Publicly, four-star Georgia defensive lineman Darron Reed has narrowed his decision down to either LSU or Ohio State.
However, Reed told Eleven Warriors Monday he’s already made his decision but will wait to announce it on his scheduled commitment date on Monday. While his decision is six days away, OSU got the last crack at the versatile defensive lineman, with Reed taking his fifth and final official visit to Columbus last weekend.
“It went great getting to talk with coach Larry Johnson and other coaches. He just kept talking about why he’s recruiting me. He’s going to make sure you develop.”
Johnson continues to envision Reed as a player capable of playing either inside or outside at the college level. While on his visit, Reed also got to see how Jim Knowles might utilize him in specific packages.
“Looking at coach Knowles’ playbook and how he’s going to run a defense and all that,” Reed said when asked what his favorite part of his OSU official visit was. “He has ways of getting the quarterback to hold on to the ball for that extra second longer so defensive linemen can make the sack.”
With Reed’s recruitment winding down, OSU won’t have to wait long to find out if it did enough to land one of its most coveted defensive line targets in the 2023 cycle.
Harris to commit Friday
Ohio State will find out on Friday if it will be landing two of its most coveted cornerback targets. Four-star Ohio cornerback Jermaine Mathews has set a commitment announcement for 2 p.m. on Friday, while Daniel Harris also announced Monday he’ll commit on the same day.
Harris, who took an official visit to Ohio State June 10-12, will choose from a final four of Ohio State, Georgia, Michigan and Penn State.
July 1st . pic.twitter.com/vDTzIWtWjU
— Daniel Harris (@h9rrisdaniel) June 27, 2022
While Ohio State is a strong favorite to land Mathews, the same cannot be said for Harris, who is likely to end up at Georgia. Should the Buckeyes land Mathews and miss out on Harris, they’ll continue to aggressively pursue Calvin Simpson-Hunt to fill out their cornerback corps for 2023.
Ohio State offers six tight ends
If you were a tight end in the 2024 or 2025 recruiting cycle on Tuesday, there’s a decent chance OSU tight ends coach Kevin Wilson made you offer.
The Buckeyes offered six tight ends in total Tuesday, one from the 2024 class and five from the 2025 class.
The lone 2024 offer was four-star Georgia prospect Michael Smith, a top 150-prospect in the class. Smith has racked up 16 Division I offers thus far, a list that includes Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia, South Carolina, Pittsburgh, Michigan State, Michigan, Florida State, Arkansas, Miami and UCF.
Blessed to Receive an Offer from The Ohio State University #GoBucks @OSUCoachKDub @ryandaytime pic.twitter.com/4z34VJFcnw
— Michael Smith (@ayeemikee1_) June 28, 2022
He’s considered the 130th-best prospect in the 2024 cycle and the fifth-ranked tight end per 247Sports’ composite rankings. In 12 games for Calvary Day High School (Savannah, Georgia) last season, the 6-foot-4, 225-pound Smith caught 42 passes for 684 yards with nine receiving touchdowns.
Meanwhile, 2025 Georgia tight end Ryan Ghea probably had the best time anyone could possibly have while waiting at the DMV to take his driving test, considering that’s where was located when he received his offer from the Buckeyes.
Blessed to receive a scholarship offer from The Ohio State University @ryandaytime @OSUCoachKDub @OhioStateFB @OhioStAthletics @Mansell247 @ChadSimmons_ @BHoward_11 @lukewinstel @RWrightRivals @JeremyO_Johnson @MattDeBary @MohrRecruiting @OhioState247 @OhioState @Bill_Kurelic pic.twitter.com/zE1e1CrL9V
— RyanGhea (@RyanGhea2025) June 28, 2022
“I was extremely proud and honored,” Ghea told Eleven Warriors after receiving the Ohio State offer. “(Coach Wilson) said I want you to know we want you. You had a great camp and we want to keep this relationship growing.”
Earning an OSU offer was made possible by Ghea’s performance at an OSU camp earlier this month, which put him on the Buckeyes’ radar moving forward. Ghea said he’s already planning on attending an OSU game this fall with his family and experiencing a gameday atmosphere in Columbus. The 6-foot-5, 220-pound prospect has picked up six offers thus far, the other five being Florida State, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Louisville and Ole Miss.
Another 2025 tight end that earned an offer from Wilson a few weeks after an impressive camp was Georgia product Emaree Winston. Winston, a 6-foot-3, 230-pound tight end, has five Division I offers in total, including Louisville, NC State, Buffalo and Eastern Kentucky.
After a great conversation with coach @OSUCoachKDub I am extremely blessed to receive an offer from The Ohio State University! @ryandaytime @CoachTonyAlford @clays24 @coachcjcollins @CoachCrosby3 @MohrRecruiting @JeremyO_Johnson @Mansell247 @RWrightRivals @Bill_Kurelic pic.twitter.com/p2MGfzUAWO
— Emaree Winston (@e_wins2025) June 28, 2022
It's hard to find a recruit with a better name than 2025 Arizona tight end Bear Tenney. And after he camped at OSU earlier this month, Wilson thought he also has a great football skillset in addition to his name and extended the 6-foot-5, 226-pound product an offer.
Honored to receive an OFFER from The Ohio State University!! After a Great Camp and conversation with @ryandaytime & @OSUCoachKDub #GoBucks @OhioStateFB @brianhartline @CoachJFrye @CoreyDennis_ @CoachTonyAlford @michaelzdebski @CoachJimKnowles @markpantoni @adamgorney pic.twitter.com/IwmEacRDWo
— BEAR TENNEY 65 230 WR/TE 2025 (@BearTenney) June 28, 2022
Tenney currently has 15 Division I offers, a list that includes Tennessee, Wisconsin, Oregon, Georgia, Louisville, Arizona and Arizona State.
Texas 2025 tight end Davon Mitchell has had a busy summer, picking up offers from Alabama, Arkansas, Oklahoma and LSU within the last month. As of Tuesday, Ohio State can be added to that list. The 6-foot-4, 230-pound Mitchell has earned 16 Division I offers in total.
#AGTG After a great conversation with @OSUCoachKDub I am extremely blessed to receive an offer from @OhioStateFB #GoBucks #Buckeyes #OhioState @ryandaytime @dbranscom @CoachLWig @alleneaglesfb pic.twitter.com/F9CT0GgIY2
— Davon Mitchell (@davonmitchell82) June 28, 2022
The sixth and final tight end offered by OSU Tuesday is a Buckeye legacy. Landon Pace, the son of former two-time Ohio State All-American left tackle Orlando Pace.
Blessed to receive an offer from THE Ohio State University. @OSUCoachKDub @ryandaytime @OhioStateFB @CoachAdamCruz1 @SLUHfootball pic.twitter.com/eqXJb1xqvp
— Landon Pace (@LandonPace9) June 28, 2022
When Pace camped with Ohio State 21 days ago, he said getting an offer from the Buckeyes would mean a lot. A few weeks later, the 2025 St. Louis tight end will now have an opportunity to carry on his father’s legacy if he so chooses.
