COLUMBUS, Ohio — For the second straight year Ohio State found itself neck deep into a battle for a highly-rated safety with a great chance of winning. And for the second-straight year, it’s come up short by finishing second. It’s a storyline that has continued to plague the Buckeyes during the Ryan Day era, especially over the past few cycles. In 2022 it lost out on both Zion Branch and Xavier Nwankpa, both of which turned out to be battles of head vs. heart. Branch — and his brother Zachariah as a five-star 2022 wide receiver — grew up a USC fan and Lincoln Riley leaving Oklahoma for the Trojans made them a realistic option. Nwankpa was long-favorited to OSU but eventually chose to instead stay home of committing to Iowa. Recommended Buckeyes stories Those were two normal recruiting losses before NIL became a factor in recruiting. That changed in…
Continue Reading: What KJ Bolden’s Florida State commitment means to Ohio State football: Buckeyes Recruiting
