Happy Monday. I hope all of your holidays went well and your plans for New Year’s are shaping up nicely.
There’s a decent chance you all had a better holiday than I did, as my Friday consisted of me slipping in the middle of a winter storm in Illinois, breaking my ankle in two places while also fracturing my fibula, requiring me to have surgery on Christmas Eve.
Funnily enough, the first thought that crossed my mind upon receiving the diagnosis was whether I’d still be able to make it to Atlanta to assist Dan and Griffin with Peach Bowl coverage, and not the fact my ankle was in all sorts of bad shape. Priorities, right?
Anyhow, despite very nearly stubbornly ordering myself a rental wheelchair for Saturday and trying to photograph the Peach Bowl in that manner, cooler heads prevailed. Instead, I will be working remotely doing what I can to help the Eleven Warriors beat team from a coverage standpoint from afar.
In the meantime, we’ve got a few recruiting items to delve into from over the holiday weekend, so let’s not waste any time. P.S., if anyone knows of a good orthopedic surgeon in Columbus, I'm all ears!
Joshisa Trader puts OSU in his top 5
Ohio State has already landed its top wide receiver target for the class of 2024 with the commitment of five-star Florida prospect Jeremiah Smith. The Buckeyes would love to go two-for-two on recruiting five-star wideouts that play for Chaminade-Madonna Prep and pair Joshisa Trader and Smith together in college. After Trader narrowed his recruitment down to five schools on Sunday, OSU is still in the running to do just that.
The Buckeyes made Trader’s top five along with Miami, Florida State, Florida and Tennessee.
BREAKING: Five-Star WR Joshisa Trader is down to 5 Schools!
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) December 26, 2022
The 61 185 WR from Miami, FL is ranked as the No. 8 Player in the 24 Class (No. 4 WR)https://t.co/yr8PyFrKtR pic.twitter.com/T6n58EYq5F
Since Smith committed to the Buckeyes earlier this month, he’s been vocal about wanting his high school teammate to join him in Columbus. Throughout the fall, Trader has sported various collegiate logo stickers on his helmet, including Miami and Ohio State.
You wont find a better receiver duo in the country. @305Sportss
— Anthony Yero (@AnthonyYero1) November 25, 2022
Jeremiah Smith and Joshisa Trader are next level. pic.twitter.com/A0tDDgYoNQ
In 13 games this season en route to helping lead Chaminade-Madonna Prep to a state title, Trader racked up 47 catches for 743 yards with seven touchdown receptions. He also attempted two passes and completed both for 106 yards and a touchdown.
Trader has visited Columbus several times, once for a spring practice in March with a host of his seven-on-seven teammates and for the season opener on Sept. 3 against Notre Dame. Several of his South Florida Express teammates are Ohio State commits or signees, including Carnell Tate, Brandon Inniss, Cedrick Hawkins and Smith.
While Trader has narrowed his recruitment down to five schools, he’s not likely to make a decision any time soon, as he told On3 he’d likely take his decision process the distance and make a commitment next December.
“I am going to take my time,” Trader told On3. “My official visits could change that, but I do not expect to commit until December next year. I want to keep taking visits, build on relationships, see how teams next season and find the schools that can help me grow and develop the most.”
Ethan Barbour gets Ohio State offer
Christmas came early for four-star 2025 Georgia tight end Ethan Barbour on Saturday. On Christmas Eve, the 6-foot-3, 215-pound tight end announced he received an offer from Ohio State, making him the fifth tight end the Buckeyes have offered in the 2025 cycle.
Huge Christmas surprise! Im blessed to receive an offer from THE Ohio State University!! #GoBucks@CoachKee @N_Murph @ryandaytime @zachwoodke_ @Bill_Kurelic @JasonKervin @quonmarshall16 @Mhoward38 @BGrubbs66 @JeremyO_Johnson @Mansell247 @adamgorney @ChadSimmons_ @SWiltfong247 pic.twitter.com/hujV290wpy
— Ethan Barbour (@EthanBarbour5) December 24, 2022
According to 247Sports’ rankings, Barbour is considered the 69th-best prospect and third-best tight end in the 2025 cycle. The Georgia prospect has 15 Division I offers, including Georgia, Colorado, Florida, Florida State, Louisville, Maryland, Notre Dame, Ole Miss, Miami, Pittsburgh and South Carolina.
Barbour visited OSU earlier this season for the Buckeyes’ victory against Indiana, and came away impressed by what he saw on his trip.
“My visit was great,” Barbour told Eleven Warriors in November. One of my key takeaways was just how thorough they were. They literally discussed everything from what it means to be a Buckeye, how they help you manage your academic schedule, nutrition, and they even discussed how they prepare you for life on and off the field. The level of detail was incredible.”
Elias Rudolph puts the Buckeyes in his top 10
One of Ohio State’s top defensive end targets in the 2024 class is starting to narrow down his recruitment. Four-star Ohio defensive end Elias Rudolph announced a top 10 on Saturday that consisted of Ohio State, Tennessee, Michigan State, Kentucky, Cincinnati, Michigan, Arkansas, Georgia Tech, West Virginia and Pittsburgh.
Where is home??? pic.twitter.com/YwaFIk6pWG
— Elias Rudolph (@EliasRudolph6) December 25, 2022
Rudolph, considered the 116th-best player and the 11th-best defensive end in 2024, has visited Ohio State multiple times this fall and has long been connected to the Buckeyes. After receiving his offer from OSU on June 1 after a recruiting camp, the 6-foot-4, 220-pound Rudolph made it clear where the Buckeyes stand with him.
“I ain’t a fan of too many schools, but I'm a fan of Ohio State,” Rudolph said in June.
Dippre to announce decision at 10 a.m. Tuesday
Ohio State’s top tight end target on the transfer market CJ Dippre is set to make a decision between his top two schools: Ohio State and Alabama.
The Maryland tight end announced he’d be committing at 10 a.m. on Tuesday. One day before he is expected to choose his next school, the Crimson Tide are considered the favorite to land Dippre.
Announcing tomorrow at 10am
— CJ Dippre (@CjDippre) December 26, 2022
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The 6-foot-5, 260-pound sophomore tight end caught 30 passes for 314 yards and three touchdowns for Maryland last fall. That included Dippre catching at least one pass in every game for Maryland during the regular season, and hauling in four balls for 30 yards and a touchdown against Ohio State when the two teams met in College Park on Nov. 19.
