Who does Ohio State turn to next at linebacker for the 2024 recruiting class?

It was not a good weekend for Ohio State linebacker recruiting.

Two of their top remaining targets, Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa and Edwin Spillman decided to commit elsewhere. Many of the top linebackers in the country have already decided on where they will play their college football, so the Buckeyes have their work cut out for them to find a third for 2024.

The good news is that the cupboard isn’t bare, as there are already commits from Garrett Stover and Peyton Pierce, although Stover could ultimately play safety. It was pretty obvious the coaching staff wanted a third in the class and let’s take a look at who could fill that role for the Buckeyes.

The portal

Why?

Honestly, looking at current uncommitted targets, it looks pretty grim. The Buckeyes put a lot of resources into Viliamu-Asa and came up short. Looking at the transfer portal is most likely the best avenue for another 2024 player at the position, but not at this moment. Testing the waters with former Clemson Tiger, TJ Dudley, and Northwestern Wildcat, Justin Cryer, makes sense at the moment.

Georgia’s Devin Smith

Why?

The Buckeyes offered Smith a scholarship at the end of March and he has yet to make any official visits. At 6-foot, 1-inch, and 220-pounds, he fits the mold of a middle linebacker. Smith is a prospect whose stock has risen lately — he’s better than his No. 57 linebacker and 559th overall ranking by the 247Sports Composite Rankings. Getting him on campus in the fall is a must especially considering the Buckeyes aren’t in his top group.

Turning their attention to the 2025 class

Why?

The Buckeyes missed out on most of their main linebacker targets, similar to what happened last cycle with defensive linemen. The coaching staff has a lot of offers out to 2025 prospects but no commitments at the moment. It has to figure out what went wrong and…

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