Elite defender spurns Ohio State football days before he was expected to take an official visit, now trending toward two other CFB powers
An elite recruit was expected to be in Columbus this weekend to be at Ohio State. Now, it appears the Buckeyes will be heading elsewhere to play college football.
It’s a huge recruiting weekend for the Ohio State Buckeyes, headlined by five-star RB David Gabriel Georges out of Tennessee.
Ohio State will have at least three big-time visitors, including Texas Tech five-star WR commit Benny Easter Jr.
The Buckeyes were expected to have a big-time recruit from the Midwest in town this weekend as well, but it won’t happen.
Notre Dame, Oregon trending for a major recruit who canceled a visit to Ohio State
Ohio State was expected to have a pair of elite defensive tackle recruits in town this weekend, but five-star Sierra Canyon (DL) Marcus Fakatou is the only one who will be in Columbus. The Buckeyes had planned to have Brother Rice (Ill) DL Brayden Parks in for an official, but the visit has been canceled, according to Rivals’ Steve Wiltfong.
Parks’ only two visits set to happen this summer are now to Notre Dame on June 12, then Oregon on June 19. Ohio State was set to be the biggest contender to land the 6-foot-3, 305-pound defensive lineman over Notre Dame and Oregon. Notre Dame has been seen as the favorite to bring in a player who isn’t far at all from then, but the latest buzz has Oregon rising in his recruitment.
According to 247 Sports Composite, Parks is the No. 19 defensive lineman and No. 172 player nationally in the class of 2027.
Ohio State is all in on other elite talent over Brayden Parks
The Buckeyes are the school to beat for Fakatou out of California and for good reason: he’s the No. 2 defensive lineman in the country and a top 35 player nationally. Ohio State would love to bring in both Fakatou and his high school running partner, Kasi Currie.
Currie is the No. 5 defensive lineman in the country and a top 60 player. Larry Johnson is building an impressive defensive line class with five-star EDGE DJ Jacobs as the headliner. Four-star Wyatt Smith is the other pass rusher in the class right now, and the Buckeyes will add another.
Reading the tea leaves, it isn’t hard to see that the Parks visit being canceled isn’t a bad thing. Ohio State is higher on other players at the same position, and you can’t bring them all in with how NIL works in today’s game.