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Raleek Brown decision, 5-star safety interested, new offers

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Stay in touch or be left out because Ohio State recruiting is a 24-hour, seven-day-per-week obsession. What’s the latest news as the Buckeyes build for the future? Get that and more Sunday through Thursday on Lettermen Row. Sunday’s notebook goes back to California tailback Raleek Brown, touches on the interest of a Florida safety and introduces a new defensive back name to watch in 2022.

Raleek Brown commits to Oklahoma

Last Sunday Lettermen Row wrote about the interest that California running back Raleek Brown, a composite 5-star prospect from Mater Dei High School, has in Ohio State. There had been only a little contact between running backs coach Tony Alford and Brown, but he told Lettermen Row then that he’d been in pretty regular communication with Ryan Day and that he was hoping to learn more about the Buckeyes.

About six hours after that story published on the site, the 5-foot-8, 195-pound Brown announced he was going to make a college decision this past week and then did, committing to Oklahoma on Friday. The Sooners were one of the two programs he’d long been connected to and his decision to commit to them this early isn’t a surprise. The Buckeyes will have to weigh out whether or not it’s in their best interest to consider recruiting Brown from this point, but he says that being committed isn’t necessarily going to rule out Ohio State or anyone else.

“I’m interested still,” Brown told Lettermen Row. “And they’ll still be coming, so it’s OK.”

There’s a lot of time before December’s signing period and a lot of things can happen in recruiting, so there’s no doubt opportunity for the Buckeyes to make a move if they want to, especially if Brown doesn’t sign until next February. Larry Grant, a former Ohio State linebacker who works closely with Brown, says he’s still hoping that the two sides get more familiar.

“He is, and has been 100 percent interested in the Buckeyes,” Grant shared. “He definitely would like to build the relationships needed with the staff in Columbus to make sure he makes the right choice in February of 2022, because that’s gonna change his life.”

IMG safety hoping to hear more from Ohio State

Another composite 5-star prospect in the Class of 2022 that is hoping to get more time with the Buckeyes coaching staff is IMG Academy’s Kamari Wilson. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound defensive back says he’s not heard from Ohio State at all but isn’t entirely sure why.

“They definitely know I’m interested,” Wilson told Lettermen Row. “Multiple coaches from IMG, and my former school Westwood, have contacted them about my recruitment. But, I understand they have to go after who fits their system. It’s just more motivation for me to work harder.

“I obviously have more work to do.”

There’s a heavy Buckeyes presence at IMG with Pepper Johnson there as the defensive coordinator, Chris Dennis (the brother of Corey Dennis) and Devin Fuller (Jordan Fuller’s brother) all working there, but for now the inability to make visits and see kids in person has been slowing the process.

IMG’s secondary is going to be loaded with Ohio State targets even if they pursue Wilson, especially after New Jersey 5-star Keon Sabb’s recent announcement that he’s transferred there. Sabb is the No. 1-ranked safety in the country, Wilson is currently sitting right behind him in the No. 2 slot.

Buckeyes offer Georgia athlete Jake Pope

An early prospect for “underrated recruit of the 2022 class” could be Buford (Ga.) safety Jake Pope. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound athlete — projected by most as a safety at the next level — added an Ohio State offer to his growing, and impressive, list.

Pope has offers from Alabama, where he visited this weekend, Georgia, Notre Dame, Michigan, USC and Wisconsin among his almost 25 total offers. Right now Pope is unranked, but his exploding offer list will no-doubt have him in the high 4-star range when he debuts on the national lists this spring.

Buford is the home of Buckeyes offensive lineman Harry Miller.

Ohio State offer also out to Florida State legacy

It’s officially the offseason, and despite not being able to make in-person evaluations, the Buckeyes have to get more active on the offer front and are doing that. They offered a pair of young defensive linemen at the end of the week, and while we talked about Christen Miller on Friday, we didn’t update the status of Florida State legacy Marvin Jones, who also picked up an Ohio State scholarship this past Thursday.

The son of former Florida State star Marvin Jones, the Junior version is a 6-foot-4, 225-pound defensive end at American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.) High School, one of South Florida’s best programs. He’s the country’s No. 5-ranked weakside defensive end and was a first-team all-county selection in talent-rich Broward County following a 13 sack junior campaign. The Buckeyes have solidly-built relationships at American Heritage, and while it’s certainly not ever easy to lure South Florida’s best all the way to Columbus, the fact that they’ve offered this early means there’s at least a fighter’s chance. Alabama, Miami and of course, Florida State, all will be very involved in the battle for Marvin Jones Jr.

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