LOS ANGELES, Calif. — A year ago this week, Tavien St. Clair walked into the Woody Hayes Athletic Center at Ohio State with news to share.
The five-star quarterback from Bellafontaine (Ohio) was ready to commit to the Buckeyes, a childhood favorite team with a rich history of producing top talent at his position. Two-time Heisman Trophy finalist C.J. Stroud had been taken second overall in the NFL Draft just two months prior, and St. Clair could not wait to start mapping out a similar blueprint in Columbus. He stepped into coach Ryan Day’s office equally nervous and excited.
“Coach Day and coach Corey Dennis had started asking about a commitment a couple months before that moment, just dropping hints here and there and wondering when I wanted to do it,” St. Clair said at the Elite 11 Finals. “My family and I were overwhelmed with joy when we finally did it. Enrolling early was a big factor in the timing. Obviously it was two full years before the start of my first college season, but it’s big for the quarterback to jump in early and recruit the guys he wants around him.”
The results, at least for Ohio State, have been tangible — the Buckeyes hold a healthy lead atop the 247Sports Team Composite Recruiting Rankings for the 2025 class with six months remaining until the Early Signing Period. St. Clair is one of three five-star prospects in the group that also features 12 other Top247 members.
Ask any coach and they’ll tell you there’s no better way to kick-start a class than by landing an elite quarterback recruit. He’s a magnet for other elite players. He’s a testament to your fans, boosters and bosses that your program’s going in the right direction. And he’s usually the most vocal one in building out the class, organizing group…
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