Ohio State has learned the commitment dates for one of its more sought-after 2025 prospects.
Mission Viejo, Calif., four-star wide receiver Philip Bell, the nation’s 17th-best wideout and 171st-best overall player, will choose between Georgia, Ohio State, Washington and USC on Aug. 31, the same day the Buckeyes open their highly anticipated 2024 season at home against Akron.
“My mind is made up,” Bell told On3 last week. “The main things for me throughout my whole recruitment stayed the same. They were development, a place I know I can be happy at every day and the place that I feel can help get me to where I want to be. That is what my decision came down to.”
Bell has completed official visits to each of these four schools, with the four-star most recently visiting Ohio State the weekend of June 16. That marked the fourth time Bell has visited Columbus, a positive sign for the Buckeyes in his recruitment.
“This was my fourth time there and it was another great visit,” Bell told On3. “I have seen about everything before, so this was more about continuing to build relationships with the people there. It was good for me, it was good for my family and I had another good visit to Ohio State.”
While Bell is certainly high on Ohio State entering his decision date, the Buckeyes seem to be engaged in a tight recruiting battle for the four-star with USC, who has the obvious advantage in terms of proximity to his hometown. Ohio State’s new Big Ten rival last visited head coach Lincoln Riley and the Trojans on June 21, making it his fifth time he spent time with the program but his first official visit.
A potential pledge from Bell — who caught 56 passes for 644 yards with seven touchdowns as a junior last season — would add to Ohio State’s already top-ranked 2025 recruiting class while also headlining the team’s class of wide receivers, which already includes Wayne (N.J.) Depaul Catholic four-star De’Zie Jones (6-0, 180), Mansfield (Ohio) Ontario three-star Bodpegn Miller (6-3, 180) and Oradell (N.J.) Bergen Catholic four-star Quincy Porter (6-3, 190).
The Buckeyes and wide receivers coach/co-offensive coordinator Brian Hartline have already lost out on a pair of talented 2025 wideouts, with five-star Vernell Brown of Orlando (Fla.) Jones (5-11, 170) committing to Florida in July and Jacksonville (Fla.) Mandarin five-star wide receiver Jaime Ffrench leaving the Buckeyes off his top four list of schools, which includes Miami, Texas, Tennessee and LSU.
In other recruiting news, Roswell (Ga.) Fellowship Christian School four-star offensive tackle Josh Petty (6-5, 265) will make his college decision on Monday but is unlikely to pledge to the Buckeyes, as hometown Georgia Tech appears to be in the lead for his recruitment. Petty is the nation’s fifth-best offensive tackle and No. 37 overall player, a similar ranking to that of Ohio State’s top offensive tackle commit in the 2025 class, Toledo Whitmer four-star Carter Lowe (6-5, 290), the nation’s No. 6-ranked tackle and 49th-best player.
