When five-star 2024 defensive end Elijah Rushing earned an Ohio State offer in January, any future visit plans to Columbus were up in the air.
That has changed, as the Arizona edge rusher confirmed to Eleven Warriors Tuesday he’s going to visit Ohio State's campus sometime this spring, though an exact date is still to be determined. The visit will be Rushing’s second to the school, as he attended the Buckeyes’ spring game last year.
Rushing is one of the more highly-touted prospects on the Buckeyes’ recruiting board in the 2024 cycle, as he’s considered the 16th-best player and third-best edge rusher in the 2024 class per 247Sports’ composite rankings. While landing one of the most prized defensive ends will be a tall task, a confirmed visit goes a long way in giving the Buckeyes a chance of lading Rushing, who plans on releasing a top-five schools list after the spring and committing sometime by the end of the summer.
The Buckeyes have a chance with Rushing primarily because of defensive line coach Larry Johnson, who Rushing has nothing but praise for.
“He’s the No. 1 defensive line coach in the country,” Rushing said of Johnson in January. “He’s put multiple defensive players at my position in the league. Any defensive player that gets an offer from coach Johnson – it’s an honor to have.”
Rushing delivered a dominant junior season for Salpointe Catholic (Tuscon, Arizona) as he racked up 73 tackles (13.5 for loss), 11.5 sacks, one pass deflection and four forced fumbles in 12 games in 2022.
Other schools firmly in the mix for Rushing include Notre Dame, Miami, Colorado and Oregon.
“Really just the fit. If the scheme makes sense for me, if the school makes sense, if the team and atmosphere make sense,” Rushing said regarding the most important factors of his recruitment. “It’s just how I feel in that program, and if I can be developed into the player I want to be. Everyone who goes into this sport at the D1 level has aspirations to go to the NFL, so that’s a non-negotiable that a school can give me the best chance to move forward there. And then a place that we can compete on a daily basis and compete for winning it all.”
Booker Pickett puts Ohio State in his top schools
One of Ohio State’s top linebacker targets in the class of 2024 has begun to narrow down his recruitment. Four-star Florida prospect Booker Pickett Jr. released a top nine list on Tuesday: Ohio State, Tennessee, Florida State, South Carolina, USC, Louisville, Penn State, Georgia and Miami.
Wheres home ?? pic.twitter.com/TiRvg5voJ7
— Booker B9 Pickett jr. (@pickett_booker) February 14, 2023
Pickett, the nephew of former Ohio State defensive tackle standout Ryan Pickett, is considered the 52nd-best prospect in the nation and the sixth-rated edge rusher per 247Sports’ composite rankings.
He earned his Ohio State offer in April after he visited Columbus for the Buckeyes’ spring game, then had a dominating junior season with 56 tackles (16 for loss), an eye-popping 30 sacks, two pass deflections, a fumble recovery and four forced fumbles. He’s expected to revisit the school sometime this spring.
Baker expected to visit Ohio State in the spring
One of Ohio State’s top offensive tackle targets in the 2024 class is expected to visit Columbus in the near future. Four-star offensive tackle Brandon Baker told 247Sports he plans to visit Ohio State sometime this spring for an unofficial visit, though he doesn’t have a set date as of yet.
Other schools Baker plans on visiting include Michigan, Notre Dame and Miami. However, other schools certainly will be a factor for the California product in his recruitment, such as USC, Georgia and Oregon.
