There are exceptions, but by and large, to win consistently in big-time college football, you have to recruit at an elite level. There are only a handful of teams that have done that since 247Sports started measuring and keeping track of these sorts of things and Ohio State is one of them (sorry Michigan, but nope).
And with a program like Ohio State, the reach has been national with players coming from many different states. Sure, Ohio is king when it comes to talent committing to the program, but other states like Florida, Texas, and California have also sent plenty of players to the banks of the Olentangy.
We thought it would be a fun exercise to go back through the all-time 247Sports recruiting database and pick out the highest-ranked commit from each state since the year 2000 just to see what it would look like. We only go back that far because that’s when things started to really get measured in the high-stakes game of recruiting wars.
It’s interesting, to say the least, and even more interesting to reflect on the path each player took once on campus (but that’s for another day).
Here is a look at the best recruit from every state Ohio State has landed on campus to play the game of American collegiate football.
Ohio (194 recruits ranked)
Player and 247Sports Ranking
Ted Ginn, Jr., Glenville (Cleveland, Ohio) – Class of 2004
247Sports Ranking Breakdown
5-star (0.9992 score)
No. 1 ranked dual-threat quarterback
No. 2 overall nationally
Florida (43 recruits ranked)
🚨NEW🚨 Ohio State WR commit Jeremiah Smith ranks No. 3 and five-stars in the updated 2024 On300🌰https://t.co/xICL4qntYj pic.twitter.com/TjOduLtaq9
— On3 Recruits (@On3Recruits) February 27, 2023
Player and 247Sports Ranking
WR Jeremiah Smith, Chiminade-Madonna Prep (Hollywood, FL) – Class of 2024
247Sports Ranking Breakdown
5-star (0.9985 score)
No. 1 ranked wide receiver
No. 2 overall nationally
*Yet to officially sign and arrive on campus
Texas (20 recruits ranked)
Player and 247Sports Ranking
QB Quinn Ewers, Southlake Carroll (Southlake, TX) – Class of 2021
247Sports Ranking Breakdown
5-star (1.0000 score)
No. 1 ranked quarterback
No. 2 overall nationally
*Transferred to Texas after freshman season
Georgia (17 recruits ranked)
Player and 247Sports Ranking
ILB Raekwon McMillan, Liberty County (Hinesville, GA) – Class of 2014
247Sports Ranking Breakdown
5-star (0.9896 score)
No. 1 ranked inside linebacker
No. 22 overall nationally
Pennsylvania (16 recruits ranked)
Player and 247Sports Ranking
QB Terrelle Pryor, Jeannette (Jeannette, PA) – Class of 2008
247Sports Ranking Breakdown
5-star (0.9997 score)
No. 1 ranked dual-threat quarterback
No. 2 overall nationally
Indiana (14 recruits ranked)
Player and 247Sports Ranking
RB Rod Smith, Paul Harding (Fort Wayne, IN) – Class of 2010
247Sports Ranking Breakdown
4-star (0.9753 score)
No. 4 ranked running back
No. 46 overall nationally
Maryland (12 recruits ranked)
Player and 247Sports Ranking
DE Chase Young, DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, MD) – Class of 2017
247Sports Ranking Breakdown
5-star (0.9957 score)
No. 2 ranked defensive end
No. 7 overall nationally
Michigan (12 recruits ranked)
Player and 247Sports Ranking
OLB Marco Cooper, Cass Technical (Detroit, MI) – Class of 2000
247Sports Ranking Breakdown
5-star (0.9918 score)
No. 1 ranked offensive tackle
No. 16 overall nationally
New Jersey (12 recruits ranked)
Player and 247Sports Ranking
CB Eli Apple, Eastern (Vorhees, NJ) – Class of 2013
247Sports Ranking Breakdown
4-star (0.9749 score)
No. 7 ranked cornerback
No. 52 overall nationally
California (10 recruits ranked)
Player and 247Sports Ranking
OG Wyatt Davis, St. John Boscoe (Bellflower, CA) – Class of 2017
247Sports Ranking Breakdown
5-star (0.9876 score)
No. 1 ranked offensive guard
No. 24 overall nationally
New York (10 recruits ranked)
Player and 247Sports Ranking
RB Sam Maldonado, Harrison (Harrison, NY) – Class of 2000
