Revisiting Ohio State cornerback target Aaron Scott Jr’s recruitment on decision day

COLUMBUS — Ohio State will find out in 24 hours if it has landed one of its cornerstone defensive targets in the 2024 cycle.

Four-star Springfield (Ohio) cornerback Aaron Scott Jr. will make his decision one day from now. The top-rated Ohio prospect will choose between Ohio State, Michigan and Oregon. Scott is the No. 4 cornerback and No. 29 overall prospect according to On3.

More importantly, he is the Buckeyes’ No. 1 priority within the state and has been for some time.

Does the 6-foot, 180-pound cornerback end up selecting the Buckeyes, however?

Lettermen Row looks back on Scott’s recruitment and what to expect on Sunday night.

Let’s dive in.

Perry Eliano, Relationships and the Offer

Ohio State first got wind of Aaron Scott Jr. the moment safety coach Perry Eliano was hired from Cincinnati.

Eliano, who coached cornerbacks for the Bearcats, had already offered and seen enough of Scott’s sophomore tape to know he was legit. The two built up a relationship and that carried over to Ohio State cornerback coach Tim Walton.

Scott camped at Ohio State in June 2022 and before he stepped off the practice fields at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center he earned his offer.

From that moment on, the Buckeyes emerged as the team to beat. Scott deepened his relationships with Walton and Eliano. Particularly with Walton as the two talk just about every single day.

“Man, I’ve got a great relationship with coach Walton and with coach Ryan Day,” Scott told Lettermen Row this spring. “Coach Walton checks up on me all the time and we don’t talk about football we talk more about life and how to be a better person.

“I feel like he cares for me for real like if I decide to go to another school, he’d still check up on me. I tell him I go on other visits and he rocks with me, if I did commit somewhere else I feel like he’d still want to talk to me.”

The Official Visit

Scott made just three official visits and they were to his three finalists.

Oregon had the first crack, then Michigan.

Ohio State was the final stop and that visit was of particular importance and significance for a few reasons. For starters, most of the time it is telling which school gets the final official visit. Historical trends point toward whichever program gets the last one ends up being the school the prospect goes to.

Additionally, the official visit was the same weekend as Bryce West and Miles Lockhart, the two cornerbacks already committed to the Buckeyes. Both West and Lockhart committed to Ohio State that weekend before they left campus.

Scott’s official visit was also the second time he and West were intentionally on one campus at the same time. The in-state duo visited for an unofficial visit in April where both spoke with Lettermen Row about the significance of that.

“I mean, they say the best in Ohio stay in Ohio, so them having us here together was a big deal,” West told Lettermen Row.

During Scott’s official visit, the Buckeyes spent plenty of time sitting down with him about the most important thing: football.

He got to truly see the scheme, how he would be utilized and what the path to the field looks like should he choose Ohio State.

He and Walton sat down and watched hours of defensive film from last fall. They dissected and gave percentages to the different coverages and schemes the Buckeyes ran. Walton challenged Scott throughout the session, and ultimately, Scott saw what he needed and wanted.

“We just got more in-depth with everything,” he said. “That was my main thing coming into this visit. I got the response I was looking for and I heard everything I needed to hear.”

What to Expect

This has been a critical month or so for Aaron Scott Jr.

All three programs have given him something to think about and the opportunities that all three programs offer have made this decision difficult.

I placed a prediction in February that Ohio State would keep Scott home. And 24 hours before he announces, I’m going to stand by it.

The post Revisiting Ohio State cornerback target Aaron Scott Jr’s recruitment on decision day appeared first on On3.