Ohio State has beefed up its interior offensive line class of 2024.
The Buckeyes successfully flipped former Northwestern offensive line commit Gabe VanSickle on Thursday, giving them another piece for their future offensive line.
Just a kid from ichigan #committed @CoachJFrye @ryandaytime @OhioStateFB @CoachSollenne pic.twitter.com/7UC6gJP09O
— (@gabe_vansickle) November 23, 2023
VanSickle is a replacement in the class for former Ohio State commit Marc Nave, who decommitted from the Buckeyes on Sept. 30. He'll play either guard or center for OSU at the next level with a 6-foot-5, 283-pound frame.
The VanSickle File
- Class: 2024
- Size: 6-5/283
- Pos: OL
- School: Coopersville (Coopersville, Michigan)
- Composite Rating: ★★★
- Composite Rank: #613 (#41 IOL)
The Michigan resident first visited OSU on Oct. 21 for the Penn State game, then met extensively with Ohio State offensive line coach Justin Frye.
“The atmosphere there was crazy,” VanSickle told Eleven Warriors after his visit. “And the coaches talked to me about building a relationship with them.”
He was officially offered by OSU in early November, then returned for an official visit for the Michigan State game. On that visit, he was convinced Ohio State was the best place for his future development and pulled the trigger a week-and-a-half after that trip, just two days after decommitting from Northwestern.
With VanSickle officially in the fold for the Buckeyes, they now have four offensive linemen committed in the current cycle along with Ian Moore and Deontae and Devontae Armstrong. OSU is still pursuing five-star offensive tackle Jordan Seaton, who would be the perfect final addition to the Buckeyes' 2024 class, but they'll need to get him on campus ahead of National Signing Day to have any shot of landing him. He's the 23rd commitment in OSU's 2024 class.
| Pos | Name | Rating | Rank | Size | School |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WR | JEREMIAH SMITH | ★★★★★ | #1 NATL | #1 WR | 6-3 | 198 | Chaminade-Madonna Prep (Opa Locka, Florida) |
| DT | JUSTIN SCOTT | ★★★★★ | #12 NATL | #3 DL | 6-4 | 310 | St. Ignatius (Chicago, Illinois) |
| WR | MYLAN GRAHAM | ★★★★★ | #19 NATL | #5 WR | 6-1 | 170 | New Haven (New Haven, Indiana) |
| DL | EDDRICK HOUSTON | ★★★★★ | #24 NATL | #5 DL | 6-3 | 265 | Buford (Buford, Georgia) |
| QB | AIR NOLAND | ★★★★★ | #34 NATL | #4 QB | 6-3 | 195 | Langston Hughes (Fairburn, Georgia) |
| CB | AARON SCOTT | ★★★★ | #45 NATL | #3 CB | 6-0| 170 | Springfield (Springfield, Ohio) |
| CB | BRYCE WEST | ★★★★ | #53 NATL | #4 CB | 5-11 | 177 | Glenville (Cleveland, Ohio) |
| WR | JEREMIAH MCCLELLAN | ★★★★ | #59 NATL | #12 WR | 6-0 | 190 | Christian Brothers College (St. Louis, Missouri) |
| RB | JAMES PEOPLES | ★★★★ | #89 NATL | #7 RB | 5-10 | 192 | Veterans Memorial (San Antonio, Texas) |
| LB | GARRETT STOVER | ★★★★ | #132 NATL | #11 LB | 6-0 | 195 | Big Walnut (Sunbury, OH) |
| OT | IAN MOORE | ★★★★ | #134 NATL | #6 IOL | 6-5 | 295 | New Palestine (New Palestine, Indiana) |
| RB | JORDAN LYLE | ★★★★ | #144 NATL | #12 RB | 6-0 | 180 | St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Laderdale, Florida) |
| LB | PAYTON PIERCE | ★★★★ | #213 NATL | #16 LB | 6-1 | 225 | Lovejoy (Lucas, Texas) |
| S | JAYLEN McCLAIN | ★★★★ | #257 NATL | #26 S | 6-0 | 185 | Seton Hall Prep (West Orange, New Jersey) |
| TE | MAX LEBLANC | ★★★★ | #267 NATL | #17 TE | 6-4 | 222 | Baylor School (Chattanooga, Tennessee) |
| CB | MILES LOCKHART | ★★★★ | #361 NATL | #26 CB | 5-10 | 185 | Basha (Chandler, AZ) |
| TE | DAMARION WITTEN | ★★★★ | #451 NATL | #27 TE | 6-4 | 215 | Glenville (Cleveland, OH) |
| OT | DEONTAE ARMSTRONG | ★★★★ | #423 NATL | #34 OT | 6-6 | 280 | St. Edward (Lakewood, OH) |
| OL | DEVONTAE ARMSTRONG | ★★★ | #459 NATL | #29 IOL | 6-5 | 297 | St. Edward (Lakewood, OH) |
| RB | SAM WILLIAMS-DIXON | ★★★ | #599 NATL | #47 ATH | 5-11 | 203 | Pickerington North (Columbus, OH) |
| OL | GABE VANSICKLE | ★★★ | #613 NATL | #41 IOL | 6-5 | 283 | Coopersville (Coopersville, MI) |
| DT | ERIC MENSAH | ★★★ | #804 NATL | #83 DL | 6-3 | 290 | Mountain View (Stafford, VA) |
| S | LEROY ROKER | ★★★ | #1285 NATL | #121 S | 6-1 | 170 | Bishop Verot (Fort Myers, FL) |
| Prospect Rating Data: 247Sports | |||||
VanSickle gives OSU an intriguing developmental prospect
Per 247Sports' composite rankings, VanSickle is considered the 613th-ranked prospect and the 41st-rated interior offensive lineman. He held eight Division I offers and three from Power Five schools, with the others being Indiana and Northwestern.
VanSickle isn't the most highly-touted prospect the Buckeyes will bring to Columbus in the current cycle, but that doesn't mean he can't have a successful career at Ohio State.
Frye believed in the Michigan prospect's ceiling enough to offer him a scholarship, and he'll have the opportunity to contribute as a guard or center in the future if he impresses the coaching staff. However, VanSickle is a developmental prospect who could be a few years away from potentially seeing the field.
VanSickle played left tackle primarily for Coopersville High School (Coopersville, Michigan) and helped lead the team to an 8-3 record in his senior season. He often showcased his physicality, explosiveness and aggression on nearly every snap, showing why OSU gained interest in him late in the recruiting process.
He's adept at blocking while pulling, an asset that will greatly help him at the next level. He gets to the second level with ease in run blocking and is capable of handling defensive ends, defensive tackles and linebackers. VanSickle often finishes blocks by driving an overwhelmed opponent into the ground. He'll need to add strength when he arrives at OSU, but that's no different than most freshman prospects at his position.
