The Wolverines signed the Big Ten's No. 2 class in the 2021 cycle, and they remain near the top of the conference this time around. The secondary has benefited with two strong pickups in Johnson and four-star Kody Jones. The rangy and heady Johnson is a key commitment, as he is not only among the top five cornerback prospects in the class, but is also the top-rated player in the state of Michigan. Jones, who possesses excellent quickness, is listed as an athlete but projects to cornerback.
The Wolverines went west to California to find their QB, Jayden Denegal, a big, strong-armed passer who can throw the ball with power and velocity. Originally from Germany but now playing his high school football in Georgia, he is a 6-foot-6, 220-pound prospect with promising upside and the tools to grow into a versatile and physical offensive weapon. As of September 27, 2021; Rankings from AP PollThe 2021 Ohio State Buckeyes football team represents Ohio State University in the 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They will be led by third-year head coach Ryan Day, and play their home games at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.
It will be the Buckeyes' 132nd season overall and 109th as a member of the Big Ten Conference. Commitments have slowed with the start of college football season, but action on the recruiting trail never stops, as proved by several teams being able to strengthen their classes and climb in the rankings. 2) One of the things that has become very obvious over the past few seasons is that you don't have to be a very good college football coach at all to win a lot of games at UCF.
George O'Leary focused the machine, and it's done some great things ever since. So what happens when you finally bring in a somewhat competent head coach (STOP LAUGHING!) in Gus Malzahn? He's probably an entirely new man now that he's escaped dealing with Auburn's booster network. Food tastes good for the first time in a decade, he's probably sleeping through the night, and he remembered his wife's name isn't just a bunch of muttering growls. They've got a ton of players coming back, and Gus smuggled a number of guys from the plains to the shadows of Disney.
Ohio State took an early lead on 71-yard touchdown run by Miyan Williams and a 35-yard field goal. Leading 10–0, Minnesota scored two consecutive touchdowns in the second quarter to take a 14–10 lead at the half. CJ Stroud then hit Garrett Wilson on a 56-yard touchdown pass to give the Buckeyes a 24–21 lead. On the ensuing possession, Haskell Garrett recovered a strip sack and returned the fumble 32 yards for a touchdown and pushing the Buckeye lead to 31–21. Following a Minnesota field goal, Stroud hit TreVeyon Henderson on a 70-yard pass and run to extend OSU's lead to 14. Minnesota narrowed the lead to seven again with just over five minutes remaining, but Stroud hit Chris Olave for a 61-yard touchdown, Olave's second in the game and Stroud's fourth touchdown pass.
The Tigers are still a long way from where fans are used to seeing them in the rankings, but new head coach Bryan Harsin picked up some recruiting momentum later in the summer and is moving in the right direction. Donaldson is a terrific athlete who will also play basketball at Auburn, and ESPN 300 DL Caden Story is a prospect with good reach and mobility in the trenches. Hometown pickup Powell Gordon is an underrated edge defender with good initial quickness and active hands. The first player on board for the 2022 cycle was QB Geriner, an accurate passer with a strong arm. The foundation of the Spartans' class is built on big in-state victories, led by three of the state's top 10 prospects.
DT VanSumeren, a one-time Michigan commit, possesses good initial quickness and excellent strength, and has the tools to anchor their defensive line unit in coming seasons. Rangy ATH Jaden Mangham could play on either side of the ball, likely best contributing in the secondary. Gates is a nice-sized target with some savviness as a route runner and the ability to make tough catches in traffic. The Spartans went out west to land four-star QB Katin Houser, a passer with good mechanics and a strong arm. Despite struggling during the 2020 season, LSU has maintained a strong presence on the recruiting trail.
After signing the No. 6-ranked class in 2021, the Tigers are again having a strong showing for 2022. Always tough to beat on their home turf, they have commitments from several key in-state prospects, led by QB Walker Howard and top-10 OT Campbell. Building off their tradition of fielding excellent defensive backs, LSU holds commitments from a pair of top-20 cornerbacks in Welch and the lengthy and instinctive JaDarian Rhym. The Buckeyes landed their top target, five-star QB Quinn Ewers, and got him on campus sooner than expected. Ewers reclassifying from the 2022 class to 2021 made the Buckeyes' bid for their first No. 1-ranked recruiting class in the ESPN rankings era a little tougher.
That said, their 2022 class is still impressive, and they will remain near the top of the rankings once again. They have multiple ESPN 300 wide receivers including Brown, who can be a versatile offensive option, and Caleb Burton, who was one several big pickups out of Texas. Defense is also well represented, including two top-15 defensive back commits in Terrance Brooks and Jyaire Brown. In-state linebacker Hicks is a well-rounded player who brings strong leadership qualities to Columbus. They scored big at RB, landing top-rated Emmanuel Henderson, an explosive runner with good vision. Top-rated QB-DT Ty Simpson is the son of a college coach who possesses a compact and smooth delivery.
