Why ESPN ranks Ohio State football as second-best 2024 newcomer class
Ohio State has a few new faces on its roster heading into the 2024 season.
From the fifth-best recruiting class in the country per 247Sports' composite rankings to a number of high-profile additions through the transfer portal, the Buckeyes could have their share of new weapons to use when the season begins Aug. 31 against Akron.
ESPN agrees, place Ohio State as the second-best newcomer class in college football behind Texas ahead of the 2024 season.
Ohio State is one of two Big Ten teams in the top 10 along with Oregon.
While calling Jeremiah Smith "one of the premier receivers in the country," Eddrick Houston as a defensive end that will "likely work into the rotation" and Julian Sayin as a quarterback who will "push Will Howard and become a formidable backup," the focus was on the veteran pieces Ohio State added through the transfer portal.
The Buckeyes capitalized more in the winter portal than spring. They went for quality over quantity," Craig Haubert and Billy Tucker write, name-dropping former Alabama safety Caleb Downs and former Mississippi running back Quinshon Judkins.
Haubert and Tucker said Downs has "no physical flaws to his game," while Judkins is an "explosive power runner and a great compliment to (TreVeyon) Henderson's speed." Kansas State quarterback transfer Will Howard gives Ohio State "a more dynamic option," they write, while former Alabama center Seth McLaughlin is an "undervalued pickup."
Ohio State also added former Ohio tight end Will Kacmarek and Sayin through the transfer portal.
Ohio State football schedule 2024
Aug. 31: Ohio State vs. Akron; Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
Sept. 7: Ohio State vs. Western Michigan; Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
Sept. 21: Ohio State vs. Marshall; Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
Sept. 28: Ohio State at Michigan State; Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, Michigan
Oct. 5: Ohio State vs. Iowa; Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
Oct. 12: Ohio State at Oregon; Autzen Stadium, Eugene, Oregon
Oct. 26: Ohio State vs. Nebraska; Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
Nov. 2: Ohio State at Penn State; Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania
Nov. 9: Ohio State vs. Purdue; Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
Nov. 16: Ohio State at Northwestern; Wrigley Field, Chicago, Illinois
Nov. 23: Ohio State vs. Indiana; Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
Nov. 30: Ohio State vs. Michigan; Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: ESPN ranks Ohio State as second-best 2024 newcomer class