247Sports Ranking Breakdown
5-star (0.9964 score)
No. 2 ranked running back
No. 9 overall nationally
North Carolina (9 recruits ranked)
Player and 247Sports Ranking
OT Derek Morris, North Mecklenburg (Huntersville, NC) – Class of 2002
247Sports Ranking Breakdown
5-star (0.9912 score)
No. 2 ranked offensive tackle
No. 21 overall nationally
Virginia (9 recruits ranked)
Player and 247Sports Ranking
ILB Curtis Grant, Hermitage (Richmond, VA) – Class of 2011
247Sports Ranking Breakdown
5-star (0.9901 score)
No. 1 ranked inside linebacker
No. 23 overall nationally
Illinois (8 recruits ranked)
Player and 247Sports Ranking
OT Jamarco Jones, De La Salle Institute (Chicago, IL) – Class of 2014
247Sports Ranking Breakdown
4-star (0.9708 score)
No. 4 ranked offensive tackle
No. 59 overall nationally
Tennessee (5 recruits ranked)
A top-125 overall prospect in the class of 2018, Max Wray hasn't been able to crack the two-deep yet on Ohio State's talented offensive tackle depth chart. https://t.co/dRUARGzKma pic.twitter.com/f9XVNnNja4
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) July 29, 2020
Player and 247Sports Ranking
OT Max Wray, Franklin (Franklin, TN) – Class of 2018
247Sports Ranking Breakdown
4-star (0.9473 score)
No. 9 ranked offensive tackle
No. 121 overall nationally
Missouri (6 recruits ranked)
Player and 247Sports Ranking
CB JK Johnson, DeSmet (Saint Louis, MO) – Class of 2021
247Sports Ranking Breakdown
4-star (0.9745 score)
No. 3 ranked cornerback
No. 50 overall nationally
* Transferred to LSU after last season
Arizona (4 recruits ranked)
Player and 247Sports Ranking
WR Kyion Grayes, Chandler (Chandler, AZ) – Class of 2022
247Sports Ranking Breakdown
4-star (0.9627 score)
No. 14 ranked cornerback
No. 88 overall nationally
Kentucky (4 recruits ranked)
Player and 247Sports Ranking
S Jantzen Dunn, South Warren (Bowling Green, KY) – Class of 2021
247Sports Ranking Breakdown
4-star (0.9267 score)
No. 10 ranked safety
No. 172 overall nationally
* Transferred to Kentucky
Minnesota (3 recruits ranked)
Player and 247Sports Ranking
SDE Jashon Cornell, Cretin Derham Hall (Saint Paul, MN) – Class of 2015
247Sports Ranking Breakdown
4-star (0.9563 score)
No. 7 ranked defensive end
No. 95 overall nationally
Washington (3 recruits ranked)
Player and 247Sports Ranking
DL J.T. Tuimoloau, Eastside Catholic (Sammamish, WA) – Class of 2021
247Sports Ranking Breakdown
5-star (0.9989 score)
No. 2 ranked defensive lineman
No. 4 overall nationally
Massachusetts (2 recruits ranked)
Player and 247Sports Ranking
CB Armani Reeves, Catholic Memorial (West Roxbury, MA) – Class of 2012
247Sports Ranking Breakdown
4-star (0.9491 score)
No. 8 ranked cornerback
No. 124 overall nationally
Nevada (2 recruits ranked)
Player and 247Sports Ranking
QB Tate Martell, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, NV) – Class of 2017
247Sports Ranking Breakdown
4-star (0.9739 score)
No. 2 ranked dual quarterback
No. 56 overall nationally
South Carolina (2 recruits ranked)
Player and 247Sports Ranking
DT Michael Hill, Pendleton (Pendleton, SC) – Class of 2013
247Sports Ranking Breakdown
4-star (0.9276 score)
No. 15 ranked defensive tackle
No. 174 overall nationally
South Dakota (2 recruits ranked)
Player and 247Sports Ranking
QB Lincoln Kienholz, T.F. Riggs (Pierre, SD) – Class of 2023
247Sports Ranking Breakdown
4-star (0.9264 score)
No. 15 ranked quarterback
No. 189 overall nationally
Utah (2 recruits ranked)
Player and 247Sports Ranking
QB Devin Brown, Corner Canyon (Draper, UT) – Class of 2022
247Sports Ranking Breakdown
4-star (0.9808 score)
No. 6 ranked quarterback
No. 43 overall nationally
States with just one recruiting commitment since 2000
One-player states
Arkansas – K.J. Hill (4-star wide receiver)
Hawaii – Enokk Vimahi (4-star offensive guard)
Idaho – Tommy Togiai (4-star defensive tackle)
Oklahoma – Josh Proctor (4-star safety)
Wisconsin – Carson Hinzman (4-star interior offensive line)
