The Ohio State Buckeyes are taking no chances in this recruiting cycle when it comes to locking in linemen, for good reason. So far, offensive line coach Tyler Bowen has locked in five OLs from the class of 2027. Since the 2027 offensive line class is almost complete, word is he’s now going all-in for Ohio’s No. 1 OL prospect from the class of 2028, Anthony Blalock of Austintown Fitch. However, the only things standing in their way are Marcus Freeman’s Notre Dame and two ACC powerhouses.

Bowen has been keeping tabs on Blalock since Ohio State offered him a scholarship last fall. Earlier this month, Bowen visited Blalock at Austintown-Fitch High School in Ohio.

Since Anthony is only in the class of 2028, coaches from any Power Four program can’t just call or text him directly whenever they want yet. So, Bowen used some loopholes to work around strict NCAA rules by rolling out the red carpet for the Ohio native. Blalock said it meant a lot to him that Bowen made him a priority during the NCAA spring evaluation period.

“It means everything,” Blalock said. “Last week, we had a meeting with my parents about everything. So it was a blessing seeing Coach come down.”

Anthony Blalock Jr. is locked in as a consensus four-star prospect and ranks as one of the best young linemen in the country. 247Sports has him ranked as the eighth-best lineman in the class of 2028 and the No. 4 overall recruit in the state of Ohio. He has also cracked Rivals’ 300 list.

The 6-foot-5, 320-pound prospect enjoyed spending time with the coaching staff and getting a closer look at the program.

“I loved it. It was a great experience,” Blalock said. “They showed me a lot of love. I definitely want to go back down there and see Coach Bowen and Coach Ryan Day. I loved it. And it wasn’t just the coaches showing me love, it was everybody else. It was the players showing me love, just everybody. It was going around the campus, students showing me love. I felt like home down there for sure.”

However, Notre Dame Fighting Irish has been a real problem for Ohio State Buckeyes here because they are pushing hard right in the Buckeyes’ backyard and matching everything OSU has to offer. Coach Marcus Freeman and offensive line coach Joe Rudolph got Anthony out to South Bend for a multi-day spring visit back on April 8. He also visited Pittsburgh and Florida State in that same week.

The trip went so well that it forced Ohio State to immediately counter by getting him back to Columbus for an unofficial spring practice visit the very next week, on April 15, just to make sure they still felt like “home.” Now, Coach Bowen and Ryan Day are currently setting up their schedules to get Blalock back on campus for Ohio State’s elite summer camp series starting in June.

So far, Ohio State might have a slight edge in his recruitment after Bowen’s visit. But it would be foolish to think Notre Dame would back off just like that. The Buckeyes have some work cut out for them with this recruit.

Nonetheless, Blalock’s not the only in-state class of 2028 target they are planning to get their hands on.

Buckeyes’ 2028 class home-state targets

The Ohio State football coaching staff is already working hard to lock down local talent for their class of 2028.

The biggest win for the Buckeyes so far is landing a huge local commitment to jumpstart the class. Jameer Whyce, a dominant defensive lineman from Trotwood-Madison High School in Dayton, committed early to Ohio State. He’s rated as a high-end, 4-star talent and is widely considered one of the top overall defensive players in the country for this cycle.

Apart from him, there are some recruiting Ohio State’s planning to win early.

Lorenzo McMullen Jr. (WR, Princeton High School): A consensus 4-star weapon out of Cincinnati who ranks inside the national top 50. He is widely considered the top overall offensive prospect in Ohio for this cycle. Princeton High product holds over 25 scholarship offers.

Asa Burch (EDGE, Warren G. Harding High School): Asa Burch (EDGE, Warren G. Harding High School): A 6-foot-5 edge rusher who officially picked up an offer from Ryan Day’s staff during April when he came around for the spring practice. He is ranked as a top-15 edge defender nationally and holds major regional priority.

Judah Blair (LB, Lakota West High School): 4-star linebacker out of West Chester who landed in the initial Top247 rankings. Blair is coming off an explosive sophomore season where he racked up 66 tackles, 3 sacks, and an interception. When said and done, he might have higher-ceiling of them all.

Well, it’s too early to predict anything. But if the Buckeyes get two pledges from this group of recruits, it would be considered a huge dub in their books.