Four-star New Jersey athlete Ronnie Hickman released his top six schools on Monday. As expected, the Buckeyes were included in his list. Joining Ohio State were Notre Dame, Penn State, Rutgers, Florida, and Virginia Tech.
Extremely Blessed and Thankful?? #TopSix pic.twitter.com/pe1a2C4V4p
— Ronnie Hickman (@asvprocket_) April 10, 2018
Hickman (6-2 202) is rated the No. 13 athlete in the 2019 recruiting class per the 247Sports Composite. ESPN ranks Hickman the No. 11 wide receiver and the No. 67 player in the nation. The Buckeyes are believed to be the favorites.
As a junior last season, Hickman was a Second-Team All-State selection at wide receiver. He caught 44 passes for 809 yards and 10 touchdowns. As a safety for DePaul Catholic, he compiled 47 tackles and two interceptions.
Hickman could end up on either side of the ball in college, but according to 247Sports, his recruitment is being handled by Ohio State defensive coordinator Greg Schiano. Schiano, who spent years as the head coach at Rutgers, has had plenty of success recruiting New Jersey.
As a defender, Hickman shows the kind of ball skills in a defensive back that you would expect from a major college prospect at receiver. He can fluctuate from linebacker to safety to cornerback in high school and doesn’t look out of place at any time. As a receiver, Hickman is a big target who uses his outstanding hands and athleticism to turn 50/50 balls into 60/40 balls. He is also solid after the catch and is a terrible matchup in the slot against linebackers or safeties.
The Buckeyes are seemingly honing in on more receivers than safeties at the moment, as they have hosted 4-star receivers Jake Smith and John Dunmore recently, and are looking to host more this coming weekend. At safety, Ohio State has made the cut previously for 5-star prospect Daxton Hill and is trending well with Maryland 4-star prospect Nick Cross, among others.
Ronnie Hickman Highlights
