Tennessee now trying to prevent Ohio State football from flipping a 4-star RB target

It felt like just last week when it felt like just a matter of time before 4-star running back Amari Latimer made his flip from Wisconsin to Ohio State official.

Well, that was last week and in recruiting, a lot can change in a week. This week Latimer is still not officially in the Buckeyes' class, and instead he'll be in Knoxville this weekend taking an official visit to Tennessee. 

What is Amari Latimer's recruiting status?

The Atlanta-area prospect is still committed to Wisconsin and made his pledge to the Badgers back in May. His recruitment was pretty settled for most of the summer until other programs began trying to get him on campus. He has stayed with Wisconsin throughout, but took an official visit to Ohio State on October 4 and will take his visit to Tennessee this week.

Latimer has stayed relatively quiet throughout the process and generally uses his social media for retweets. He has been to Tennessee before — last year, when the Volunteers beat Alabama. At the time of the visit, Latimer said that the atmosphere at Neyland Stadium was amazing. However, his visit to Ohio State was positive enough that Rivals made a flip prediction.

The running back has a strong relationship with Buckeyes assistant Carlos Locklyn and that could play out big for Ohio State as Latimer gets closer to a decision. Family ties could also play a role in this recruitment and, if that's the case, Wisconsin has a clear advantage because Latimer's older brother, Geimere Latimer II, is a junior cornerback for the Buckeyes. 

​Do the Buckeyes have a RB committed in the '26 class?

Yes, Ohio State has 4-star in-state back Favour Akih in the fold. He's been committed to the Buckeyes since June. At 6-foot, 190-pounds, Akih is more of a between-the-tackles runner with the ability to break off explosive plays. He would pair well with a bruising power/speed back like Latimer, who would get stronger in the second half of the game.

Overall, the Buckeyes have the 9th-rated class in the country and third-best in the Big Ten behind Oregon and USC.