COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Ohio State 2020 recruiting class will have two representatives in the EICO ESPN High School Football Kickoff Classic taking place Aug. 23-25.
Kourt Williams of St. John Bosco (Calif.) and Julian Fleming of Southern Columbia (Penn.) will give fans a preview of what to expect when they arrive on campus.
Williams — who will play on Saturday night — is rated the No. 161 overall player and the No. 12 outside linebacker in the class. He is expected to play the new “Bullet” position when he arrives on campus. Over the past two seasons, he’s recorded 82 total tackles and two sacks. He attends the same high school as current Ohio State offensive lineman Wyatt Davis.
Fleming — who will play Sunday afternoon — is rated as the top wide receiver in the country and third overall player. He is also considered to be the third-highest commitment in Ohio State history behind Terrelle Pryor and Ted Ginn Jr. As a junior, he caught 72 passes for 1,497 yards and 22 touchdowns en route to earning Pennsylvania Gatorade Player of the Year honors. He has racked up 3,195 yards and 43 touchdowns on 150 catches over the last three seasons.
Both are a part of an Ohio State class that is ranked No. 4 in the country and No. 1 in the Big Ten.
Here’s a look at the three-game schedule:
| Game, Channell | When |
|---|---|
| St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.) High School at De Las Salle (Calif.) High School, ESPN U | Aug. 23, 9:30 p.m. |
| DeMatha Catholic (Md.) High School at St.John Bosco (Calif.) High School, ESPN 2 | Aug. 24, 9 p.m. |
| Southern Columbia (Penn.) High School at Hammond (S.C.) High School, ESPN 2 | Aug. 25, 2 p.m. |
James Laurinaitis, Urban Meyer and Josh Perry among on-air talent for Big Ten Network
Former Ohio State linebackers James Laurinaitis and Josh Perry along with former head coach Urban Meyer will be part of the Big Ten Network’s on-air talent for the 2019 season.
Laurinaitis will serve as a color analyst alongside play-by-play announcer Brandon Gaudin and sideline reporter Elise Menaker. He will make his debut on Saturday, Aug. 31 when Penn State takes on Idaho.
Meyer and Perry will serve as in-studio analysts in their first seasons with the network. The two are among an 11-man group — which includes hosts Dave Revsine, Mike Hall and Rick Pizzo — that will rotate on different shows throughout the fall. They will appear on The B1G Show and Saturday’s BTN Tailgate, B1G Football Game Break, B1G Football Postgame and The Final Drive as well as BTN Live Updates.
Four-star forward Puff Johnson visits Ohio State
Donovan “Puff” Johnson of Moon Area (Penn.) High School took an unofficial visit to Ohio State on Monday. Johnson is rated as the No. 43 overall prep basketball player and the No. 13 small forward in the class. So far the four-star recruit has an official visit to Arizona scheduled.
The Buckeyes are still without a commitment in its 2020 recruiting class, though they are only expected to have one open roster spot next season as Andre Wesson is the only senior. Ohio State’s 2021 class already feature two in-state commitments in Meechie Johnson of Garfield Height High School and Kalen Etzler of Crestview High School.
Catch up on the latest Ohio State news
• Ohio State linebackers coach Al Washington’s ‘blank slate’ brought veterans to forefront
• Demario McCall will be Ohio State football’s No. 2 running back behind J.K. Dobbins
• Ohio State linebacker K’Vaughan Pope emerging as a playmaker in preseason
• Ohio State football to play Arkansas State in 2022, San Jose State and Western Kentucky in 2023
• Ohio State football future schedules: 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
Key Dates
• Ohio State vs. Florida Atlantic (season opener): 8 days, Aug. 31
• Ohio State at Michigan: 99 days, Nov. 30
• Big Ten Championship: 1076 days, Dec. 7
• College Football Playoff Semifinal: 127 days, Dec. 28
• College Football Playoff National Championship: 143 days, Jan. 13, 2020
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