Ohio State Extends an Offer to Talented Four-Star Recruit

Ohio State coach Jake Diebler and his staff have extended an offer to a high-rising standout in the 2028 class.

It comes as Diebler is looking to build on an improved season last year, when the Buckeyes made the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2022.

And to continue building what is already a deep and talented roster, the Buckeyes have extended an offer to Neuqua Valley standout Cole Kelly, who is listed as a No.2 player in the state of Illinois and the 38th overall in the 2028 class.

After a great conversation with Coach Diebler I am excited and grateful to receive a D1 offer from Ohio State University! @neuquavalleybb @breakawaybball pic.twitter.com/GKtCjrKkEh
— Cole Kelly (@colekelly_14) June 5, 2026

A four-star prospect, Kelly has attracted offers from other Big Ten programs, such as Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, Northwestern and Purdue.

Why is Kelly sought after?

The offer to Kelly makes sense if you consider what coach Diebler is trying to achieve this season with the Buckeyes.

After a promising season that ended with a 21-13 record, Ohio State suffered heartbreak in the first round of March Madness following a narrow 66-64 loss to TCU in the first round, with Xavier Edmunds hitting a game-winner with less than five seconds left.

The defeat left Diebler eager to get the offseason started; he made a statement of intent in the early stages by diving into the portal to bag Justin Pippen from Cal, Curtis Givens III from Memphis, Jimmie Williams from Duquesne and Andrija Jelavic from Kentucky.

The offer made to Kelly will see a lengthy wing player, who at 6’6” can play multiple positions at both ends of the floor. While not suited to the point guard position, Kelly has excellent court vision, isn’t afraid to attack the basket, and is continually working to improve his three-point shot.

With his size, Kelly is the modern-day “positionless wing” player who averaged 19.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game.

If they are successful in recruiting Kelly to the Buckeyes, it would add a left-handed, positionless wing to their roster, another piece of the jigsaw of what is already a deep Buckeyes team.

“As far as our roster goes, I love our roster,” Diebler said during his first offseason press conference. “It’s big, versatile, it’s skilled, it’s smart, and I can’t wait to get to work.

“I don’t think we were deep enough last year, and I think that became a real issue with some of the injuries that we dealt with. There’s a lot of factors that go into being able to build some depth, and I think we’ve improved in those areas.”

Kelly will be a player worth putting in the work to mould into the player that Coach Diebler wants. He is suited to the three spot, but can play the power forward role too.

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