Initial Thoughts on Ohio State’s 2023 Recruiting Class and the Impact of Dylan Raiola’s Decommitment

It’s National Signing Day, which means we’re focused on recruiting and how Ohio State is building for the future on this week’s episode of Real Pod Wednesdays.Eleven Warriors recruiting analyst Garrick Hodge for the entirety of this week’s episode as we start out by looking at Ohio State’s new class of signees for the 2023 recruiting class, then take a look ahead to the 2024 class and discuss the impact of Dylan Raiola’s decommitment on the Buckeyes’ future at quarterback. We also talk about the roster additions Ohio State is still trying to make through the transfer portal. (Disclaimer: This podcast was recorded on Tuesday afternoon, so some players referenced may not yet be officially signed.)Later in the show, we talk about what we learned from talking to 20 different Ohio State players at last week’s on-campus media day as we continue to look ahead to Ohio State’s College Football Playoff matchup with Georgia at the Peach Bowl, which is now only 10 days away. Finally, we spend a few minutes discussing Ohio State men’s basketball’s overtime loss to North Carolina and take stock of how the Buckeyes fared in non-conference play.The full rundown of everything we discussed on this week’s show:0:54: Well wishes for Avery Henry2:06: Ohio State’s 2023 recruiting class is good but not great by Ohio State standards7:18: Predicting which new signees will make the biggest immediate impact12:00: It’s the first time in seven years Ohio State has only signed one five-star recruit13:10: Ohio State achieved one key objective by locking down the state’s top talent14:44: Predicting which lower-ranked prospects will end up becoming Ohio State stars18:07: What Lincoln Kienholz will bring to Ohio State’s quarterback room21:10: The impact of losing Dylan Raiola and how Ohio State moves forward without him in 202427:02: Jeremiah Smith continues Ohio State’s run of five-star wide receiver commitments, and he might be the best one yet30:25: Even without Raiola, Ohio State’s 2024 class is off to a promising start with one year to go33:43: Offensive tackle is clearly Ohio State’s top priority in the transfer portal37:33: Buckeyes are also looking at tight ends and cornerbacks, but they can be more selective there40:20: There will likely be more transfer movement after the season ends, but the coaches probably have a good idea of who else will leave42:03: The biggest things we learned from Ohio State players at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center last week48:30: Not everyone loved C.J. Stroud’s comments last week, but we appreciate his candor53:40: Steele Chambers made us laugh, and we agree Marvin Harrison Jr. should’ve won the Biletnikoff58:00: Chris Holtmann’s teams have had a reputation for struggling to finish games, and it happened again vs. UNC1:00:58: Brice Sensabaugh might already be Ohio State’s best player1:03:16: Ohio State’s non-conference play has been decent, but it won’t give the Buckeyes much of a résumé boost in March