Top transfer cornerback visiting Ohio State and USC

Outside of the quarterbacks available on the market, there may not be a more sought-after player in the transfer portal than former LSU cornerback Eli Ricks. When he announced his intentions to leave Baton Rouge, Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, and USC were listed as the top four.

Ricks was in Los Angeles this weekend, visiting the Trojans and new head coach Lincoln Riley according to Mike Farrell of Rivals. He said there are “good reports” coming out of the visit.

USC would be considered Ricks’ hometown school, being from
Rancho Cucamonga, CA before transferring to IMG Academy. He said the close-to-home proximity would not play a huge role, citing his relationship with defensive backs coach and interim head coach Donte Williams as to why the Trojans would be an option.

Farrell is also reporting Ohio State will get a visit from Ricks next weekend. The school that once finished second in the original recruitment will get another shot to land the former On3 Consensus five-star cornerback.

“They’re a winning program and that’s important to me,” Ricks said in an interview with Greg Biggins of 247Sports in November. “I like coach Day and he was one of the guys I talked with back in high school too. He’s a great coach and there’s a lot of things about Ohio State that stand out. I’m very close with CJ Stroud and I’ve talked with him, Chris Olave, and Garrett Wilson. Me and CJ played on the same pop warner team when we were seven years old and we’ve been close ever since.”

Ricks has said he wants to make a decision at some point during the month of December. Getting on campus and enrolling at his new school of choice in January is important to him. Ricks said he’s “tired” of watching the playoffs from home and wants to win a championship before going to the NFL.

Ricks a need for Ohio State after DB enters the transfer portal

Ohio State defensive back Craig Young has entered the transfer portal, On3’s Matt Zenitz has learned.

Young, a redshirt sophomore, had 15 total tackles this season (six solo stops) and half a tackle for a loss. Young has played in every game for Ohio State this year, just one year removed from playing in the first four games of the abbreviated 2020 season. Over his three-year career, he appeared in 24 games for the Buckeyes, logging 25 tackles (14 solo stops), half a tackle for loss, two passes defended and a pick-six, which came this season against Maryland.

Young was a three-star ATH in the class of 2019, per On3 Consensus rankings. He was the No. 6 ATH in the nation, and No. 656 overall recruit in the 2019 class. The Fort Wayne, Indiana native played on both sides of the ball in high school, starring as a wide receiver and outside linebacker. Young has two years of eligibility remaining.