COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State football’s 2023 recruiting class hasn’t spent much time in the spotlight since arriving as the nation’s No. 4 class.
A class with just one five-star recruit has spent the past two years either developing in the background or being used as depth pieces in key moments only flashing their upside. But now the group enters Year 3 and their time to emerge as stars has finally arrived.
Ryan Day’s third full recruiting class essentially embodies the idea of what former OSU defensive backs Malik Hooker and Marshon Lattimore were during their college careers. Neither could get on the field their first two seasons for reasons ranging from lingering injuries to being blocked by veterans in front of them. Then something clicked in 2016 with each making a jump putting them among the best players in college football and first-round picks in the 2017 NFL Draft.
That could be the path for a class marred by the idea that NIL prevented it from being the best possible class it could be on Signing Day, to spending two years under the radar.
So far, only Carnell Tate has established himself as a starter. The former No. 8 player and No. 9 wide receiver in the 2023 class caught 52 passes for 733 yards and four touchdowns this season playing alongside senior Emeka Egbuka and Jeremiah Smith. Now he and Smith are among the few returning starters for the Buckeyes in 2025.
Caleb Downs is the only other third-year player entering 2025 without any question marks. But he wasn’t originally part of that class, starting his career at Alabama and quickly becoming a star.
