Dennis Stops by School of Top in-State QB Montgomery | 2025 Ohio State Football Recruiting Tracker

The latest news surrounding Buckeye targets, commitments and signees in the class of 2025

Author:
Buckeyes Now Staff
Apr 21, 2023 4:44 PM EDT

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As the college football world turns the page to the national recruiting class of 2024, there will be plenty of eyes on the future of Ohio State football among the nation's best in that cycle and of course -- beyond.

The OSU class is off to a strong start early on over multiple recruiting cycles, with plenty of attention on the nation's rising-junior recruits in the class of 2025 included.

To continue the recent run of potential College Football Playoff appearances, the talent has to continue to flock to Columbus in droves for junior days, spring practices, official visits and much more.

Buckeyes Now will track the daily movement in the class of 2025 all in one place here.

April 21

The spring evaluation period in college football recruiting is underway and it means Ohio State's coaching staff will be on and off the road.

On Friday, quarterbacks coach Corey Dennis checked in at the school of top in-state class of 2025 target Ryan Montgomery of Findlay (Ohio) High School.

Montgomery, an Ohio State legacy who was back in town over the weekend for the program's spring game, is a rising-junior star who has the attention of two dozen top programs to date. Michigan was at FHS to check in on Thursday.

OSU, UM, Georgia, Clemson and many others hosted the four-star recruit and No. 8 passer in next cycle's class (Rivals) of late. With his older brother Luke on the current Buckeye roster, too, many expect the battle for the 6-foot-3, 210-pounder to be uphill for those outside of Columbus.

April 14

The top-ranked rising junior college football recruit in America will soon be in Columbus for a look at Ohio State.

David Sanders Jr., the early No. 1 prospect across the industry for the class of 2025, announced the spring game plans via social media on Friday morning. It will be the five-star's first recorded trip to OSU as a prospect.

A two-way star out of Charlotte (N.C.) Providence Day School, Sanders was offered by the program last summer amid some 30 scholarship offers already to his name.

Sanders is listed at 6-foot-6, 250 pounds or so, with experience along the offensive and defensive line, though most project him as a future left tackle talent.

Ohio State has one verbal commitment in the class of 2025.

April 5

Another five-star recruit is expected to take in Ohio State.

Devin Sanchez, the No. 1-ranked cornerback in the class of 2025 per Rivals, announced his intentions on getting to Columbus on Friday via social media. It will be the Houston (Texas) North Shore standout's first known trip to visit with the program.

Sanchez, listed at 6-foot-2, 170 pounds or so, already sports double-digit scholarship offers to his name. OSU jumped in the mix with a tender back kin January. He was named Houston Chronicle Newcomer of the Year in 2022 in tying for the North Shore team lead with four interceptions while adding a staggering 18 pass breakups end route to the state championship game.

Also a standout on the track, Sanchez has a 10.8 100-meter dash time and 49.45 400-meter dash time to his name this spring while running anchor leg on multiple relay teams for the program.

April 4

The long Buckeye commitment in the class of 2025 is coming back to Columbus.

In face, Jontae Gilbert is set to spend multiple days at Ohio State, visiting Tuesday and Wednesday per multiple reports.

The Atlanta (Ga.) Douglass standout defensive back, who picked the Bucks back in July of 2022, has reported solidity to Ryan Day's program but plenty of programs continue to court the 6-foot-1, 175-pound prospect anyway.

That list includes plenty from SEC country, including in-state Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina and others, who will continue to challenge OSU for a premiere verbal commitment.

Gilbert has added several offers, including from the defending two-time champs, having already went public with the Buckeye verbal commitment. Others are sure to follow as the spring evaluation period draws near.

Can OSU hold on here?

March 20

One of the nation's top safeties has trimmed his list and Ohio State remains in the hunt.

Faheem Delane, the Olney (Md.) Good Counsel rising-junior defensive back, announced a top group via social media over the weekend and OSU is competing with blue bloods for his services. In addition to the Buckeyes, Alabama, LSU, USC and Penn State are among those still in the running for the class of 2025 recruit.

