'My Dream School!' Top Edge Recruit Damien Shanklin Praises Ohio State

The odds of Damien Shankin committing to the Ohio State Buckeyes are looking good after a recent interview.

Warren Central's Damien Shanklin poses for a photo Thursday, August 3, 2023, at Lawrence North High / Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY

The Ohio State Buckeyes are on the verge of securing another huge commitment.

Four-star edge Damien Shanklin has several top schools on his short list, including Notre Dame, Tennessee and Alabama. However, Shanklin told On3 in a recent interview that it is his ultimate aspiration to be a Buckeye.

"It's my dream school," Shanklin said told On3. "Then on top of that just the tradition and the standard that they have at Ohio State and they make sure to develop their players."

Center Grove Jalen Thomeson (1) with the run and tackle by Warren Central Damien Shanklin (4) during / Gary Brockman for Indy Star / USA TODAY

Shanklin is ranked as the No. 1 recruit in the state of Indiana for the Class of 2025 by both On3 and 247Sports. While his place in the state is consistently top three, projections of where Shanklin sits nationally are all over the board.

For example, 247Sports has Shanklin at No. 86 in his class. However, both ESPN and Rivals place Shanklin in the early 200's.

The Fighting Irish are currently the heavy favorite to land Shanklin. Notre Dame has an almost 85 percent chance to add Shanklin to their list of recruits.

Ohio State is second, but only has a probability just over two percent. One positive spin on the Buckeyes' low odds is the strength of their roster.

The Scarlet and Gray returned a majority of their starters from 2023, meaning the players whom would have filled their spots will have to wait another year to do so. This clog in the pipeline (though it may be a good thing) might not leave a lot of playing time for Shanklin.

Shanklin has an official visit with Ohio State scheduled for June 7.