Ohio State Buckeyes: Area players among earliest recruits to visit

One was of Hicks in a defensive stance with the message, “Love being back” and the hashtags “#Blessed” and “#GoBuckeyes.”

The second was of Hicks standing, arms crossed, with fellow 2022 linebacker recruit Gabe Powers of Marysville. They flanked Al Washington, their future position coach, in a scene that seemed straight out of, well, the year 2019.

Such photos of proof a player was on campus had become common accoutrements of a recruiting visit over the past few years, but they had not been possible since late last winter when the NCAA began forbidding in-person contact between prospective players and coaches with the novel coronavirus spreading throughout the country.

Even putting two or three people from different households in the same room — particularly without masks — was considered a no-no for many months, leaving players isolated from each other and recruiting relegated mostly to video chats.

Hicks’ pictures offered another reminder things are getting closer to back to the way they were.

So, too, is Ohio State hosting lots of talented football players on its campus during the summer.

Hicks traveled to Columbus on the first day he could, and he is expected to be back soon.

This weekend, Ohio State is hosting numerous recruits for official and unofficial visits in hopes of solidifying the bond of the current commits and growing the class.

“My goal is not to pressure anybody who’s making a decision because nobody really likes having pressure when you’re making that big of a decision for the next four years of your life,” Hicks said last week. “I just tell them, ‘If you want to be great ‚if you want to play with the best of the best and win a national championship, come be a part of it and come be part of this class.’”

Hicks and Powers are scheduled to be part of the festivities along with fellow commits Jyaire Brown and Tegra Tshabola of Lakota West, Quinn Ewers of Southlake (Texas) Carroll, Caleb Burton of Austin (Texas) Lake Travis, Kyion Grayes of Chandler (Ariz.) High School, Benji Gosnell of Pilot Mountain (N.C.) East Surry, Bennett Christian of Acworth (Ga.) Allatoona and Kye Stokes of Seffner (Fla.) Armwood.

Wayne offensive tackle Aamil Wagner is among the big-name recruits scheduled to be part of what’s known as the Buckeye Bash, an event that began last year.

Also set to visit (according to 247Sports) are fellow offensive line prospects Zach Rice of Lynchburg, Va., and George Fitzpatrick of Englewood (Col.) Cherry Creek; defensive linemen Omari Abor of Duncanville, Texas, Khurtiss Perry of Montgomery, Ala., and Dominick James of Bradenton, Fla., and defensive backs Xavier Nwankpa of Altoona, Iowa; Zion Branch of Las Vegas, Nev., and Toriano Pride of St. Louis.

All in all, the visitors list includes eight of the top 100 recruits in the country and 14 of the top 183.

Ohio State director of player personnel Mark Pantoni acknowledged ahead of the lifting of the recruiting dead period the Buckeyes are in a race against time to get as many major prospects on campus as soon as possible — before they visit anywhere else, and before another dead period begins at the end of the month.

“We’re putting all our chips in the month of June because a lot of these guys we might not get back before the December signing period,” Pantoni said. “So that’s a long time to go, and that impression may lose a lot of its luster. And a lot of the top guys we’re going after right now, these next four weeks, they are going to be taking visits every weekend.

“So for a top guy who might be visiting this weekend and then maybe going on three more trips after, is that feeling of Ohio State still going to last? Because obviously the red carpet is going to be rolled out everywhere.”

Springfield defensive back Delian Bradley was also among the day one visitors at Ohio State.

He has a long list of offers and a busy summer ahead with the opportunity to see schools in person having been restored.

He told BuckeyeScoop.com he was able to work out for Ohio State defensive coordinator Kerry Coombs and defensive backs coach Matt Barnes.

“They said that I did great and that I look faster and stronger,” he told the site. “It was filmed so they’ll also be evaluating the film of the workout.”

The 6-foot, 185-pound safety is a three-star prospect entering summer but has an impressive offer list that already includes Cincinnati, Kentucky, Arizona State, Iowa State, Nebraska, Pittsburgh, Princeton, Harvard and Dartmouth as well as Miami (Ohio) and multiple other MAC schools.

He told BuckeyeScoop a trip east to see Penn, Pitt and Penn State is up next.