Key Ohio State 2023 Recruit Flips Commitment to Alabama

The Buckeyes lose cornerstone tight end recruit to the Crimson Tide.

One of the top high school tight ends in the nation is having a change of heart about where he wants to play college ball.

Ty Lockwood, a four-star recruit from Independence High in Thompson’s Station, Tenn., has decommitted from Ohio State and instead pledged his services to Alabama.

Lockwood had been the first player in the class of 2023 to accept a scholarship offer to Ohio State when he initially committed to the Buckeyes last August. Now, just shy of a year later, he’s making plans to compete in the SEC instead of the Big Ten.

The announcement comes days after Lockwood visited Tuscaloosa and received a scholarship offer.

Jeremiah 29:11 #RTR🐘 pic.twitter.com/EpSxe5UeAD

— Ty Lockwood (@TyLockwood7) August 2, 2022

“I got a chance to sit in that tight end room and meet the coaches and watch a practice and see how they run things,” Lockwood said of his Alabama visit, per 247Sports. “The vibe I got and being able to connect with the coach the way I did and players the way I did, you get that gut feeling when something feels right.”

Lockwood, a 6’5”, 225-pound rising senior, registered 43 receptions for 606 yards and three touchdowns last season.

The Buckeyes recently received a commitment from another 2023 four-star tight end, Jelani Thurman of Langston Hughes High in Fairburn, Ga.

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