Recruiting Outlook is a regular series on Buckeye Sports Bulletin designed to be your one-stop shop for all news related to the Ohio State football recruiting trail.
With the offensive line a focus in the upcoming class for Ohio State and new offensive line coach Justin Frye, the Buckeyes are making early progress with one of the top offensive line targets in 2023.
Ramsey (N.J) Don Bosco Prep four-star offensive tackle Chase Bisontis (6-5, 290) narrowed his list of top schools down – at least somewhat – to 15 final contenders.
The list stretches far and wide, including Alabama, Boston College, Clemson, Kentucky, LSU, Miami (Fla.), Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, Rutgers, Texas, Texas A&M and West Virginia.
He’s rated as the No. 4 offensive tackle and the No. 53 overall prospect in 2023. He took an unofficial visit to Ohio State on June 15, 2021, and has also made a number of unofficial visits to in-state Rutgers. The Buckeyes offered Bisontis on Dec. 20, 2020.
Trotter Has OSU In Top Eight
The Buckeyes are also among the top schools for Philadelphia St. Joseph’s Prep School four-star linebacker Josiah Trotter (6-2, 230).
He’s rated as the No. 24 linebacker and No. 264 overall prospect in 2023, and listed Ohio State along with Clemson, Notre Dame, Penn State, South Carolina, Texas A&M, Virginia Tech and West Virginia.
His father, Jeremiah, was a 1998 NFL Draft pick with the Philadelphia Eagles who went on to play 12 seasons in the NFL. Josiah’s brother, Jeremiah Trotter Jr., is a linebacker at Clemson.
Ohio State Continues Offer Spree
Rather than break down the dozens of offers issued by Ohio State over the past couple weeks, we’ll highlight some of the prospects to keep an eye on, and include a list (by year) of offers that the Buckeyes have recently handed out.
In 2023:
- West Chester (Ohio) Lakota West four-star athlete Malik Hartford (6-3, 175) received an offer from the Buckeyes on Jan. 22. He’s rated as the No. 217 overall prospect and No. 19 athlete in the class, though he was offered as a safety by Ohio State. He holds additional offers from Boston College, Duke, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Michigan State and Notre Dame, among others.
- Ohio State offered Hyattsville (Md.) DeMatha Catholic four-star defensive lineman Jason Moore (6-6, 255) on Jan. 26. He’s the No. 44 overall prospect and No. 7 defensive lineman, and holds additional offers from Alabama, Florida, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Penn State and Texas A&M, among others.
- Other Offers: S Jordan Castell, WR Ronan Hanafin, CB Dijon Johnson, WR Bryson Rodgers, DE Damon Wilson.
In 2024:
- Sarasota (Fla.) Riverview four-star cornerback Charles Lester III (6-2, 171) received an offer from Ohio State on Jan. 25. He holds additional offers from Florida State, Indiana, Michigan State and South Carolina.
- Lehigh Acres (Fla.) Senior athlete Kelton Henderson (6-0, 180) received an offer from Ohio State on Jan. 27. He does not hold a star rating from 247Sports, but he holds offers from Florida State, Miami (Fla.), Ole Miss, South Carolina and Wisconsin. He will be teammates with running back Richard Young (5-11, 200), who is Ohio State’s top running back target in 2023.
- Other Offers: RB Bryan Jackson, CB Braydon Lee.
