Outside Looking In: Top Ohio State Commits That Didn't Make Preseason SI99

In addition to the 10 future Buckeyes already on the Preseason SI99, what other current commits might have a shot to move up and earn recognition from SI All-American?

Sports Illustrated officially unveiled its Preseason SI99 Monday morning, putting pen to paper and ranking the top 99 high school football prospects in the 2021 recruiting cycle courtesy of the staff at SI All-American.

Ohio State led all schools with 10 current commits on the list, two ahead of Alabama, and could likely add more in the coming months as 24 targets remain undecided. But instead of focusing on that right now, let’s glance at a few other future Buckeyes that might have a chance to move up and earn SI99 recognition from SI All-American later this fall.

Jayden Ballard – Wide Receiver (Massillon, Ohio/Washington)
It was a bit of a surprise not seeing the 6-foot-2, 170-pound aerial threat make the SIAA positional list or the SI99, but the category is definitely loaded. A natural athlete who has also impressed on the basketball floor, Ballard has good speed, bounce, ball judgement and commonly wins throws by adjusting to the catch point. Learning from Ohio State wide receivers coach Brian Hartline, who came from the same 330 area code, should help Ballard become a productive member of the Buckeye passing game.

Ben Christman – Offensive Lineman (Richfield, Ohio/Revere)
It might be an outside chance but the 6-foot-6, 305-pound specimen could make a heavy push and flirt with the SI99. Most likely a guard in college, Christman is a run-block specialist at the moment that appears to play with a nasty demeanor and take pride in putting opponents on their back. Evaluators suggest he will need to keep improving in pass protection, but there will be plenty of time at Ohio State for the Northeast Ohio native to develop.

Andre Turrentine – Safety (Nashville, Tenn./Ensworth)
The 6-foot, 175-pound defensive back has long arms, good definition in his upper body and has been a multi-sport standout… also excelling in basketball and track and field. Turrentine plays multiple roles for his high school team and possesses good instincts/physicality in the box against the run. While he certainly has room to improve in coverage, Turrentine projects as a nice split safety in Columbus and should reap the benefits of developing at a place like Ohio State…. recently coined “Defensive Back U” by ESPN.

This entire process started by releasing 1,000 prospects across the nation as initial SI All-American candidates. The list will be narrowed to 250 finalists in October, 99 official finalists in November and culminate with 25 first team Sports Illustrated All-Americans saluted at SI’s annual Sportsperson of the Year banquet (in New York) come December.

Stay tuned to BuckeyesNow and all of our social media outlets (@BuckeyesNowSI) on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for continued coverage!