Delane, who visited Columbus twice last year including for the Michigan showdown, is ranked as the No. 4 safety in the nation by Rivals. On3 has also already rated him as a four-star recruit at 6-foot-2, 187 pounds.

As a sophomore, Delane helped Good Counsel to eight wins and a playoff berth.

March 2

When one recruits as successfully as Ohio State, programs will often try to poach verbal commitments. It works both ways, surely, and there is a new name to keep an eye on within this front.

Peach State secondary recruit Jontae Gilbert committed to OSU back in the summer of 2022, a significant early pledge many expected to get contested.

That time has now arrived in the form of the in-state, two-time defending national champion Georgia Bulldogs. UGA offered in December and Gilbert commented on it further recently with Dawg Post.

“I know Georgia is really big on me”, Gilbert said. “Coach Brown is great. He texts me almost every week and calls my coaches all the time to ask about me and see how I’m doing in the weight room. I like that both coach Smart and coach Muschamp both played in the secondary.”

The Atlanta-area recruit has seen his stock rise even since committed to OSU last year, so it won't be easy to hold off options closer to home in SEC country and beyond. Georgia hosted Gilbert late in the 2022 season and again in January.

Tennessee hosts the Buckeye pledge next.

February 27

Another top class of 2025 recruit has Ohio State high on his list with a trip to Columbus in the works.

According to 247Sports, Gideon Davidson could make multiple visits to Ohio State this offseason. He is likely to participate in multiple June camp days and could also take a trip to Ohio State in the spring during the Buckeyes' spring practice slate.

Davidson, who preps at Lynchburg (Va.) Liberty Christian Academy, is ranked as the No. 1 running back in the class of 2025 per 247Sports at this time. As a junior in 2022, he was also named to the second-team All-America squad put out by MaxPreps.

OSU, which hosted Davidson for a game day visit last fall, offered a scholarship to the then-freshman last summer as Tony Alford leads the Buckeye charge in a contested recruitment.

February 24

Ohio State is a finalist for the nation's No. 1 tight end recruit in 2025, Davon Mitchell.

The Los Alamitos (Calif.) High School prospect, who moved to California from Texas this offseason, announced his top 11 programs via social media on Friday.

Mitchell, who was offered by Ohio State last summer, caught 33 passes for 731 yards and nine touchdowns for Allen (Texas) High School in 2022, per MaxPreps.

The offer list the rising-junior sports is well beyond 30, so trimming it by two-thirds is a big step in one of the most tracked recruitments in the 2025 class.

February 20

One could assume Kirk Herbstreit's son would love to play at his father's alma mater -- and one would be correct.

Chase Herbstreit is in the class of 2025 at Cincinnati (Ohio) St. Xavier High School and he broke out during the 2022 season as the program's starting quarterback.

He is attracting college attention at several programs, including Ohio State, Notre Dame, Clemson and Cincinnati, among others, but the race probably has some handicap to it thanks to the legacy status in Columbus.

"Ever since I was a little kid it was here, it's the only option," Chase told 247Sports of Ohio State.

Chase is Kirk's youngest son. The elder was of course a dual-threat QB at OSU back in the early 1990's, starting the 1992 season, where he led the Bucks to eight wins under John Cooper.

February 7

Ohio State will play a heavy role in the recruitment of one of the top wide receiver recruits in the country.

Jacksonville (Fla.) Mandarin High School's Jaime Ffrench, who was a breakout star as a sophomore in 2022 with 44 catches for 671 yards and five touchdowns on a 6-foot-2, 175-pound frame, told On3's Chad Simmons four programs are set to stick around in his growing recruitment.

Along with the Bucks, which offered after a camp last summer, Georgia, Alabama and Pitt are among those commanding attention at this time.

Ffrench is already tabbed as a four-star, ranked as the No. 5 recruit at the position in the 2025 class via the On3 Consensus. He isn't expected to make a decision any time soon.