The Ohio State football recruiting class of 2023 is complete and despite some murmurs of negativity in the crowd, this class is fantastic from top to bottom. One of the studs of this class is a four-star edge defender from the state of Indiana in Joshua Mickens.
Mickens is regarded as a top 145 prospect in the country and a top 20 edge defender in the class but is going to have a hard time cracking this talented depth chart. J.T. Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer look primed to explode during their third year on campus and youngsters like Kenyatta Jackson and Cade Curry are also primed for significant playing time.
Name: Joshua Mickens
High School: Lawrence Central (Indianapolis, IN)
Height: 6-feet, 3-inches
Weight: 225 pounds
4-Star Edge
Strengths
Breaking It All Down
Joshua Mickens is a ball of clay that the coaching staff is looking forward to molding. He has the ideal frame to develop further as a defensive end, an outside linebacker, or possibly the jack role. Mickens has the rare length that will allow him to take advantage of most blockers. He also plays with a high motor and constantly makes play down the field or from rushing behind.
Joshua Mickens (@JoshuaMickens7) too smooth. pic.twitter.com/NnaYjDXBq1
— Matt Parker (@MattParkerLR) January 4, 2023
Weaknesses
Breaking It All Down
Joshua Mickens is a developmental prospect that should not be expected to play immediately, because both his body and technique need to develop more before he can make a valuable impact.
Joshua Mickens with a filthy cross-chop on Caden Jones during 1-on-1’s @AABonNBC https://t.co/v5HtfTKZdW pic.twitter.com/D3HCi1c1mP
— Cody Bellaire (@CodyBellaire) January 4, 2023
Expectations
Breaking It All Down
Joshua Mickens has an extremely high ceiling, but he is nowhere near a finished prospect. He has all the potential in the world as a multiple-sport athlete, with a very unique body to go with ideal length and a high-effort player that will no doubt put in the work. But it is hard for me to envision him seeing much action his first couple of seasons due to how much more his body and technique need to develop.
Texas A&M signee Colton Thomasson (@ColtonThomasson) against Joshua Mickens. pic.twitter.com/sI4lvfw72F
— Andrew Hattersley (@AndrewHatts) January 4, 2023
