Ryan Day breaks down what he sees in Ohio State's cornerback trio in 2024 class
Ohio State is one of the elite recruiting programs in the country, being up there with the likes of Alabama and Georgia. Head coach Ryan Day continually pulls in one of the best classes in the country, with nothing being different in the 2024 cycle. But the Buckeyes do recruit a few positions better than others, with one of those being cornerback.
Three CBs signed with Ohio State, with all of them being blue-chip prospects. Aaron Scott, Bryce West, and Miles Lockhart will begin their college careers in Columbus, speaking to the great job Tim Walton has done.
“I think Tim has done a great job identifying talent early on and then building relationships and then going from there,” Day said. “I think you’re seeing the way our corners are playing… starting to play at a high level. I think that’s a big part of the recruiting process, seeing it on the field in Jim’s defense.”
Of the trio, Scott is the highest ranked, coming in at No. 36 per the On3 Industry Rankings. Day loves the toughness Scott is going to bring to the program, grinding through some tough times in high school.
“Scott was somebody who came to camp early on,” Day said. “It was a hot day out there and he grinded. He went for an hour. Everything we threw at him as a young player. He had a broken wrist, he kept working. We could tell there was a toughness there, a grit there. He wanted to earn that scholarship and he did that day.”
Looking at West, the development is already beginning to come to fruition in Day’s eyes. He spoke highly of the Glenville program out in Cincinnati, saying they do a great job with their players. West is just the latest example and is on the right path.
“Coach Walton believed in this young man and said this guy is going to be a great player,” Day said. “We recruited him but offered him pretty early in the process. You could just see the way he played that next year — he was much more aggressive. He was tackling, making plays. And he just continued to become a better and better football player.”
In between his comments on West and Lockhart, Day watched Jeremiah Smith officially announce he would sign with Ohio State. Day wound up needing a few moments to refocus after such a big moment but still gave his thoughts on Lockhart.
“I actually had a chance to watch Miles,” Day said. “I was at the semifinal game in Arizona and I just watched the guy play his tail off. He was all over the field. I was just like ‘Who is that?’ You can see him start to come on as a player.”