COLUMBUS, Ohio — Carter Lowe might not be the highest-rated recruit in Ohio State’s 2025 class when all is said and done, but he very well might be the most important.
The offensive tackle from Toledo (Whitmer High School) will make his college decision on Saturday, and it’s widely expected to be the Buckeyes. And should that happen, his addition would give Ohio State a jumpstart on a position it desperately needs to improve.
Lowe is the No. 85 overall player in the class, and the No. 9 offensive tackle. He’s the No. 3 player in Ohio, too, and would bring a massive momentum swing to the class.
Still, even if Ohio State adds him, he wouldn’t be the highest-rated recruit on the offensive side of the ball — that distinction belongs to quarterback Tavien St. Clair, who ranks as the No. 48 overall player in the class. But considering Ohio State’s overall recruiting up front in the last few cycles, Lowe may very well represent a change in the type of players that the Buckeyes are getting.
Ohio State signed zero top 100 offensive linemen in the 2024 class (Ian Moore was the highest-rated at No. 135), one in 2023 (Luke Montgomery; No. 92) and none in 2022. That gap, amongst other reasons, led to struggles up front for Ohio State in 2023 after Paris Johnson Jr., Luke Wypler and Dawand Jones departed for the NFL. While positions along the offensive line are perhaps the biggest development spots on the roster, adding high-level talent is still high on the priority list.
Lowe’s commitment would not signify that Ohio State’s 2024 or even 2025 line will be massively improved from the 2023 unit — that will come from previous classes’ development — but it would mean that Ohio State could be turning the corner in the type of players it lands along the front five.
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