COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Ohio State football program took a heavy hit in the recruitment of 2023 five-star running back Richard Young on Monday night.
Or did it?
Young sparked chaos and confusion for Ohio State Twitter with two tweets 10 minutes apart. The first canceled his official visit on June 24-26.
“I will not be taking an OV to Ohio state for my fifth visit..,” Young tweeted, but then confirmed that he still has interest in the Buckeyes.
“Buckeyes will still be in my top schools,” Young tweeted.
So what just happened? Young’s tweets suggest what many have speculated, that Alabama may be pulling away in Young’s recruitment.
The dream school Young grew up watching as a kid has made a massive impression and the man at the helm is Nick Saban. Young hasn’t been shy about his enjoyment of meeting and being recruited by the coaching legend. He has also built a key relationship with Alabama running backs coach Robert Gillespie, who is selling Young to be the next premier back to don the crimson and white. A spring visit to Tuscaloosa, Young’s third trip to Alabama, pushed the Crimson Tide ahead of Ohio State and that lead has been widening ever since.
The Buckeyes were right there last summer as Young briefly touted them as the favorite after his visit. But the tide has been turning.
The official visit to Columbus would have been his fourth visit to Ohio State to get a final impression before the home stretch of his recruitment. Running backs coach Tony Alford and Ohio State continue to paint the blueprint for Young to follow in the footsteps of TreVeyon Henderson. Instead, Alabama is the leader and will get an official visit on June 10-12.
Georgia, Oklahoma and newly inserted Notre Dame will all receive official visits and remain in play. It remains to be seen who will earn Young’s fifth official visit.
Young, from Florida’s Lehigh Senior High School, is the No. 2 running back and the No. 19 prospect in the 2023 class, according to the 247sports.com composite. He has amassed nearly 3,600 yards and 33 touchdowns in his high school career.
Who would be next for OSU
Sitting with a commitment from four-star RB Mark Fletcher Jr., the Buckeyes are not in dire straits.
Ohio State could go all-in for Georgia legacy Justice Haynes. He has been the No. 2 target on the board, and Alford and Day could ramp up efforts to pry the elite running back away from Georgia, currently a heavy favorite for him. The four-star back will take an official visit to Columbus on June 24. If that trip holds, that would be his second visit in a year. Haynes, who recently transferred to Buford (Ga.) High School, has tallied nearly 6,000 yards and 72 touchdowns in his career.
The Buckeyes seem to be off the radar for the remaining 2023 targets, which include top-ranked back Rueben Owens and four-star RB Daylan Smothers.
Another path could be shifting the focus to 2024 and a star-studded lineup of running back targets that have already been heavily recruited, including IMG Academy five-stars Jerrick Gibson and Stacy Gage and Carrollwood Day four-star Anthony Carrie -- all from Florida, all with potent potential in the upcoming junior class.
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