Ohio State Football Recruiting 2020: Top Recruits Landed, Class Predictions

What Urban Meyer started at Ohio State nearly a decade ago has continued under current head coach Ryan Day: The Buckeyes can recruit. 

Since 2010, Ohio State has only had one recruiting class ranked outside the top 10 nationally by 247Sports, and it has vaulted into the upper echelon of elite recruiting programs with Alabama, Georgia and Clemson.

Those results have translated onto the field, with a 122-18 record, seven New Year's Six bowl appearances and a national championship victory in 2014. Day is 21-1 as a head coach and pulled the No. 5 recruiting class in 2019 in his first year at the team's helm.

This year, the Buckeyes are deadlocked with Alabama for the No. 1 class in 2021. The two are separated by four recruiting points in the 247Sports rankings, with the Tide having one more five-star prospect committed than Ohio State.

Heading into the start of the early signing period on Wednesday, though, both are in the thick of it with a handful of blue-chip prospects who could swing the race either way.

5-star DE Jack Sawyer

Pickerington, OH 

(No. 4 overall) 

      

5-star WR Emeka Egbuka

Steilacoom, WA

(No. 9)

     

5-star OG Donovan Jackson

Bellaire, TX

(No. 17)

      

5-star RB TreVeyon Henderson

Hopewell, VA

(No. 24)

           

5-star QB Kyle McCord

Philadelphia, PA

(No. 25)

         

4-star CB Jakailin Johnson

St. Louis, MO

(No. 47)

      

4-star DT Mike Hall

Streetsboro, OH

(No. 49) 

         

4-star WR Jayden Ballard

Massillon, OH

(No. 66)

        

4-star CB Jordan Hancock 

Suwanee, GA 

(No. 67)

        

4-star RB Evan Pryor

Cornelius, NC

(No. 81)

       

Rankings via 247Sports.com

Still remaining on Ohio State's board are:

5-star defensive end J.T. Tuimolaou 

5-star offensive tackle Tristan Leigh 

4-star WR Kyion Grayes

      

As it stands, Tuimolaou is down to Alabama and Ohio State, though his decision isn't likely to come until February. Whichever program he lands with will almost certainly seal the No. 1 class with his signature, but there really isn't a clear front-runner—at least not publicly. 

The mountainous Leigh, who is the No. 4 offensive tackle in this year's class, has received a handful of Crystal Ball predictions to Oklahoma recently, but none are particularly confident.

OSU already has another five-star tackle committed, as well as two more four-stars. Although his commitment wouldn't carry quite as much weight in the rankings as Tuimolaou's, he would solidify a terrific offensive line class in Columbus. 

The most recent prospect to (re)join Ohio State's board is Grayes, who had originally been committed to Arizona but backed off when head coach Kevin Sumlin was fired after the Wildcats' 70-7 loss to rival Arizona State.

The Buckeyes had been in pursuit of Grayes prior to his commitment, and according to 247Sports' recruiting gurus, it seems likely he'll end up a Buckeye. Three Crystal Balls have been put in for the wide receiver recently, and all point to Ohio State as his destination. 

Predictions: Tuimolaou (Ohio State), Leigh (Oklahoma), Grayes (Ohio State)

        

Follow Keegan on Twitter @ByKeeganPope.