Duncanville, Texas, four-star offensive lineman Jaylen Early included Ohio State in his top six on Wednesday afternoon alongside Florida State, Oklahoma, Penn State, Texas A&M and Texas Tech.
The 6-foot-4 and 290-pound Early – who is considered the 10th-best interior lineman and No. 203 prospect overall in the class of 2022 – landed an offer from the Buckeyes in April 2020 and has maintained contact with head coach Ryan Day, offensive line coach Greg Studrawa and graduate assistant Kennedy Cook ever since.
Early, the teammate of 2022 four-star defensive tackle target Omari Abor, is among the handful of offensive linemen vying for three or four spots in the class alongside West Chester (Ohio) Lakota West four-star Tegra Tshabola. His official visit, scheduled for this coming weekend, will go a long way in determining where he falls on the pecking order.
One thing that could help separate Early from some of the other linemen Ohio State is targeting is his versatility, which has helped him start games at left tackle, left guard and right guard throughout his high school career.
Other names to keep in mind include Lynchburg (Va.) Liberty Christian Academy five-star tackle Zach Rice; Huber Heights (Ohio) Wayne four-star Aamil Wagner; Norcross (Ga.) Greater Atlanta Christian School four-star tackle Addison Nichols; Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy four-star tackle Tyler Booker; Englewood (Colo.) Cherry Creek four-star tackle George Fitzpatrick; Humble (Texas) Atascocita four-star tackle Kam Dewberry; and St. John Bosco four-star guard Earnest Greene.
As for Early, he also has official visits scheduled with the Red Raiders on June 15-17, Aggies on June 18-20 and Seminoles on June 25-27, with the Nittany Lions and Sooners vying for that final visit. It is expected that he’ll make his college decision before the start of his senior season.
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