Fall weekends can be hectic with all the football going on Friday through Sunday. Under the lights is your weekly primer on what is going for Ohio State commitments and recruits that weekend.
Every week, Under the Lights will detail the top-three games featuring Ohio State commitments, the game that Eleven Warriors will attend, and some predictions for how Ohio State's commits will perform.
FUTURE BUCKEYES IN ACTION
ST. JOHN BOSCO (CA) VS SERVITE HIGH SCHOOL (CA)
- Day: Friday
- Time: 10 p.m. ET
- Future Buckeyes: Kourt Williams (St. John Bosco)
- Targets: Beaux Collins (St. John Bosco), Earnest Greene (St. John Bosco)
St. John Bosco is one of the best high school football teams in the country. So far on the season, they are 5-0 with all five wins coming against teams outside the state of California.
But now the true test begins as Bosco begins play in perhaps the toughest high school league in the nation. The Trinity league consists of six of the best teams in California, two of which are Bosco and Mater Dei, who MaxPreps ranks as the top two high school teams in the country.
St. John Bosco – led by 2020 four-star Ohio State outside linebacker commit Kourt Williams – begins league play this week with a game against Servite High School. Servite boasts numerous Division I football recruits, making this a marquee game out west.
In addition to Williams, St. John Bosco features a number of prospects Ohio State is currently recruiting. Four-star 2021 wide receiver Beaux Collins is one of Ohio State's top targets in the 2021 class and four-star 2022 offensive lineman Earnest Greene is also a sophomore Ohio State is keeping an eye on.
While Servite is a good team with talented players, St. John Bosco should roll this game and the rest of their games till November 25th when they take on top-ranked Mater Dei.
ELDER (OH) VS ST. XAVIER (OH)
- Day: Friday
- Time: 7 p.m. ET
- Future Buckeyes: Jakob James (Elder), Joe Royer (Elder)
- Targets: Liam Clifford (St. Xavier)
Once again, 2020 three-star Ohio State commitments tight end Joe Royer and offensive lineman Jakob James will lead their team into a marquee matchup in the Buckeye State. Just a few weeks ago, Elder faced off against defending state champions St. Edward and this week they take the field against Cincinnati powerhouse St. Xavier.
St. X is five-star Ohio State offensive line commit Paris Johnson Jr.'s former team, but even without the star offensive lineman, they are not missing a beat, starting the season 5-0. Elder is 4-1 with their lone loss coming at the hands of St. Edward, 42-25.
St. Xavier's offense is paced by three-star 2021 wide receiver Liam Clifford, who is the only player in the Greater Catholic League with more receiving yards than Royer this season. Clifford is also the younger brother of Penn State's starting quarterback Sean Clifford. The younger Clifford is in contact with Ohio State, but there may not be room for him in the 2021 class.
Elder won this matchup last season 51-26, and it could be a similar result this Friday. Nonetheless, this is the marquee game in the Queen City.
ST. JOSEPH'S REGIONAL (N.J.) VS PARAMUS CATHOLIC (CA)
- Day: Saturday
- Time: 2 p.m. ET
- Future Buckeyes: Luke Wypler (St. Joseph's Regional)
For the second week in a row, four-star 2020 center commit Luke Wypler and his St. Joseph's Regional are playing against one of the best teams on the east coast.
Paramus Catholic is known for producing Division I talent but has fallen on hard times recently.
Nevertheless, this has the makings of being a very good game in the Garden State. Wypler is the only Buckeye commitment or target in this game.
WHERE WE'LL BE
MENTOR HIGH SCHOOL (OH) VS SOLON HIGH SCHOOL (OH)
- Day: Friday
- Time: 7 p.m. ET
- Targets: Najee Story (Solon), Brenan Vernon (Mentor)
This game features two of the best teams in northeast Ohio with Solon led by four-star 2021 defensive end Najee Story while Mentor is led by up-and-coming 2023 defensive end Brenan Vernon. Both are Ohio State targets.
Mentor has been on a tear this season, beating Ohio powerhouses St. Edward and St. Ignatius, while Solon comes in with one loss but has the talent and team to upset the Cardinals in this primetime game.
