Delane following their official visits. Three star running back Isaiah West continued the trend, making it official at the conclusion of his visit that he plans on attending Ohio State in 2025.
West was joined by eight other recruits who were uncommitted. That list included four-star offensive tackle Josh Petty, four-star offensive tackle Micah Debose, four-star defensive end Mariyon Dye, four-star defensive tackle Maxwell Roy four-star linebacker Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng, four-star cornerback Brandon Finney, four-star safety Messiah Delhomme, and four-star wide receiver Phillip Bell. They were joined by both four-star offensive tackle Carter Lowe and four-star defensive end London Merritt, both of which had previously committed to Ohio State but were also on their official visits.
The next two weeks will be crucial for offensive line coach Justin Frye. Top offensive tackles Josh Petty and Micah Debose came to campus. Ohio State believes they had a better chance with Debose because he grew up in Cleveland.
With Quincy Porter joining as a wide receiver, Ohio State has two more spots open for that position. This made Phillip Bell’s visit from California very important. The spots could fill up quickly as it sounds like Phillip’s loved his time on campus.
Two defensive linemen, Mariyon Dye and Maxwell Roy, visited Ohio State on Friday. Roy, a teammate of Isaiah West, was more likely to choose Michigan, while Dye had a better chance of joining Ohio State. No word yet as to whether or not that prediction remains true.
Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng was the only linebacker visiting this weekend. Coaches Jim Knowles and James Laurinaitis focused on him. Owusu-Boateng recently visited Notre Dame, where his older brother, a Cleveland Browns player, went to school. Ohio State needed to make a strong impression and it sounds like they did just that.
Cornerback Brandon Finney and safety Messiah Delhomme also visited. Finney got an offer from Tim Walton a month ago and took it seriously. Ohio State’s main target for cornerback, Dorian Brew is scheduled to visit next weekend. Delhomme might be the fourth and last safety in the 2025 class if they can’t get top priority Trey McNutt, who might decide later in the fall. Ohio State needs to decide if they should push for Delhomme now or wait for McNutt.
