Inside the Lettermen Lounge: Five storylines to follow from the Ohio State vs Purdue visitors list

COLUMBUS – Ohio State will be back inside Ohio Stadium on Saturday after beating Penn State on the road last week. The Buckeyes will host dozens of targets and highly ranked recruits for game-day visits.

The Purdue game is not the largest but it is talented. The Buckeyes will still get several top targets on campus this weekend.

In this week's edition of Inside the Lettermen Lounge, Lettermen Row highlights five storylines to follow from the recruits visiting Ohio State on Saturday. We also share a few prospects that the baseball and wrestling program will be hosting this weekend.

How much can Carlos Locklyn achieve in one weekend?

There might not be a busier member of the Ohio State coaching staff this weekend than running backs coach Carlos Locklyn.

Ohio State is hosting is four-star Montgomery (Ala) running back and Alabama commit Anthony Rogers for an official visit this weekend. The Buckeyes want a third running back to the 2025 class and Rogers is perhaps the top target for that spot.

Additionally, four-star Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Chaminade-Madonna Prep running back Derrek Cooper and four-star Mineral (Va.) Louisa County running back Savion Hiter are visiting Ohio State on Saturday. Cooper and Hiter are the No. 1 and No. 2 running backs the On3 Industry Rankings for the 2026. Both are top targets for the Buckeyes next cycle.

Can Ohio State take the lead for two top targets in 2026?

The Purdue game will be the third trip for four-star Jacksonville (Fla.) The Bolles School tight end Corbyn Fordham to Ohio State this calendar year. He visited in the March for a spring practice and return to Columbus in June for a camp. Fordham is a top target for Keenan Bailey and the Buckeyes in the 2026 class. This weekend is an opportunity for Ohio State to take a lead in this recruitment. Georgia and South Carolina are among the other schools in contention for Fordham.

Another prospect that is visiting Ohio State for the third time this year is four-star Sarasota (Fla.) Cardinal Mooney interior offensive lineman Da'Ron Parks . The 6-foot-4, 305-pound Parks was in Columbus for the Buckeyes junior day in January then returned to campus to workout for Ohio State offensive line coach Justin Frye in June. The Purdue game is a big opportunity for the Buckeyes to move to the top of Parks' recruitment.

Does Ohio State offer 2026 linebacker Brayden Rouse?

Ohio State linebackers coach James Laurinaitis has already offered double-digit linebacker in the 2026 class including three in-state prospects. That does not mean the Buckeyes won't expand the board, however.

One of the top un-offered prospects that Ohio State is hosting for the Purdue game is Marietta (Ga.) Brayden Rouse . He is unranked but Ole Miss, Tennessee and South Carolina have all offered Rouse since the start of the season. James Laurinaitis has been in contact with Rouse for months and the Buckeyes could offer the 6-foot-3, 205-pound prospect weekend.

Can Ohio State make a move in Madden Williams recruitment?

Four-star wide receiver Madden Williams out of Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco is a prospect that Ohio State fans should get familiar with in the 2026 class.

The Buckeyes offered Williams in May and he will visit Columbus for the first time on Saturday. Williams was originally planning to visit for the Michigan game but St. John Bosco is off this week and he decided to move is visit up a few weeks. Ohio State wide receivers coach Brian Hartline prioritized Williams and he has an opportunity to make a move in this recruitment this weekend. Williams is also high on Oregon, Penn State, Texas and Texas A&M.

Will highly-touted 2027 prospects leave Columbus with an offer?

Ohio State is hosting two highly-touted 2027 prospects for the Purdue game that the Buckeyes have not offered: Buffalo (N.Y.) Elijah Kimble and four-star Indianapolis (Ind.) Lawrence North Monshun Sales .

Carlos Locklyn offered Kimble at Oregon and he has continued to recruit him since joining the Ohio State coaching staff. He has already visited Columbus several times in his recruitment. The Buckeyes have yet to offer Kimble but that could change on Saturday. Sales is the No. 25 overall prospect and No. 1 prospect in Indiana in On3's initial top-100 for the 2027 class. He holds ACC, Big Ten and SEC programs. The Buckeyes could be the next program to enter the mix for the talented pass catcher from the Hoosier State.