This is from Ohio State recruiting writer Jeremy Birmingham in his piece this morning. Ohio State went in-home with Wilson last night.
The Buckeyes have made the 6-foot-5, 240-pound Wilson one of their top priorities for months. He's visited Columbus three times this year and has been one of the most consistent prospects in terms of communication with the Ohio State coaching staff and the Buckeyes commitments for months.
Wilson, who stars at Venice (Fla.) High School, has been reportedly back-and-forth in his decision for the last three months, vacillating regularly between the Buckeyes and the Georgia Bulldogs.
Despite the effort from Day and Ohio State, the belief now is that it may be impossible for the Buckeyes to pull off the win.
It's a disappointing and bitter pill for the Buckeyes to swallow after months of recruiting Wilson. Even if Wilson preferred Ohio State -- as some close to the Buckeyes program believe is the case -- the combination of a huge disparity in NIL money, defensive production from the outside linebacker/edge position and distance to home simply outweighs how Wilson feels about his relationships in Columbus. There are 12 days until the start of the early signing period and unless the Buckeyes are able to procure a substantial -- and unexpected -- financial boost there's not much that can be done to swing the pendulum back toward the Scarlet and Gray.
There's little consolation to be found when Ohio State misses on a top target like Damon Wilson but in many ways, it's a testament to the Buckeyes program and the work done by Ryan Day and Larry Johnson that they were even able to make it this close. That won't make anyone feel better but is the truth.
It's also true that Ohio State must consider how to amend its NIL strategy to get more in line with the reality of the NIL world than the originally intended spirit of it. This recruitment, more than any other in the 2023 cycle, should serve as a warning for the Buckeyes administration. Damon Wilson, if he chooses Georgia as expected, isn't picking the Bulldogs only because of the NIL opportunity before him and his family, but it's the one piece of the puzzle that Ohio State simply couldn't overcome.
The Buckeyes have made the 6-foot-5, 240-pound Wilson one of their top priorities for months. He's visited Columbus three times this year and has been one of the most consistent prospects in terms of communication with the Ohio State coaching staff and the Buckeyes commitments for months.
Wilson, who stars at Venice (Fla.) High School, has been reportedly back-and-forth in his decision for the last three months, vacillating regularly between the Buckeyes and the Georgia Bulldogs.
Despite the effort from Day and Ohio State, the belief now is that it may be impossible for the Buckeyes to pull off the win.
It's a disappointing and bitter pill for the Buckeyes to swallow after months of recruiting Wilson. Even if Wilson preferred Ohio State -- as some close to the Buckeyes program believe is the case -- the combination of a huge disparity in NIL money, defensive production from the outside linebacker/edge position and distance to home simply outweighs how Wilson feels about his relationships in Columbus. There are 12 days until the start of the early signing period and unless the Buckeyes are able to procure a substantial -- and unexpected -- financial boost there's not much that can be done to swing the pendulum back toward the Scarlet and Gray.
There's little consolation to be found when Ohio State misses on a top target like Damon Wilson but in many ways, it's a testament to the Buckeyes program and the work done by Ryan Day and Larry Johnson that they were even able to make it this close. That won't make anyone feel better but is the truth.
It's also true that Ohio State must consider how to amend its NIL strategy to get more in line with the reality of the NIL world than the originally intended spirit of it. This recruitment, more than any other in the 2023 cycle, should serve as a warning for the Buckeyes administration. Damon Wilson, if he chooses Georgia as expected, isn't picking the Bulldogs only because of the NIL opportunity before him and his family, but it's the one piece of the puzzle that Ohio State simply couldn't overcome.
