The addition of 4-star WR Chris Olave to the Buckeyes’ 2018 recruiting class gives Kevin Wilson and Ryan Day another speedy weapon to add to their offensive arsenal. But it also means that OSU’s already tight scholarship numbers heading into the season just got even tighter.
All FBS teams must have no more than 85 scholarship players on their roster at the start of fall camp. Right now, the Buckeyes stand at 87 players who are either on the current roster, have signed Letters of Intent or who are verbally committed to the 2018 class.
That means sometime between now and early August, at least two members of the OSU football team will have to leave, either via a medical retirement, transfer, or other means.
It’s also possible that one or two more players could soon join the program, as standouts such as 4-star OT Rasheed Walker and 4-star LB Christopher Oats will announce their college decisions within the next 10 days.
Walker visited Ohio State over the weekend of January 20, and his decision is now viewed as a toss-up between Penn State and the Buckeyes. Oats had seemingly fallen out of the picture for OSU earlier in the recruiting cycle, but has recently re-emerged as a top target.
If both end up signing with the Buckeyes, Urban Meyer’s program would be four scholarships over the limit.
The numbers will work themselves out by August, as they always do. But in the zero-sum game of scholarship math, every new opportunity for a promising young freshman means the end of the road for someone else.
Here’s a look at exactly where the Buckeyes’ scholarship numbers stand right now.
