2023 New Jersey Safety Jayden Bonsu Signs With Ohio State

BONSU PROFILE

Hometown: Hillside, N.J.

High School: St. Peter's Prep

Size: 6-foot-1, 210 pounds

Composite Ranking: ★★★★

Commitment Date: Aug. 14, 2022

An eraser is joining BIA. The kid from Newark, NJ embodies the silver bullet mantra and will hit anything and everything that moves. He’s on the way to Columbus to be a difference maker in the backend. Welcome to The Brotherhood Jayden Bonsu#CHO23N | @JaydenBonsu pic.twitter.com/8xK0N9d6WP
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) December 22, 2022

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Recruitment Recap: Ohio State extended a scholarship offer to Jayden Bonsu in December and welcomed him to campus for the first time in March, as he attended a spring practice and hung out with junior linebacker Cody Simon, who hails from his high school.

He then returned to Columbus for his official visit in mid-June, which gave him a chance to spend some one-on-one time with head coach Ryan Day, defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, secondary/cornerbacks coach Tim Walton and safeties coach Perry Eliano.

Bonsu, who also took official visits that month to Miami (Fla.) and Michigan State, subsequently set a commitment date for Aug. 20. He then moved it up to July 20, which appeared to be good news for the Hurricanes due to their name, image and likeness efforts.

The Buckeyes ramped up their pursuit of Bonsu once Georgia five-star safety Caleb Downs committed to Alabama, though, and convinced him to hold off on a decision. Bonsu almost immediately began trending toward Ohio State and he picked the Buckeyes just a few weeks later.

Things got interesting late in the cycle, though, as Bonsu did not sign his letter of intent with Ohio State until Thursday morning due to another NIL-related push from Miami. The Buckeyes had to sweat it out for an extra 24 or so hours, but he ultimately turned the Hurricanes down again and signed on the dotted line.

Evaluation: "Bonsu’s frame and overall game are very similar to that of redshirt junior safety Ronnie Hickman, who is a fellow New Jersey native, and he could play any of the three safety spots in defensive coordinator Jim Knowles’ scheme, whether its the adjuster (free), bandit (boundary) or nickel positions.

"Some believe he could develop into a linebacker at the next level if he continues to add weight and muscle, though, which also brings to mind redshirt sophomore Kourt Williams and freshman Sonny Styles, who are both safeties but have the characteristics of a linebacker."

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