Getting five-star Alexander back into the mix after he decommitted during his junior season was big, as the top in-state prospect can be an explosive and quick front-seven defender. Robert Woodyard, a top-10 in-state prospect as well, is another strong pickup on defense. But that matchup is just the most recent addition to a laundry list of major college football teams the Buckeyes have on the schedule for the next decade.
USC fired head coach Clay Helton early in the season, and the new staff is in line to inherit a small but talented class, especially at the skill positions. The secondary greatly benefited from early success on the recruiting trail with a trio of top-25 CBs on board in five-star Jackson, Fabian Ross and Jaeden Gould, a tall, physical presence. Offensively, the the class is led by one of the top and most improved QB prospects in Brown, a passer with good anticipation and touch. The Trojans have reeled in several commits from Texas, including four-star WR Caleb Douglas and three-star ILB Ty Kana from powerhouse program Katy High.
A key early pickup for new South Carolina coach Shane Beamer was Davis, a poised and strong-armed QB with nice upside. The Gamecocks have been building a strong class around their ESPN 300 QB, bolstering their offensive line with high three-star Grayson Mains. ESPN 300 ATH Ja'Marion Wayne and four-star safety Isaac Thompson were also big in-state pickups. The staff did an excellent job of establishing a strong relationship early on with Sam Horn, an accurate passer from Georgia; the ball can jump off his hands. The Seminoles have had struggles at quarterback in recent years, but Mike Norvell has secured his passer for the 2022 cycle in Duffy.
A coach's kid who will arrive in Tallahassee from IMG Academy, he will bring good accuracy but strong instincts, and should come in ready to compete for playing time immediately. The Seminoles also have landed one of the top defensive prospects in this class in Hunter, who possesses an excellent blend of speed, quickness, length and toughness. The addition of No. 1 athlete Sam McCall, who is an explosive player and can be a sideline-to-sideline presence, can give the Seminoles two big-time playmakers in their secondary. The Ohio State Buckeyes are the one of the most storied programs in college football history, having won seven national championships - an accomplishment which ties them for 9th all-time with the Oklahoma Sooners. They also have banners for the 1942, 1954, 1957, 1961, 1968, and 1970 seasons.
Another important part of the reported plan is that any Big Ten or Pac-12 team scheduled to play Notre Dame could count the Fighting Irish as an ACC opponent, given their scheduling deal with the conference. Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State and Purdue have future games scheduled against Notre Dame, while USC and Stanford have annual series with the Fighting Irish. You can find links to previous and future schedules at the bottom of this page. Here is the complete 2021 Ohio State football schedule, including opponents, results and players to watch. Southern Miss has several games against Power 5 conference opponents scheduled in upcoming seasons.
It will play Alabama in 2021, Miami in 2022, Florida State in 2023, Ohio State in 2024, Mississippi State in 2025. The Buckeyes will play a nine-game conference schedule and have three games against non-conference opponents. The only knock against the Buckeyes last year was that they only played six conference games, including the Big Ten Championship. Now, supposing that no games are canceled this time around, Ohio State will play a full schedule in 2021. The revised schedule has Ohio State starting 2021 in Minneapolis on a Thursday night.
Then, the Buckeyes play the second leg of their previously scheduled home-and-home against Oregon. Unfortunately, this will be the only game in this series, as the game in Eugene was canceled last season. Pat Fitzgerald and staff continue to identify talent that fits their program and develop it into strong production on the field. One of the top prospects in state, WR Fleurima is a target with good ball skills and body control.
Four-star RB Joseph Himon II is diminutive in stature but is quick and elusive with the ball in his hands. The Wildcats added several O-line prospects, including high three-star OT Austin Firestone, an aggressive blocker with a nice frame to develop. Safety Trevon Howard out of IMG Academy is an instinctive player and good tackler who could be a quick contributor. The Cowboys signed the No. 3 class in the Big 12 for 2021 and are in the mix to do so again in 2022.
The onetime Oklahoma commit is a lengthy target and good route-runner who can also be a dangerous red zone weapon. Their class includes a talented signal-caller in Garret Rangel, a player who displays good instincts and timing. Several other offensive weapons include a trio of four-star running backs in Ollie Gordon, the diminutive-but-lightning-quick Braylin Presley and C.J. Rutgers brought back head coach Greg Schiano to try to elevate the program after years of struggles on the field and in recruiting. So far, Schiano is signaling he can deliver and has Rutgers ranked among the top classes in the Big Ten.
Keeping top talent close to home will be key, and an early indication he is up for that fight was landing Allen, the No. 3-ranked player in New Jersey. He has also landed several other solid in-state commitments, notably from three-star DE Kenny Fletcher. QB Gavin Wimsatt, who combines a smooth delivery with the ability to throw for power, was a key part of this 2022 class, but Rutgers did not have to wait to get him on campus, as he reclassified and enrolled this fall. Head coach Tom Allen and staff are building off a successful 2020 campaign on the field and assembling one of the Big Ten's top classes in 2022.
