Ohio State is on the board in the 2023 recruiting class as the Buckeyes picked up a pledge on Thursday afternoon from four-star tight end Ty Lockwood. The 6-foot-5, 235-pound prospect out of Thompson’s Station (Tenn.) Independence chose the Buckeyes from a final four that also included Florida State, Penn State, and South Carolina.
Below, we’re taking a look at Lockwood’s sophomore film and discussing what he will bring to the Ohio State offense and what this early commitment means for the Buckeyes moving forward.
What Ohio State is getting
If you look back at what Ohio State has historically recruited at the tight end position, the culmination of that research would result in profile that very closely resembles Ty Lockwood. At 6-foot-5, 235-pounds, Lockwood has the ideal build to play the tight end position in Ohio State’s offense. He’ll play at well over 250-pounds at the next level and be able to handle all of the blocking and physically taxing responsibilities that come with playing in the Ryan Day and Kevin Wilson offense.
But Lockwood is more than just a big body, he is a very athletic prospect who can make plays in the passing game. He has experience lining up as an H-Back and also splitting out as a receiver. At the high school level, he is a dangerous runner after the catch both in terms of his speed and how physical of a runner he is. While running away from high school defensive backs likely isn’t going to translate to doing that at the college level, he’ll bring enough athleticism to make plays down the seam and to out-run most college linebackers who get matched up on him. That ability to move at 6-foot-5 makes him an every down, all situations, type of tight end.
You also have to love his willingness as a blocker. There are some absolute pancakes on his sophomore film and he’s a kid that is not only good at blocking but seems to really enjoy it. It’s really difficult to teach a kid to embrace contact. By the time they get to college that is generally something they either have or don’t have and Lockwood has it. Whether it’s the blocking clips or the way he finishes runs, this is a really physical football player.
This is a player who seems to be cut from the same mold as former Ohio State tight ends like Jeff Heuerman and Nick Vannett who had underrated careers in Columbus before turning themselves into consistent pros.
What it means for recruiting
A lot of the fan anxiety over Ohio State not having a commitment in the 2023 class was extremely misplaced. Now at least that can be put to rest with the Buckeyes on the board and with a couple of other key targets possibly deciding in the next 8-10 weeks in four-star receiver Carnell Tate and, potentially, five-star defensive back A.J. Harris.
The Buckeyes held two tight end commitments in the 2022 class for a long time. However, the recent decommitment of Benji Gosnell, coupled with the strides made by current players on the roster like Cade Stover and Gee Scott Jr., would make it appear that the 2023 class now becomes the two tight end class.
Lockwood grabbing an early spot makes life a bit easier for the Buckeyes as a few of the nation’s top tight ends are already off the board, so landing one of them early will allow Kevin Wilson and company to take a pretty methodical approach to the decision on a second player at the position.
But ultimately, even without any unexpected attrition, it would seem like two tight ends is going to be the way to go in the 2023 cycle for the Buckeyes.