Ohio State willing to entertain another tight end option in 2022

On3 imageby:Jeremy Birmingham01/12/22

Birm

Have a question about Ohio State recruiting? This is the place for you. Check-in daily to see what’s on the mind of Buckeyes fans all over the country. Today we’re looking at the latest thoughts on what Ohio State could do at tight end.

There is no doubt some uncertainty about the Buckeyes tight end room as Ohio State prepares for its 2022 season.

And with good reason.

Even though Mitch Rossi is leaning toward returning to Columbus for an additional year of football, there is a serious lack of experience at tight end for the Ohio State this coming year.

Beyond Rossi — and with Cade Stover likely to stick at linebacker — the Buckeyes have Gee Scott, Joe Royer, Sam Hart and early-enrolled freshman Bennett Christian heading into the spring. The entire room will return 10 catches and be tasked with replacing a multiyear starter and soon-to-be NFL draft pick Jeremy Ruckert.

Ohio State having interest in supplementing Kevin Wilson’s position group makes perfect sense.

The Buckeyes hosted Oklahoma tight end transfer Austin Stogner for an official visit in December. The trip went well but Stogner picked South Carolina. Ryan Day seemed content to go back to the drawing board after that.

Why? Because a lot can happen between the December signing period and spring football.

For example, Alabama tight end Jahleel Billingsley entered the transfer portal on Tuesday. He was one of six Crimson Tide players to announce that choice yesterday. USC tight end Michael Trigg did, too.

Ohio State did recruit Billingsley out of high school. It wouldn’t be a total surprise if the Buckeyes did at least a little homework on him to see if there’s a potential fit. Questions about work-ethic and commitment to Alabama’s program dogged him early in the season. If that kind of “red flag” can be cleared up, maybe there’s a spot for the 6-foot-4, 230-pound Chicago native. The Buckeyes also recruited Trigg, a freak athlete at tight end who would be an upgrade over anyone on the roster at tight end by that metric.

But the Buckeyes have been diligent and slow-to-act in the transfer world. The preference is to recruit players from high school and develop them in the Ohio State program.

There are dozens of tight ends in the transfer portal right now. The Buckeyes aren’t going to force themselves into a situation that doesn’t make sense on multiple fronts. Any tight end they bring in will need to fit the culture of course. They’ll also need to be available in time for spring football or have multiple years of eligibility left. Even for someone like Stogner, it wouldn’t have been ideal for him to try walking into the Ohio State offense after graduating in May. There aren’t many players capable of playing meaningful minutes without first truly learning the Buckeyes offense first.

The tight end is a developmental position in Columbus. Having years of experience in another program makes that easier but won’t alleviate the concerns.

Ohio State believes it has players in place to make a difference at tight end. But the position could use experienced, reliable help. If the right guy finds himself looking for the right situation, the Buckeyes will entertain an addition. That’s unlikely to happen from the prep ranks in the Class of 2022. The transfer portal will continue to be explored but it’s not a necessity.

Ohio State would welcome help but it’s not desperate.

The Buckeyes won’t bring in the wrong guy just to bring in a guy.

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