Ohio
Four Recruiting Goals for Ohio State for Spring Football
Ohio State has only had a few spring practices so far, but recruiting efforts have been full speed ahead, with a few dozen prospects arriving on campus to visit the defending national champions in their first week of spring ball.
The Buckeyes’ recruiting efforts will be crucial throughout the next three weeks of spring practice, as well. Ohio State needs to build momentum this spring with prospects to carry it into official visit season, and it wouldn’t stink to grow the 2026 commitment list from five, either.
With the Buckeyes set to host a bevy of prospects between now and their spring showcase on April 12, we take a look at four crucial priorities for the Buckeyes this spring.
Establish the offensive line pecking order
New offensive line Tyler Bowen has his work cut out for him. Bowen and Ohio State have already hosted and will continue to host numerous 2026 offensive linemen on campus over the next few weeks. That time might be super enlightening to find out just where in the pecking order some of these prospects are on the Buckeyes’ recruiting board.
Of course, some of it is very obvious. Bowen already has a recruiting win in his cap by keeping Maxwell Riley home, but he’d love to pair him with another Ohio standout offensive tackle, Sam Greer. Greer visited campus on Monday, with Riley also in attendance. That may or may not have been done by design. Getting two standout tackles from the state would be a good start for Bowen’s tenure.
Another amazing trip to @OhioStateFB great meeting the new staff, cant wait to be back@ryandaytime @Coachcliff904 pic.twitter.com/zYacS4hpW6
— Sam Greer (@Samgreer70) March 18, 2025
Of course, nearly all of the offensive line recruiting angst from fans over the past few seasons has rarely come from recruiting Ohio kids. It’s the misses on highly touted out-of-state prospects that have stung the most, especially since there was often a focus on only a handful of linemen each cycle.
Two of the top out-of-state priorities, Jackson Cantwell and Micah “Champ” Smith, visited OSU last week. The Buckeyes are hosting four-star offensive tackle Zaden Krempin on Sunday, additionally.
Had a great time at @OhioStateFB over the last two days!#NSGB @ryandaytime @TylerBowen pic.twitter.com/SljEeiPEpe
— Jackson Cantwell (@jcantwell2499) March 22, 2025
Stay tuned for the entire video of my visit to THE Ohio State University #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/P9HcH0iSYb
— Micah Champion Smith (@ChampSmith55) March 17, 2025
@OhioStateFB @TylerBowen @Coach_Dickey @Coach_Hill2 @mickdwalker @LettermenRow @ShaunShrock45 @DaBuckeyeBoyz @Birm @davebiddle @GregSmithRivals @Bill_Kurelic @Coach__Fields pic.twitter.com/bSP77oMEAT
— Zaden Krempin (@zadenkrempin) March 23, 2025
Bowen offered another handful of offensive linemen this week and likely will offer more as the spring trudges on. The visits are a good opportunity for Bowen to develop relationships with those linemen and for OSU to evaluate where it wants to make a major push in the offensive trenches.
Use the momentum of winning a national title to your advantage
While there’s been some turnover on the Ohio State coordinator side, two things remain constant for the Buckeyes: Ryan Day remains in place as head coach and the Buckeyes are the defending national champions for the first time since the 2014 season.
Recruits may not necessarily need a reminder of that considering there are four new championship banners on display at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center practice field, but perhaps more top-of-the-line, out-of-state recruits might look a little closer at the Buckeyes now that they’ve proven themselves on the national stage.
Not that OSU has ever had a problem attracting marquee players to Columbus beforehand, but it makes it a little easier to sell your program to a recruit whose top priority is playing for a winner when you have a more established track record in big moments.
Continue to stay aggressive with offers
If we’re just using Bowen as an example, it’s incredible to see the night and day difference in his approach to recruiting compared to his predecessor. Justin Frye typically liked to hone in on a few select offensive linemen each cycle, which is fine if you land them, but once OSU missed on a player there weren’t clear fallback options. That seems to have changed with Bowen, considering he’s turned into Oprah in his first few months on campus with the “You get an offer and you get an offer” strategy.
But this strategy shouldn’t just apply to the offensive line. Other positions have already expanded their boards within the past week, including Carlos Locklyn’s running back room, as he offered in-state prospect Favour Akih on Monday. Defensive line coach Larry Johnson has also offered a handful of defensive linemen within the past month.
