How Ohio State could have prevented the 2024 recruiting class

Ryan Day and the Ohio State football team were saved this class by Buckeye Nation and The 1870 Society when two of the team’s five-star recruits began to turn away from Day.

Ryan Day needed to find a victory somewhere to turn this program around after the Ohio State football team’s disappointing season finale. It was a significant first step in the right direction for Day when many of Ohio State’s best players declared they would participate in the Cotton Bowl, but as more rumors spread that some of the top 2024 commits would sign with other teams, things appeared bleak for Day once more.

First up was running back Jordan Lyle, who flirted with Miami for months before decommitting from Ohio State two days before signing day. Given how many unofficial visits he had made to Miami at the end of the season, this was hardly shocking to anyone who had been following Ohio State recruiting and saw the writing on the wall.

But Lyle’s withdrawal was a sign of what was to happen in the run-up to signing day. Numerous recruiting analysts were speculating that Ohio State would also lose three other potential commits, including Eddrick Houston and Jeremiah Smith, two 5-star prospects. Then there was Jeremiah McClellan, a four-star wide receiver who was committed to Ohio State but was flipping crystal balls to Oregon.

On Tuesday, December 19, Ohio State collective The 1870 Society issued a call for donations amid a flurry of commotion on message boards and the internet at large regarding Day and his staff potentially losing several key players in the 2024 recruiting class.