The Hurry-Up: Jayden Bonsu Sets Commitment Date for August 14, 2023 Commits Voice Confidence in Ohio State’s Recruiting Class

By Garrick Hodge on August 1, 2022 at 5:30 pm
Jayden Bonsu
Twitter/@JaydenBonsu
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Ohio State’s top remaining safety target in the 2023 cycle has a new commitment date.

Four-star New Jersey safety Jayden Bonsu will now commit at 4 p.m. Aug. 14. Bonsu, who originally set a commitment date of July 20 before postponing it, will choose from a final five of Ohio State, Miami, Alabama, Penn State and Michigan State. 

Bonsu’s decision is likely going to be between the Buckeyes and Miami. If Bonsu had stuck to his original date of July 20, Miami likely would have been the choice for the 6-foot-1, 210-pound safety. A delay certainly gives Ohio State hope to get back into the race for Bonsu, who the Buckeyes have locked in even more on after five-star Caleb Downs committed to Alabama last month. But Miami will still be a strong contender for Bonsu over the next two weeks.

OSU currently has two safeties committed in the 2023 class in Cedrick Hawkins and Malik Hartford, but would like to take one more. Should Bonsu commit to OSU, that would likely conclude the Buckeyes’ safety recruiting for this cycle, though in an alternate universe where Downs committed to OSU, they would have taken both Downs and Bonsu. 

Bonsu took his official visit to Columbus on June 17. Since Perry Eliano was hired as OSU’s safeties coach in January, the pair have formed a strong relationship. 

“We just catch up with each other and check in on how each other’s week’s going and stuff like that,” Bonsu told Eleven Warriors in May.

2023 commits echo calming sentiments

Between Ohio State missing on several of its top targets in the current class and four-star cornerback Dijon Johnson’s decommitment from the Buckeyes Saturday, it’s been a rough few weeks for OSU on the recruiting trail. 

There also could be more bad news to come. Tight end Ty Lockwood, the first player to commit to Ohio State’s 2023 class, also appears to be contemplating a flip after visiting Alabama this weekend and tweeting out an official offer from the Crimson Tide on Monday.

Ryan Day was asked about Ohio State recruiting, specifically on the defensive side of the ball, at Big Ten Media Days last week and said he still expects OSU to have a top-five or at least a top-10 recruiting class this season.

Current Ohio State commits say they aren’t worried about the state of the Buckeyes’ recruiting either. Five-star wideout Brandon Inniss sent out a message to OSU fans Sunday hoping to calm unsettled nerves and confirming he’s locked in with the Buckeyes.

Carnell Tate, Noah Rogers, Mark Fletcher, Bryson Rodgers, Luke Montgomery and other OSU commits tweeted similar sentiments Sunday, each believing the Buckeyes will finish the year strong in recruiting. 

2023 commits land official offers

Aug. 1 is a fairly significant milestone on the recruiting calendar, as 2023 prospects are finally allowed to receive written offers from schools that have been recruiting them for months and sometimes years. 

Obviously, Ohio State and other colleges extend offers to prospects much earlier than August of their senior season, but only verbal offers. As the written, official offers were sent out to OSU’s 2023 commits, many of them took to Twitter again on Monday to share their offers from the Buckeyes.

Reaction to Brock Glenn’s commitment

There was also positive news for Ohio State’s 2023 class over the weekend as the Buckeyes secured the commitment of four-star Tennessee quarterback Brock Glenn. 

Glenn committed to the Buckeyes because he felt his development would be best served learning from OSU quarterbacks coach Corey Dennis and Ryan Day. 

“I feel like I can really trust them,” Glenn said of Dennis and Day after his announcement. “They develop quarterbacks every year … I’m extremely excited, obviously it’s a high-powered offense. Just watching their film, they do a lot of the same things we do (at our high school). I’m going to be comfortable in that offense.”

Following Glenn’s announcement, various Ohio State commits, players and members of the football staff chimed in on social media to celebrate Glenn’s commitment.

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