It has been just less than two full months since Ohio State’s last commitment. However, with today’s commitment from 2022 four-star wide receiver Kyion Grayes, that slight drought ends.
Ever since Ohio State wide receivers coach Brian Hartline offered Grayes back in October, he has been a top-of-the-board target for the Buckeyes. Additionally, Grayes himself has not held back in showing his interest in the Buckeyes, which seemingly made this recruitment a ‘when, not if’ scenario.
Grayes is a 6-foot-1, 170-pound prospect out of Chandler (AZ) High School who is 36-1 in his high school career with the Wolves. His father is a former Arizona State football player and his mother ran track for the Sun Devils. It was almost a foregone conclusion that Grayes would grow into a competitor and gifted athlete, and it’s those two aspects of his game that impacted his decision to choose Ohio State.
“Why? I just feel like the environment and the place,” Grayes explained to Buckeye Scoop. “One, I’ll become a better player. Two it’s just the best fit for me. I mean, when you have a big top-notch program come to you while you are still committed and say ‘we want you,’ it shows a lot. It made me feel welcomed, especially with the recruits already being there too, talking to me, everything just fell in line. And it felt perfect.”
Grayes’ father pointed out to Buckeye Scoop that his son has won big at every level he plays at whether that is Pop Warner, middle school, and now the high school level. If the 36-1 record doesn’t get your attention, then think about it this way, Grayes has never ended a high school season without a state title. Yes, he is a winner, but is also a competitor which has helped him embrace coming into a loaded wide receiver room at Ohio State.
“I use it as a situation where I have to up my game everyday,” Grayes said. “You can’t stay at the same level of play every day. You have to up it because those people are good players and so you always have to take your game to another level every day.”
One could say that the OSU coaches brought Grayes to Ohio State, or maybe the competitive environment, or it was simply his fit in the program, but you would be remiss not to give Ohio State’s current commits at least some credit. Whether it was Dasan McCullogh, C.J. Hicks, Bennett Christan, or even Quinn Ewers, the relationship Grayes built with his now fellow commits played a role in him picking Ohio State.
“Really, just talking to them makes me feel like we are teammates already and we haven’t stepped on the field together yet,” he said. “So us just talking, them being there for me and wanting me to come, its really played a big role. They have done a fantastic job recruiting me.”
And when it comes to peer recruiting, it is common to hear groups of commitments say they want to have the number one class in the country, but obviously only one school can hold that title. Having the number one class in the country can put a target on your back more than anything else. With a number one class, fans want national titles. And it’s only fair. From talking to Grayes, he is fully aware of what expectations may come with having the number one recruiting class. In fact, he said the Buckeyes’ 2022 class has those same lofty expectations for themselves.
“We want to be the number one class. I feel like we are gonna be the number one class. From there we will just work, continue to work, and show why we should be,” Grayes added. “We are trying to win at least three or four [National Championships], that’s the plan. That’s a big goal, but that’s what we want to do. We want to win three or four by the time we leave.”
From that last quote alone you can get a feel for the type of person that Ohio State is getting in Kyion Grayes, He is a competitor with a singular focus on winning. Buckeye Scoop will have more on what he brings to Columbus on the field, along with some insights into Grayes from his coaches back in Arizona.
In the meantime, click the link below to watch a separate interview with Grayes that Buckeyes Scoop conducted during his visit to Columbus. In the interview, Grayes talks about his recruiting process with Ohio State from start to finish and more, so be sure to check that out!
