Four Key Recruiting Storylines for Oho State vs. Nebraska Weekend

Ohio State will host recruiting visitors for the first time since early in the month when the Buckeyes face Nebraska on Saturday afternoon in The Shoe. The Buckeyes have some key targets coming to town and we’re going to take a look at three major storylines to watch unfold this weekend.

Jahkeem Stewart is Back

The biggest recruiting news of the week is that five-star defensive lineman Jahkeem Stewart will make a return visit to Ohio State on Saturday. The Buckeyes knew they were getting an official visit from Stewart in late November, but now the Buckeyes have a chance to get him on campus twice during the final stretch of his recruiting process.

Oregon has surged a bit in Stewart’s recruitment with the Ducks on track to get multiple visits during the season as well, so Ohio State being able to answer with two late-in-the-game visits of their own is a huge deal in trying to lure the big-time defensive lineman out of Louisiana.

It’s clear that Stewart sees a lot to like about Ohio State, including its depth chart with all four starters leaving after the season, but can the Buckeyes convince Stewart to leave his home state and to head Northeast instead of Northwest?

The official visit will be the biggest indicator, but this weekend’s trip shouldn’t be downplayed either. It’s a big moment in trying to identify the momentum of this highly competitive battle.

How Real is the Turbo Rogers Recruitment?

Ohio State has quietly kept itself in the mix for four-star Montgomery (AL) Parker running back Anthony ‘Turbo’ Rogers. The lightning quick all-purpose back committed to Alabama in June of 2023 but has been looking around a bit in recent months.

The history here would indicate this is a long shot, but all of a sudden the Buckeyes are finding themselves with some juice in the state of Alabama for really the first time in program history.

Rogers started his high school career off at the same high school that Quinshon Judkins attended. He’s got a couple of fellow Alabamians already in this class for Ohio State. He will now have made multiple trips to Columbus.

But it’s getting down to crunch time on whether or not Rogers will stick with Alabama or go in a different direction. Will Rogers show up this weekend or will Alabama nix it? It’s been a nice little ‘what-if’ for Ohio State for a couple of months now, but we’ll find out if this is a real possibility this weekend.

Zahir Mathis Makes his Official Visit

Ohio State defensive end commit Zahir Mathis will make his much anticipated official visit to Columbus this weekend. Since landing his commitment back in January, the Buckeyes have survived multiple Penn State visits from the four-star Philadelphia (Pa.) Imhotep Charter star.

There has been rampant speculation about Mathis and whether or not he will flip to another program (and again, Penn State would be the most likely) before the early signing period opens up in December.

This weekend will go a long way in determining that path. Will the rumors be squashed or will more fuel be added to the fire?

Buckeyes Shoot Their Shot for Four-Star Offensive Lineman

Ohio State is still searching to add at least one more offensive lineman, preferably a tackle, to its 2025 recruiting class and some new names have emerged in the wake of David Sanders Jr.’s August commitment to Tennessee.

One of the most intriguing prospects in that group is Duluth (Ga.) four-star prospect Damola Ajidahun. The 6-foot-6, 280-pound prospect is committed to Georgia Tech, but has been right at the top of the Ohio State wish list in recent months.

Ajidahun quickly scheduled his official visit to Columbus after being offered, so there is good reason to believe that the interest is mutual. But fighting the local team is always difficult. Can the Buckeyes get the flip this weekend, or at least set themselves up for one down the road?