Four-star 2021 Massillon wide receiver Jayden Ballard has committed to Ohio State, he announced via Twitter on Friday.
100% committed to The Ohio State University #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/tForgFZNzN
— JB (@J_Ball21) June 21, 2019
Ballard had offers from schools like Michigan State and Notre Dame, but he seemed to be a near lock for Ohio State throughout the majority of his young recruitment so far, as Ohio State wide receivers coach Brian Hartline jumped into the mix quickly.
The Ballard File
- Class: 2021
- Size: 6-foot-2, 170 lbs.
- Pos: WR
- School: Massillon (Massillon, Ohio)
- Composite Rating: ★★★★
- Composite Rank: N/A
Ballard lives just outside of Canton, where Hartline grew up, and the 6-foot-2 wideout is a track star at Massillon, like Hartline was at GlenOak. The connection between the two was inevitable. Ballard just happens to be one of the top wide receivers in the country too.
Rated as the No. 20 wide receiver by 247Sports, Ballard is one of the more underrated wideouts in his class. He ran a 4.45-second 40-yard dash at the Massillon Combine on May 1, and he dominated Ohio State's 7-on-7 camp June 17.
There has yet to be a high school cornerback that can lock up Ballard, as he even made competition drills look easy at The Opening in Massillon on March 31. He will likely have a larger role in Massillon's offense during his junior year in 2019.
Ballard was at Ohio State's Buckeye Bach & Barbecue on Friday and has been around the program on a regular basis. At the 7-on-7 camp, he sported Ohio State gloves.
| NAME | POSITION | OVERALL RANKING | POSITION RANKING | DATE OF COMMITTMENT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JACK SAWYER | DE | No. 2 | No. 1 | FEB 3, 2019 |
| KYLE MCCORD | QB | No. 52 | No. 5 (PRO-STYLE) | APRIL 30, 2019 |
| JAYDEN BALLARD | WR | No. 125 | No. 22 | JUNE 21, 2019 |
Ballard joins a star-studded 2021 class, and, while some could see him as a top wideout in the country, he might still need to take a redshirt year for not only the amount of talent Ohio State has been bringing in at the position but also to add weight to his frame – if that does not happen before he graduates high school.
Ballard is Ohio State's third commitment for the recruiting class of 2021, and the first commitment on what is expected to be a weekend full of them for the Buckeyes.
