Recruiting Dead Period Lifted, Here’s What to Know This Month for OSU

June 1, 2021

The NCAA lifted the recruiting dead period Tuesday after being in place since March 13, 2020. That means for the first time in more than a year that recruits are allowed to take official visits, camps conducted by schools are once again permissible and coaches can resume live evaluations of prospects — all of which has been put on ice the last year.

That all took effect at midnight ET last night.

Here’s what took place at FSU shortly after those restrictions were lifted.

Between the looming football season, the longstanding halt of recruiting traditions and the lack of drama on that scene in the sport, most expect this month to be one of the more active months in college football. There’s a lot of making up to do. Official visits and live contact with coaches should set in motion a particularly hectic June.

From the OSU perspective, here are a few predictions on that front and a few names to keep on the radar that are expected to be on the OSU campus.

Predictions

1. OSU takes another quarterback: OSU has its primary target at quarterback in the 2022 class with Garret Rangel, a three-star talent from Lone Star High School in Frisco, Texas. But 2022 has always been circled on the calendar for OSU as a cycle in which a rare two-QB class could be in the cards. With Ethan Bullock entering his final season, Dru Brown gone and Brendon Costello transferring before his eligibility was up, there’s space in the class to target another at the position.

Jones (OK) quarterback Carson May is the one I’m most fascinated to monitor. To this point he’s a relative unknown nationally — only Old Dominion and Western Michigan have offered — but he’s got the size at 6-foot-5 and the arm strength to be a high-major gunslinger. With the Gun Show throwing camp being one of the first this month for the Pokes, he could perhaps separate himself and prove to the staff he’s worthy of an offer.

2. The Ollie Gordon interest becomes impossible to ignore: OSU’s second-highest ranked commitment in the 2022 class, Gordon is a four-star running back who recently announced that USC had offered. That was the first school to make a move since his commitment to OSU in February, but it’s unlikely the last. OSU fans probably have some PTSD hearing that an OSU-committed running back is drawing interest from USC thanks to what went down with Ronald Jones, and I doubt this situation will be easier to endure. He’s one of the best pure talents in the entire state of Texas, and I expect once recruiting really kicks into high gear, the list of suitors for him will continue to grow. Hanging onto him and CJ Brown — the highest-ranked commits in the 2022 class and both of whom are expected to play running back — is priority No. 1 in the coming weeks and months.

3. OSU builds its bullies up front: OSU offensive line coach Charlie Dickey is a mammoth recruiter with a legendary presence known for attracting big-time talents. Last cycle he collected five offensive linemen and five the year prior, as well. This cycle that number is zero … for now. But that number will grow soon, and perhaps as early as this month. The big name to watch is former OSU commit Kelvin Banks as he makes an official visit. He’s a top-25 national prospect. Others include Oklahoma native Jacob Sexton and a trio of Texas targets in Bray Lynch, Nikolas Hall and Alvin Ebosele.


Notable visitors (2022 class)
  • Jordan Crook, LB (June 9-11): OSU beat out Arkansas, Texas Tech, Baylor and others suitors for Crook’s commitment back in March. But locking that down and wowing him with a rolling out of the orange carpet on his official is key. He’s one of two LB commits in this cycle, and it’s a position OSU really needs to work hard to bolster.
  • Curlee Thomas, DE (June 16-18): OSU at various points of Thomas’ recruitment has looked like the frontrunner to secure his commitment. The Cowboys are among the seven major schools in the mix to land him. Texas Tech, Arkansas and Cal look like the biggest threats.
  • Dylahn McKinney, CB (June 9-11): OSU was the third major conference program to offer McKinney a scholarship last fall. He’s a two-sport athlete who also competes in track and field, fitting the mold OSU loves in its athletes in terms of versatility. With Avyonne Jones decommitting from OSU, it makes McKinney even more important as a CB target.
  • Kelvin Banks, OL (June 16-18 visit): Getting Banks — a former OSU pledge — back on board would be monumental. He’d become not just the highest ranked player in OSU’s 2022 class, but OSU’s highest ranked recruit … ever.
  • Kyron Chambers, CB (June 16-18 visit): 247Sports’ Cody Nagel put in a crystal ball prediction in February that Chambers would land at OSU. But a lot has changed since then, with Colorado, South Carolina, Arizona and others all jumping in the mix since. Still, OSU was his fourth offer back in January, and the Pokes have been consistent with him since.

Other major names to watch: Braylin Presley, CJ Brown, Garret Rangel, Mason Gilkey, Cameron Epps, Landon Dean, Gabe Brown, Bray Lynch, Jacob Sexton, Kaian Roberts-Day, Brenen Thompson, Trevel Johnson, Tre Emory

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