Top linebacker targets react to Laurinaitis promotion, Ohio State gets another Crystal Ball for five-star safety.
The promotion of James Laurinaitis benefits Ohio State in various areas, including recruiting. The coaching staff’s aggressive approach has led to significant success in other areas of the program as well.
High school recruiting appears to be at an all-time high, and maintaining the coaches in Columbus who are fueling that success is a top goal for Ryan Day. Fortunately, Thursday demonstrated that this team is committed for the next few years, indicating that wonderful things are yet to come.
Ohio State keeps Laurinaitis home
On Thursday, Ohio State made some changes to their 2024 coaching staff. Most importantly, the promotion of James Laurinaitis to full-time linebackers coach is now official.
This is a significant gain for the program, as he brings a plethora of talent to the position, which has been expected for some time. Sure, the Buckeyes have already benefited from his presence as a GA, but being in a more permanent role ensures he’s here for the long haul and provides him additional responsibility.
Recruiting is at the forefront of these obligations. Already demonstrating his potential to be a force on the trail, James’ new role as a full-time position coach allows him to recruit on the road rather than just when prospects are on campus. Having done this in the last few months due to Parker Fleming’s departure, Ohio State has seen the benefits of sending him all over the country, and his success in this area is likely a key factor in why he was promoted..
Looking to recruit many linebackers in the 2025 class, Laurinaitis has already impressed Ohio State’s top targets with his general grasp of the position. Having played at Ohio State and in the NFL for as long as he has, recruits respect someone who has been there and done that, and they have surely offered their thoughts on why they, too, believe this was the right decision.
The fact that Twitter is packed with marks of approval from some of their top-rated players demonstrates why this was the proper choice for Ohio State, and why the Buckeyes should be in contention for some of the best players at this position not only in 2025, but for years to come.
The good vibes continue on for five-star safety
TThe defensive secondary’s recruitment success over the last two years may rank among the best in program history. In the 2024 class, Ohio State added three cornerbacks, each of whom were significant adds, demonstrating that Walton was finally figuring things out on the recruiting trail as one of the best recruiters on this staff.
In 2025, Walton is not only one of the greatest on staff, but also in the country. He has already committed the top two cornerbacks nationally, Devin Sanchez and Na’eem Offord. While these two-five stars would be enough in any recruiting class, the Buckeyes aren’t done yet, and they’re still in a good position to add additional defensive backs this cycle, one of whom has his name attached to Ohio State.
Faheem Delane, the No. 25 player nationally and the top safety in the class according to the 247Sports Composite, has long been the top player on the board for the Buckeyes at the safety spot. The last few weeks have been pretty fun to follow as the momentum for Ohio State appears to be taking off. Following another 247Sports Crystal Ball prediction in favor of the Buckeyes on Thursday, numerous national analysts now have Walton and Ohio State as the landing location for Delane..
An addition that would give Ohio State the top two corners and total safety; the work is not yet completed, but this much smoke normally indicates a fire. The boom might come at any time, and if it does, this defensive back haul is arguably the finest in the country and one of the best in Ohio State’s history.
Leave a Reply