Ohio State Buckeyes receiver target Blake Wong, a 4-star Norco, California, product, chose the BYU Cougars over OSU and the Oregon Ducks in a very unsurprising recruiting decision on Saturday. The LDS practitioner had a crystal ball to BYU on Friday. The fit is very obvious culturally, with Cougars head coach Kalani Sitake also part of the LDS movement. On the field, Wong brings great size at six-foot-two and exceptional speed as a sprinter on the track team.
While usually there's the disclaimer that a player's recruitment is always open until signing day, Wong's strong religious ties make BYU a practical lock. The Buckeyes might not have ever had much of a chance here.
Who do they have a chance with? Cleveland.com's Andrew Gillis provided two names in the wake of Wong's Cougars decision.
"The Buckeyes remain involved in the recruitments of five-star receiver Monshun Sales and four-star receiver Benny Easter, as they look to bolster the class and their receiving corps," Gillis wrote on Ohio State's next steps.
Monshun Sales leaning towards Indiana and Texas
5-star Lawrence North (IN) WR Monshun Sales is predictably looking at the Indiana Hoosiers, but the Texas Longhorns are looming large in his decision to stay home in Bloomington or not. The LSU Tigers are trying to sneak in here, but Lane Kiffin may need to up the funds to really get on Sales' radar.
That may be the path Ohio State needs to take to convince Sales not to join Curt Cignetti's championship efforts in the Hoosier State or keep him away from Steve Sarkisian's Longhorns, which could theoretically return Arch Manning in 2027.
The Buckeyes are never out of someone's recruitment. Right now, they're just in the background of Sales'.
Benny Easter Jr. is committed to Texas Tech...for now
4-star Humble Summer Creek (TX) WR Benny Easter Jr. is committed to the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the same way 4-star Huntington Beach (CA) quarterback Brady Edmunds is committed to the Ohio State University. Which is to say, not totally committed yet, and ultimately, potentially not committed at all.
Easter has the Buckeyes, the Tigers, the Longhorns, and the Ole Miss Rebels on his trail. Those are four extremely aggressive recruiting programs. Hell, Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding was able to get Cal Golden Bears transfer linebacker Ferrelli to back out of his agreement with Dabo Swinney's Clemson Tigers and sign with the Rebs, even after signing a financial aid agreement, enrolling in classes, and moving into an apartment in Clemson. This will be a dog fight, just like Sales.
The question is, can OSU keep up? Cortez Hankton got his first 2027 cycle commitment on Saturday in 3-star Oviedo (FL) WR Jordan Donahoo, but he needs more to silence a fanbase that's not entirely sold on Brian Hartline's replacement yet.
Let's hope Ryan Day's program is up to the task of adding a blue-chip WR next to 5-star Big Walnut WR Jamier Brown in the 2027 recruiting class for depth's sake.
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