Follow me (@MickDWalker) on twitter for updates on this northeast Ohio matchup.
| NAME | POSITION | HIGH SCHOOL | OPPONENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| JULIAN FLEMING | WR | SOUTHERN COLUMBIA | JERSEY SHORE |
| PARIS JOHNSON JR. | OL | PRINCETON | MIDDLETOWN |
| CLARK PHILLIPS III | CB | LA HABRA | BUENA PARK |
| JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA | WR | ROCKWALL | HORN |
| GEE SCOTT JR. | WR | EASTSIDE CATHOLIC | GARFIELD |
| LUKE WYPLER | OL | ST. JOSEPH REGIONAL | PARAMUS CATHOLIC |
| MOOKIE COOPER | WR | PATTONVILLE | |
| LATHAN RANSOM | S | SALPOINTE CATHOLIC | SAHUARO |
| CODY SIMON | LB | ST. PETERS PREP | DEPAUL CATHOLIC |
| KOURT WILLIAMS | LB/S | ST. JOHN BOSCO | SERVITE |
| DARRION HENRY | DL | PRINCETON | MIDDLETOWN |
| JACK MILLER | QB | CHAPARRAL | BOULDER CREEK |
| LEJOND CAVAZOS | CB | IMG ACADEMY | CLARKSON |
| CAMERON MARTINEZ | ATH | MUSKEGON | JENISON |
| GRANT TOUTANT | OL | DE LA SALLE COLLEGIATE | CATHOLIC CENTRAL |
| JOSH FRYAR | OL | BEECH GROVE | INDIANAPOLIS CARD |
| JOE ROYER | TE | ELDER | ST. XAVIER |
| MITCHELL MELTON | OLB | GOOD COUNSEL | ST MARY'S RYKEN |
| TY HAMILTON | DL | PICKERINGTON CENTRAL | LINCOLN |
| JAKOB JAMES | OL | ELDER | ST. XAVIER |
| TREY LEROUX | OL | NORWALK | BELLEVUE |
| JAKE SEIBERT | K | LA SALLE | ARCHBISHOP MOLLER |
| NAME | POSITION | HIGH SCHOOL | OPPONENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| JACK SAWYER | DE | PICKERINGTON NORTH | REYNOLDSBURG |
| KYLE MCCORD | QB | ST. JOSEPH'S PREP | ROMAN CATHOLIC |
| BEN CHRISTMAN | OL | REVERE | HIGHLAND |
| JAYDEN BALLARD | WR | MASSILLON WASHINGTON | AUSTINTOWN-FITCH |
| REID CARRICO | LB | IRONTON | CHESAPEAKE |
10/5 MICHIGAN STATE VISITOR LIST
OHIO STATE COMMITMENTS
- Five-star 2020 wide receiver Julian Fleming
- Five-star 2020 offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr.
- Four-star 2020 wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba
- Four-star 2020 wide receiver Gee Scott Jr.
- Four-star 2020 defensive lineman Darrion Henry
- Four-star 2020 cornerback Lejond Cavazos
- Three-star 2020 athlete Cameron Martinez
- Three-star 2020 offensive lineman Grant Toutant
- Three-star 2020 kicker Jake Seibert
- Five-star 2021 defensive end Jack Sawyer
- Four-star 2021 quarterback Kyle McCord
- Four-star 2021 offensive lineman Ben Christman
- Four-star 2021 wide receiver Jayden Ballard
OHIO STATE TARGETS
2020:
- Four-star 2020 quarterback CJ Stroud
- Four-star 2020 running back Tre Bradford
- Four-star 2020 defensive end Tyler Baron
2021:
- Four-star 2021 wide receiver Lorenzo Styles Jr.
- Four-star 2021 running back Donovan Edwards
- Four-star 2021 offensive lineman Greg Crippen
- Four-star 2021 defensive end Rodney McGraw
- Four-star 2021 defensive end Najee Story
- Four-star 2021 defensive tackle Damon Payne
- Four-star 2021 safety Hunter Wohler
- Three-star 2021 wide receiver Troy Stellato
- Four-star 2021 tight end Hudson Wolfe
- Four-star 2021 athlete Charles Montgomery
- Four-star 2021 cornerback Jakailian Johnson
- Three-star 2021 wide receiver Andrew Wilson-Lamp
- Three-star 2021 safety Jaylen Johnson
OHIO STATE BASKETBALL TARGETS
- Four-star 2021 center Efton Reid
