Ohio State trending for elite 2025 EDGE Mariyon Dye

Ohio State already has the underpinnings of another top-five class in the On3 Industry Football Team Recruiting Rankings, but the Buckeyes’ work is far from done.

Ryan Day and Co. already have eight commitments, including one on the defensive line. But they’re trending for even more. Last month, predictions went in Ohio State’s favor for four-star defensive lineman London Merritt. And another came in exactly two weeks ago for him to the Buckeyes as well.

But OSU is also trending with one of the nation’s elite pass-rushers, Elkhart (Ind.) Central four-star EDGE Mariyon Dye.

On March 5, a pair of picks were dropped in Ohio State’s favor by LettermenRow.com insiders Matt Parker and Alex Gleitman, giving the Buckeyes a major lead in the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM). And Tuesday, 14 days after those predictions, Oklahoma recruiting insider Josh McCuistion followed up with one of his own in OSU’s favor.

“Dye has an unofficial top four schools: Ohio State, Georgia, Tennessee and Miami,” Parker wrote in explaining his pick. “The No. 47 overall prospect and No. 5 EDGE per On3 has official visits locked in with those four schools — Ohio State’s is June 14-16 — but the Buckeyes are an exception to that list. It’s his dream school and it’s the school closest to home. Those are pretty big factors.”

Buckeyes offered in January, have immediately moved to the top of the list

Dye first visited Columbus in January, where he earned an offer on the spot from defensive line coach Larry Johnson and head coach Ryan Day. He told On3’s Chad Simmons after that visit that he’d grown up watching OSU and considered it his dream school.

“It is my dream school, so this offer means a lot,” Dye told On3. “I grew up following them. Ohio State has had some great players and this was another big offer for me. When I got the offer from Coach Ryan Day, I just felt so blessed and happy.

… When Coach Day offered, he talked to me about how he liked my frame, how my hustle stood out to him on film and things like that. Every offer is a blessing and this one was another one for me.”

Johnson, the longtime Ohio State assistant who has coached the likes of Joey Bosa, Nick Bosa, Chase Young and JT Tuimoloau, made a major impression as well.

“Coach Johnson was even better than I thought. He was everything I thought he would be like plus more. We talked about everything. He talked to me about some things I could do better. What I liked most about him was he kept it real and wasn’t all about the things I do well. Coach Johnson was genuine and someone I look forward to talking to more.”