As always, it is a busy time for Ohio State recruiting. The Buckeyes currently lay claim to the No. 2 class in the country in 2025, mere percentage points behind Notre Dame (who, of note, has 21 commits to OSU’s 12, 10 of which are three-star prospects). That being said, while the groundwork has been laid for a potential top national class, there is lots of work still to be done.
Ohio State trending for four-star RB
One huge area of need for the coaching staff in this cycle is at running back, where Ohio State will lose both TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins to the NFL after this upcoming season. This would leave just two scholarship RBs remaining on the roster as of now in freshmen James Peoples and Sam Williams-Dixon. As a result, the Buckeyes will likely need to take two guys at the position and possibly even three in 2025.
Big names like Jordon Davison and Bo Jackson have stolen the show as players Ohio State has focused much of its energy on, but a new name at running back has recently entered the fray, and the Buckeyes are trending heavily for the former Kentucky commit.
Four-star running back Isaiah West de-committed from the Wildcats on May 13, and since then seemingly all the talk has been that he will end up taking his talents to Columbus. The 5-foot-11 ball-carrier out of St. Josephs Prep — the same school that recently produced both Marvin Harrison Jr. and Kyle McCord — has received a flurry of Crystal Ball predictions in favor of Ohio State in the last week, including from the likes of 247Sports OSU insider Bill Kurelic and On3’s Steve Wiltfong.
Here is what 247Sports’ Andrew Ivins had to say in his scouting report of West:
Muscled-up running back with a favorable blend of suddenness and power. […] Might lack a true top-end gear, but hits the gas with a heavy foot and is able to maximize yardage after contact. Could pick his lanes a little quicker, but will make dynamic cuts to evade tacklers near the line of scrimmage and then again at the second level. Tends to embrace his role in pass protection and is capable of moving the chains via swing and screen passes with his soft hands. Should be viewed as a potential impact player at the Power Four level that can shine near the goal line and convert third downs.
West is currently listed as the No. 11 RB and No. 204 player nationally by 247Sports’ rankings. Ranking No. 7 in the MaxPreps Top 25 in 2023, West ran for 861 yards and 10 TDs on a St. Josephs Prep team that went 13-1 and won the PIAA Class 6A state championship. The running back also took home MVP honors at the Under Armour camp in Baltimore this past spring.
Spring visit season
Elsewhere, Ohio State has been loading up on official visits being scheduled for this summer. The Buckeyes added another big name to the guest list over the weekend when 2025 Minnesota linebacker commit Emmanuel Karmo announced he would be making the trip to Columbus on June 14 for an OV.
Ohio State is one of four official visits scheduled for Karmo, as the linebacker will take in a trio of Big Ten schools outside his current pledge in Wisconsin, Nebraska and OSU in addition to Minnesota. With 18 offers to his name, Karmo, the top player out of Minnesota, committed to the in-state Golden Gophers in April. The Buckeyes originally offered back in January, a Karmo did visit Columbus in an unofficial capacity this April.
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Karmo currently ranks as the No. 36 LB and No. 341 player nationally per the 247Sports Composite. Ohio State is looking for a third linebacker in this class to join Tarvos Alford and Eli Lee, and guys like Karmo are on the list alongside Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng, Riley Pettijohn and others.
Karmo will certainly not be the only visitor for the Buckeyes on June 14, as that weekend is shaping up to be a big one. Also joining the rapidly growing guest list is 2025 four-star WR Phillip Bell.
Bell ranks as the No. 16 WR and No. 149 player nationally per the 247Sports Composite. The 6-foot-2 California native has a handful of official visits planned for the coming weeks, with the Buckeyes on the list in addition to Washington (May 31), Penn State (June 7), Tennessee (June 18) and USC (June 21). Bell caught 56 passes for 641 yards and seven TDs this past season for Mission Viejo, also playing basketball and running track at the school.
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Ohio State has just one wide receiver committed in its 2025 class thus far in De’Zie Jones, but position coach Brian Hartline is still chasing some big fish. Dakorien Moore, Jamie Ffrench and Vernell Brown likely lead the pack, the former two being five-star prospects, but Bell is another guy worth keeping an eye on as Hartline looks to continue adding more elite talent to one of the country’s best position groups several years running.
In addition to Bell and Karmo, Ohio State will also get official visits this summer from 2025 four-star DL Maxwell Roy (June 14) and 2025 three-star OL Andrew Stargel (June 7-9), the pair announced over the weekend.
Quick Hits
Ohio State QB commit Tavien St. Clair continues to rack up the accolades and rise up the recruiting boards. The Bellefontaine native won the Quarterback MVP at the Rivals Combine Series in Indianapolis this weekend. St. Clair is the No. 4 QB and No. 17 overall player in the 2025 class, per the 247Sports Composite.
“The four-star prospect was physically a standout with his 6-foot-4, 228-pound frame which lends into his fantastic arm strength,” said Marshall Levenson of Rivals. “St. Clair showed off his accuracy and ball placement often throughout his performance, both stationary in the pocket and on the move. The Ohio State commit throws a tight spiral and is well-timed in his dropback and release.”
