Top Ohio running back commits to Michigan; five-star defensive lineman sets visit

Mar 22, 2023 - 12:01 PM

Ohio State loses to Michigan again, but better things are on the horizon

It’s never a good feeling to lose to your rival, and unfortunately, it’s a feeling that Ohio State has had to get used to quite a bit recently, both on and off the field. In addition to the two most recent iterations of The Game, the Buckeyes lost another battle with the Wolverines on Tuesday as the top running back in the state of Ohio committed to play his college football in Ann Arbor.

Archbishop Moeller’s four-star running back Jordan Marshall chose the Maize and Blue over the Scarlet and Gray yesterday. The 5-foot-10, 195-pound running back is the No. 91 player in the country, seventh-rated running back, and third-ranked player in the state of Ohio according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings.

Along with TTUN, the reigning Ohio Gatorade Player of the Year had narrowed down his list of possible schools to Ohio State, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. With Marshall’s commitment to Michigan, he becomes the third Ohio native in the team’s 2024 class, joining No. 338 offensive lineman from Avon, Ohio Luke Hamilton and No. 390 defensive lineman Ted Hammond from St. Xavier.

While this is a blow to the Buckeyes’ class, it is not necessarily a debilitating one as they are the perceived leader for an even more well-regarded back. The very nice No. 69 player in the country James Peoples now becomes even more of an important piece in the recruiting puzzle for Tony Alford and the Buckeyes.

The four-star back from San Antonio does not currently hold any crystal balls from 247 experts, but does have an 89.2% prediction machine rating according to On3. Oklahoma and Texas are the other teams considered in the running for the back, but according to On3, they are considerably behind in the race currently.

Peoples will be in Columbus next week on March 30 and will make his official visit Friday, June 23 through Sunday, June 25. Monday, the 26th is my birthday, so it would be very nice if he gave me the present of a BOOM!

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Quick Hits

• Larry Johnson and the Buckeyes will have an opportunity to potentially land the next great Ohio State defensive lineman from June 23-25. In addition to Peoples’ being in town that weekend, so will the No. 11 player in the country, Chicago St. Ignatius defensive lineman Justin Scott. The 6-foot-4, 310-pound prospect has set those days from a trip to Columbus according to Rivals’ Clint Cosgrove. He will visit the Georgia Bulldogs earlier in the month from June 2-4.
• Ohio State is looking to add a Tank to the defensive line. Former Maryland defensive tackle Anthony “Tank” Booker was on campus on Tuesday, presumably for Ohio State’s spring practice. The Cincinnati Winton Woods alum has two years of eligibility remaining. He was not an especially often-used player for the Terps, but flashed this season in limited reps. Fellow Winton Woods players Miyan Williams and Jermaine Mathews are currently on the Buckeyes’ roster.

• While the Ohio State football team is back from spring break, high school players from across the country are taking advantage of their breaks in order to get in some unofficial visits. One of those players is the No. 71 player in the 2025 class Eli Owens who picked up an offer from the Buckeyes on Tuesday. The 6-foot-2 athlete from Alcoa, Tenn. is the No. 4 rated athlete in the country and fourth-rated prospect from the Volunteer State.

• The No. 1 athlete in the 2024 recruiting class Mike Matthews is planning on cutting down his list of finalists to 12 in the relatively near future according to 247Sports’ Brandon Huffman. Currently, the Lilburn, Ga. native says that Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State, Tennessee, and USC are the schools that stick out. The No. 10 player in the country, Matthews is projected as a wide receiver.