Ohio State’s wide receiver recruiting continues to roll. Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) IMG Academy five-star wideout Brandon Inniss (6-0, 190) announced on Tuesday that he is committing to play for the Buckeyes.
Inniss is the No. 18 overall prospect and No. 2 wide receiver in 2023, and along with Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy five-star receiver Carnell Tate (6-2, 185), who committed on Monday, Inniss has been Ohio State’s top priority at wide receiver in this class.
He chose Ohio State over his other top schools of Alabama, LSU, Miami (Fla.), Texas A&M and USC. Though Inniss’ recruitment with Ohio State dates back to his offer last February and a camping session with the Buckeyes last summer, things were put on hold when he committed to Oklahoma last August.
That lasted for just over three months, however, as he decommitted from the Sooners following Lincoln Riley’s departure for USC. The Trojans were then viewed as the favorites for Inniss, but Ohio State began making plays, hosting him for an unofficial visit alongside his South Florida Express teammates in April.
From there, he made his first official visit to the school the weekend of June 17, and things reportedly went well for the five-star prospect before his eventual commitment.
“He’s one of the most college-ready wide receivers to come out of the high school ranks in recent years,” said 247Sports southeast recruiting analyst Andrew Ivins. “He’s an elite route runner with a competitive edge that can take over games and beat double coverage. He was initially mistaken by one Power Five assistant coach for a high school senior when he was just an eighth grader because of his polish.
“He’s not the longest of wideouts, but has a thicker build to him and plays much bigger than his frame suggests with his dependable hands,” he continued. “He understands the importance of setting up and selling routes and mixes gears well, and is aggressive at the catch point and will fight through a defender to get the ball. He can turn a short gain into a long gain as he isn’t afraid to lower his shoulder pads and get his jersey dirty.”
Inniss’ commitment continues an impressive run for Ohio State and receivers coach Brian Hartline. The Buckeyes have three wide receivers committed in 2023 with Inniss, Zephyrhills (Fla.) Wiregrass Ranch four-star Bryson Rodgers and Tate. Not to mention, Ohio State is working diligently to secure the services of Rolesville, N.C., four-star receiver Noah Rogers (6-2, 180), a top-50 prospect in the class.
With Inniss’ commitment, Ohio State now has the No. 1 recruiting class in 2023, surpassing Notre Dame who had held the top spot. Ohio State’s 12 commitments have an average player rating of 93.85, which leads the nation.
