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2023 West Chester (Ohio) Lakota West Athlete Malik Hartford Includes Ohio State In Top 7

Hartford picked up an offer from the Buckeyes during an unofficial visit last month.

Andrew Lind

West Chester (Ohio) Lakota West four-star athlete Malik Hartford included Ohio State in his top seven on Friday morning alongside Cincinnati, Kentucky, Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame and West Virginia.

The 6-foot-3 and 175-pound Hartford, who is considered the 18th-best athlete and No. 216 prospect overall in the class of 2023, landed an offer from the Buckeyes following an unofficial visit on Jan. 22.

Hartford – who is being recruited by Ohio State as a safety – spent time that afternoon with head coach Ryan Day, defensive coordinator Jim Knowles and safeties coach Perry Eliano, his lead recruiter with the Bearcats, the first program to offer him a scholarship.

The former teammate of freshman offensive tackle Tegra Tshabola and cornerback Jyaire Brown, Hartford recorded 58 tackles, two interceptions and one sack for the Firebirds last season. 

He is also one of three uncommitted in-state players with an offer from the Buckeyes, including Findlay four-star offensive tackle Luke Montgomery and Liberty Township Lakota East four-star offensive guard Austin Siereveld.

That number will likely drop to two next week, as Montgomery is expected to commit Ohio State on Feb. 17 to join Huber Heights Wayne four-star offensive guard Joshua Padilla and Dublin Coffman three-star defensive tackle Will Smith Jr. in the Buckeyes’ 2023 class.

Hartford, who teased that he’ll be narrowing this group of seven to three sooner rather than later, plans to return to campus this spring and hopes to make his college decision before the start of his senior season.

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Andrew Lind
ANDREW LIND

Andrew Lind is an Ohio State beat writer and photographer at BuckeyesNow, founder of The Ohio State Uniform Database and the NCAA and NFL writer at SportsLogos.net.

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