There's a difference between getting beat out by Michigan for an in-state prospect and the Wolverines just getting a commitment in Ohio State's home state.
When 2024 four-star Archbishop Moeller (Cincinnati) running back Jordan Marshall (No. 7 running back, No. 91 overall) committed to Michigan over Ohio State, among others, on March 21, it sent shockwaves across college football recruiting. It's not too often that a top-100 prospect that is a top target for the Buckeyes commits to their archrival. In fact, it's the first time since Dymonte Thomas in 2013 that a top-100 player from Ohio committed to the Wolverines.
Losing a talent like Marshall to any school, let alone that school, certainly hurts Ohio State, especially when it happens so rarely. It put the pressure on Tony Alford to key in on another premier running back in the 2024 class.
That's exactly what Alford and Ohio State did this past weekend. After visiting Columbus this past weekend, James Peoples committed to the Buckeyes Sunday night, giving OSU the premier running back in the class – one who is actually ranked higher (No. 5 running back, No. 69 overall) than Marshall – that it had been in search of all along.
With Marshall and three other Ohio prospects already committed to Michigan in the 2024 class, it's clear that Jim Harbaugh and his coaching staff are taking advantage of the Wolverines beating the Buckeyes in each of the last two years. Other than Marshall, however, Michigan’s recent spate of commitments from the Buckeye State has come from players who Ohio State wasn’t actively recruiting.
Since Harbaugh took over as Michigan's head coach in 2015, the Wolverines have received 22 commitments from Ohio players. Of those nearly two dozen players, only two had Ohio State offers.
| Year | Player | 247Sports Composite Rank | OSU Offer? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | S Tyree Kinnel | No. 11 S (No. 189 overall) | No |
| OT Nolan Ulizio | No. 141 OT (NR) | No | |
| K Andrew David | NR (NR)` | No | |
| 2016 | P Will Hart | NR (NR) | No |
| 2017 | DT James Hudson | No. 13 DT (No. 231 overall) | No |
| OT Joel Honigford | No. 46 OT (No. 441 overall) | No | |
| P Brad Robbins | No. 16 P (NR) | No | |
| 2019 | OG Nolan Rumler | No. 10 OT (No. 174 overall) | Yes |
| TE Erick All | No. 13 TE (No. 346 overall) | No | |
| OG Zach Carpenter | No. 33 OG (No. 554 overall) | No | |
| WDE Gabe Newburg | No. 51 WDE (No. 773 overall) | No | |
| WR Quintel Kent | No. 116 WR (No. 958 overall) | No | |
| S Joey Velazquez | No. 88 S (NR) | No | |
| 2021 | S Rod Moore | No. 40 S (No. 506 overall) | No |
| 2023 | CB Cameron Calhoun | N. 41 S (No. 395 overall) | No |
| ATH Jason Hewlett | No. 32 ATH (No. 525 overall) | No | |
| CB D'Juan Walker | No. 73 CB (No. 704 overall) | No | |
| LB Breeon Ishmail | No. 91 LB (NR) | No | |
| 2024 | RB Jordan Marshall | No. 7 RB (No. 91 overall) | Yes |
| IOL Luke Hamilton | No. 21 IOL (No. 340 overall) | No | |
| DL Ted Hammond | No. 40 DL (No. 391 overall) | No | |
| OT Ben Roebuck | No. 31 OT (No. 457 overall) | No |
Comparatively, Ohio State has had five commits from Michigan since 2015. Four of the five – Mike Weber, Joshua Alabi, Michael Jordan and Cameron Martinez – had a Michigan offer. The only one who didn't was Grant Toutant.
Harbaugh and company are trying to invade Ohio so much that the Wolverines will include stops at Cleveland's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Canton's Pro Football Hall of Fame on their upcoming team trip this summer. Granted, those are two great stops, but Harbaugh has his reasons for those two specific spots in Ohio, too, and it's not just for the tourism aspect.
A preview of what's to come on our annual team trip!#GoBlue pic.twitter.com/dvTiYaZCe7
— Michigan Football (@UMichFootball) March 26, 2023
Michigan's two latest commits from Ohio – Marshall and Roebuck – were both Ohio State fans as kids. They made sure to remind everyone that times have changed when they announced their commitments to Michigan.
BREAKING: Four-Star RB Jordan Marshall tells me he has Committed to Michigan!
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) March 21, 2023
The 60 195 RB from Cincinnati, OH chose Michigan over Ohio State.
Some of my friends are big O-State fans &so is my Papa. But hes going to start rooting for Michigan. https://t.co/zSlmTMFDzf pic.twitter.com/mrDS9fGite
BREAKING: 2024 OT Ben Roebuck tells me he has Committed to Michigan!
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) March 22, 2023
The 67 315 OT from Lakewood, OH chose the Wolverines over Tennessee, Penn St & others
I was an OSU fan growing up, but then I grew up and realized that Michigan was the place to be.https://t.co/x6K3QYHSya pic.twitter.com/hfZzzHjHlO
When Deontae and Devontae Armstrong – twins from St. Edward in Lakewood, Ohio – committed to Ohio State last week, they made sure to remind everyone of a well-known quote in Ohio: “The best in Ohio stay in Ohio.” They also made sure to remind Roebuck, their high school teammate, of his Buckeye fandom.
Recent Michigan OL commitment Ben Roebuck and newest Ohio State commit Deontae Armstrong already embracing the rivalry.
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) March 27, 2023
Cant wait to beat yall, Roebuck said.
Armstrong replied, What school did you grow up watching?
Gotta love it pic.twitter.com/cCzu5P4lae
The Wolverines already have commitments from four of the top 15 prospects in Ohio in the 2024 class. The Buckeyes currently have three: Garrett Stover, who is the fifth-best prospect in the state and is the No. 12 linebacker (No. 139 overall) in the class, and the Armstrong twins. That said, Ohio State is well-positioned with three more top-12 in-state prospects – cornerbacks Bryce West and Aaron Scott and tight end Damarion Witten – which would give the Buckeyes six of the top 13 Ohio prospects in the class.
West, Scott and Witten are all priority targets for the Buckeyes, especially after they missed out on Marshall. Not only are they three of the best prospects in Ohio in the 2024 class, but each of them holds an offer from Michigan as well, meaning Ohio State will have to battle its rival to keep the two Glenville products (West and Witten) and the Springfield native (Scott) in their home state.
Surely, some of the 31 Ohioans who committed to Michigan since 2015 that didn’t have Ohio State offers were good enough to play for the scarlet and gray. But the Buckeyes aren’t limiting their recruiting efforts to in-state talents, and their national recruiting efforts have paid off, as they have had a top-five national recruiting class in seven of the past eight years.
Ohio State's coaching staff is clearly doing something right, even if it means letting some of Ohio’s top players leave the state – and even go to Michigan – at times.