WOW TO GOD BE THE GLORY! After a great conversation with @ryandaytime , I am truly
blessed and highly favored to have earned an offer from THEE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY! GO BUCKS @Montgomery_DHHS @AllenTrieu @adamgorney @RivalsFriedman @SWiltfong_ @ChadSimmons_ pic.twitter.com/XSajcqhLcb— Favour Akih 4 (@FavourAkih) March 17, 2025
Use this time to make an impression on key 2027 prospects
Naturally, when a lot of us think about recruiting, it’s typically the current cycle that’s at the forefront of our minds. Ohio State (and other Power Four college programs) don’t typically operate that way, as successful teams are recruiting multiple cycles ahead.
While this spring is crucial for how the 2026 class will finish for reasons we’ve outlined above and more, it’s also a key time to create strong inroads with key 2027 prospects so the Buckeyes will be in a strong position with them a year from now. For example, Ohio State offered five-star Texas linebacker Cooper Witten over the weekend, the son of former NFL tight end Jason Witten.
Glory to God!! I am very blessed and grateful to receive an offer from Ohio State University. @OhioStateFB @JLaurinaitis55 @ryandaytime @CoachMcGrath22 pic.twitter.com/UGUeglNR4M
— Cooper Witten (@CooperWitten_) March 22, 2025
The Buckeyes already have a bit of an advantage in 2027 because they have a five star quarterback (Brady Edmunds) and a five-star wide receiver (Jamier Brown) committed, so they’ll be able to enlist them as peer recruiters. But the work the Buckeyes put in within the next few weeks in the 2027 class could definitely pay off in the long run.
Ohio
Matt Patricia Shares Major Health Update Following Neurosurgeon Visit During Ohio State Offseason Break
CINCINNATI (WKRC) — Sixty percent of children in Ohio are not ready for kindergarten when they start school.
Now, a national nonprofit is working to change that by expanding access to books and promoting early literacy across the state.
Sixty percent of children in Ohio are not ready for kindergarten when they start school. (WKRC file)
Nedra Smith has seen the difference firsthand. Her two young daughters receive books through the program at their pediatrician visits at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital.
“They love to read now,” Smith said. “We’ll randomly be out and they’ll see a book and want to read a book.”
Reach Out and Read partners with pediatricians to give children books during regular checkups and encourage parents to read aloud with them. The program has been part of Cincinnati Children’s for more than a decade.
“They typically come in and tell us they got new books,” Smith said. “They typically ask me to read the book right then and there.”
Program leaders say early literacy is increasingly being recognized as an important part of a child’s overall health and development.
“Initially, literacy may not have been in the forefront or seen as a health benefit,” said Kristy High, program manager for Reach Out and Read. “Well-child checks focus on shots, nutrition, and those things; but now we want to focus on those main benefits for the development and milestones when it comes to learning.”
The organization is now working to expand its reach statewide, with a goal of serving children in all 88 Ohio counties.
“We know that those first five years of life are the most critical for brain development,” said Steven Lake, executive director of Reach Out and Read Ohio. “If we can intervene as early as possible, essentially, we reach out at birth; we know we can have the greatest impact.”
Smith encourages other parents to participate in the program and read to their children.
“It’s fun,” Smith said. “It’s actually fun to see them light up, and I think they’ll pass that on to their own kids as well.”
Reach Out and Read also partners with providers in Kentucky and Indiana. You can find a participating provider near you on the organization’s website.
If you are a doctor looking to participate in the program, click here.
The Ohio Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at May 10, 2026, results for each game:
Pick 3
Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at 12:29 p.m. and 7:29 p.m., except Saturday evening.
Midday: 8-6-2
Evening: 7-0-5
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Pick 4
Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at 12:29 p.m. and 7:29 p.m., except Saturday evening.
Midday: 9-4-7-0
Evening: 0-6-1-8
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Pick 5
Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at 12:29 p.m. and 7:29 p.m., except Saturday evening.
Midday: 1-7-3-7-4
Evening: 9-0-8-8-0
Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Rolling Cash 5
Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at approximately 7:05 p.m.
16-19-33-36-38
Check Rolling Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Millionaire for Life
Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at approximately 11:15 p.m.
01-03-20-35-46, Bonus: 05
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Enquirer digital news director. You can send feedback using this form.
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