Former Ohio State commit McCullough is a big, aggressive defender with good agility and can be an impact-type defender for the Hoosiers. They continue to do well in Florida with several four-star defensive pickups, including CB Trevell Mullen. Four-star OL Demon Moore was a nice in-state get, and they dipped into Texas to land a QB in this class in the strong-armed Josh Hoover. Clemson has seven straight top-10 classes, including the No. 1 class in 2020, and with a strong push over the summer months, it is again contending for a top-10 finish. The Tigers picked up some steam in June with several commitments, including ESPN 300 defenders Sherrod Covil, a physical safety, and Jihaad Campbell, a lengthy and agile prospect with a high ceiling for development.
Their defensive class continued to benefit with two top-10 CB pickups in July with Everette and Jeadyn Lukus, as well as landing top-10 safety Keon Sabb. Offensively, they have a pair of ESPN 300 offensive line prospects in Collin Sadler, an in-state prospect, and Blake Miller, a big body who displays excellent strength. They have had success close to home with commitments from two of the state's top-three-ranked prospects, ESPN 300 S Trejon Williams and ESPN 300 OLB Emar'rion Winston.
They landed multiple ESPN 300 prospects out of California as well, including ATH Tucker, who possesses big-time speed and could contribute on either side of the ball but projects to cornerback in college. Oregon landed its quarterback in Tanner Bailey, a promising prospect who is a poised and accurate passer with a quick release. Ohio State's class of 2022 isn't exactly hurting by any means, but if there's one position group that really could use a shot in the arm it's the defensive line.
Ohio State has yet to land a player of that position group, and that can probably be most attributed to a lot of their top targets taking their time with the recruiting process because they are of a more national brand. Still, the Buckeyes typically don't have to wait this long, but odds are they still end with more than just a couple of dynamic playmakers in the trenches. Football will always be our focus, but every day we’ll cover news, notes and analysis from across Buckeyes sports.
Join us each morning to get caught up on everything you missed in the world of Ohio State football, recruiting, basketball and more. Ohio State University football schedules for the next four seasons are set with the additions of games against Arkansas State, San Jose State and Western Kentucky. Never miss a game this season with our College Wire downloadable 2021 Ohio State Buckeyes football schedule.
Use as wallpaper for your locked screen on your smartphone and let everyone know how to plan life events like weddings and births around the Scarlet and Gray calendar. Ohio State defeated the Minnesota Golden Gophers in Week 1 of the college football season. The Big Ten Championship Game is already set for December 3, 2022, and if the Buckeyes reach the College Football Playoff, they will return to a familiar stadium. The semifinals will be held in the Cotton Bowl and Orange Bowl, and the national championship game will be held in Indianapolis.
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Big Ten Conference released its football schedules for the 2022 through the 2025 seasons today. Ohio State University now has completed schedules for the next three seasons with six non-conference games still to be scheduled between 2022 and 2025. It's become one of the biggest storylines in college football, especially with the prominence of the College Football Playoff.
The game with OSU leaves one more spot for a future opponent in Akron's 2021 non-conference schedule, as they're also set to face Temple at home on Sept. 11. FBSSchedules.com reports Akron is also set to face Kentucky on Sept. 18, although the school's official website does not list the matchup. All sports, all the time, plus unique coverage of UConn athletics, local high school sports, and Connecticut's pro teams, the Sun and Hartford Athletic. Ohio State and Arkansas State will meet for the first time on Sept. 10, 2022 at Ohio Stadium.
The game will be the middle of three consecutive home games to open the 2022 season after the season opener vs. Notre Dame and one week before a game against Toledo. Lane Kiffin steered Ole Miss to a top-25 class for 2021, and to try and do so again, he's building a foundation off of in-state talent. The Rebels have commitments from four of the top 10 prospects in the state, led by DT Harris, a big body who can be a tough interior run-stuffer. In-state four-star Marquez Dortch, who is still being pursued by a few other SEC programs, could contribute at WR or CB. Potential future offensive weapons include Larry Simmons, a polished route runner, and Kyirin Heath, a smooth, lengthy target. We felt UCLA needed to elevate its recruiting efforts this cycle, and thus far the Bruins are showing signs of doing that.
Head coach Chip Kelly has added several offensive weapons, including a pair of ESPN 300 tight ends in Pedersen and Carsen Ryan. Pedersen is a big body who can be an effective blocker and also possesses good agility and hands to be a productive receiving target as well. UCLA also has a trio of in-state ESPN 300 WRs on board in Mekhi Fox, Clint Stephens and Jadyn Marshall.
The former defensive coordinator has certainly targeted some talent for that side of the ball, including ESPN 300 CB Coley and top-15 ILB Langston Patterson, from in state. Originally from Europe, high three-star athlete Darren Agu is an intriguing prospect to follow as he possesses a nice ceiling for development. The Commodores went into Texas to land QB Dickey, a prospect with a big arm that can make all the throws.
