Is in-state EDGE Elijah King an emerging target for Ohio State?

COLUMBUS — Ohio State for the better part of the last decade or so has produced plenty of talented defensive linemen.

Veteran defensive line coach Larry Johnson is one of the most revered and respected in the business. He’s brought in a number of talented high school prospects, turned them into stars and now wreckers on Sundays.

It’s not always a five-star prospect, however. And 2024 three-star Gahanna (Ohio) Lincoln EDGE Elijah King has blipped on the Buckeyes’ radar.

The 6-foot-5, 230-pound edge rusher out of the eastern Columbus suburb visited for the Ohio State spring game on April 15. He has maintained contact with Johnson and King will camp at Ohio State in June — an opportunity that has him excited.

“Coach Johnson wants to see me in June and he told me we’re going to have a one-on-one workout,” King told Lettermen Row. “We’re just going to work on some drills and get some good work in.”

Along with the opportunity to work one-on-one with Johnson, the rising 2024 prospect wants to see his demeanor.

“I want to see how he coaches, how he interacts with other players and if I understand all of that.”

While the central Ohio prospect hears from Johnson, he primarily is in contact with longtime assistant and analyst Tim Hinton.

Given his size, King does fit the prototypical size for a defensive end, but with the Buckeyes’ new defensive scheme, he could also land a role as the 2024 JACK.

He holds a solid number of offers with a mix of Group of 5 and Power 5 programs. Iowa is the leader in the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine and has an official visit at the end of June. King has official visits scheduled for Rutgers and Cincinnati. Kentucky is also a school in the mix.

Ohio State is in the mix, however, for a number of high-profile edge rushers in the 2024 cycle. Dylan Stewart, Booker Pickett, Darien Mayo, Marquise Lightfoot and Jaylen Harvey are all names the Buckeyes are after.

In-state prospect Javon Hammonds Jr. is one to watch as well after visiting campus during spring ball.

King is waiting to see what happens after his workout with Johnson, and as a result, he isn’t rushing to a decision.

“I’m still 100 percent open,” he said. “I haven’t made any decisions yet.”

There isn’t any guarantee that Elijah King will earn an Ohio State offer — even if he has a flawless camp performance in June.

But the Buckeyes know King. They know his high school program — the same school that produced former defensive end Jonathon Cooper.

Regardless, he is becoming a name to be aware of and potentially know down the road.

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