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Ohio State basketball recruiting has seen a massive shift in the last few months and could be trending for another notable target in the 2027 class. Over the weekend, four-star combo guard Jason Gardner Jr scheduled two visits this fall and the Buckeyes are on the calendar.
Gardner will visit Columbus the weekend of October 3. His other visit, which is set up, is to Auburn on September 19.
The 6-foot-1 guard has been a standout performer at Fishers (Ind.), helping lead the Tigers to a state championship his sophomore year and a 53-2 record over the past two years. While his recruitment has been a bit under the radar over the last few months, it's starting to pick up after finding his rhythm during the Adidas 3SSB live periods this summer.
After suffering a fractured hand on Dec. 19, Gardner missed most of his junior year before returning in postseason play. After moving back to Indiana Elite this summer, following a brief stint with the Oakland Soldiers on the EYBL circuit this spring, Gardner stood out in front of Ohio State head coach Jake Diebler this past weekend. He averaged 18 points a game while adding 4.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists a game.
Because of the injury, Gardner slipped in the national rankings, falling from a top-25 prospect in the 247Sports rankings to No. 66, where he currently sits. But, there's no questioning the talent.
The big x-factor in this recruitment has been his father, the director of player relations for Arizona’s men’s basketball program. While he remains on staff, Arizona has been extremely quiet in his recruitment, and all signs point to him going elsewhere for college. So Ohio State's recent push makes it an intriguing threat in his recruitment.
Some notable programs currently involved are Purdue, Notre Dame, Indiana, UCLA, Iowa, and Michigan State, among others.
There's no surprise that Auburn and Ohio State are two notable programs in his recruitment, however. With both being guard-dominant programs and having recent success at both lead and off-guard positions, each school offers an intriguing recruiting pitch.
For the Buckeyes, there's no doubt the success of Bruce Thornton is appealing. Now, it's time for John Mobley to emerge as a name known more nationally.
Ohio State has also been the trend and landing spot for a lot of talented guards of late. The Buckeyes added Justin Pippen (14.2 ppg & 4.6 apg) from the transfer portal and landed LJ Smith -- a consensus 5-star guard in the 2027 class who reclassified to 2026. Add Curtis Givens, a former four-star guard in the 2024 class and Memphis transfer, and the message is getting out about the development inside the Ohio State program at the guard position.
Ohio State is fresh off a top-16 class in 2026, highlighted by top-10 forward Anthony Thompson.
Can the Buckeyes win out and land another top-level athlete at the guard position? Recent history says yes.
Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion.
This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Four-star guard Jason Gardner Jr sets official visit to Ohio State
Continue reading...
Gardner will visit Columbus the weekend of October 3. His other visit, which is set up, is to Auburn on September 19.
The 6-foot-1 guard has been a standout performer at Fishers (Ind.), helping lead the Tigers to a state championship his sophomore year and a 53-2 record over the past two years. While his recruitment has been a bit under the radar over the last few months, it's starting to pick up after finding his rhythm during the Adidas 3SSB live periods this summer.
After suffering a fractured hand on Dec. 19, Gardner missed most of his junior year before returning in postseason play. After moving back to Indiana Elite this summer, following a brief stint with the Oakland Soldiers on the EYBL circuit this spring, Gardner stood out in front of Ohio State head coach Jake Diebler this past weekend. He averaged 18 points a game while adding 4.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists a game.
Because of the injury, Gardner slipped in the national rankings, falling from a top-25 prospect in the 247Sports rankings to No. 66, where he currently sits. But, there's no questioning the talent.
The big x-factor in this recruitment has been his father, the director of player relations for Arizona’s men’s basketball program. While he remains on staff, Arizona has been extremely quiet in his recruitment, and all signs point to him going elsewhere for college. So Ohio State's recent push makes it an intriguing threat in his recruitment.
Some notable programs currently involved are Purdue, Notre Dame, Indiana, UCLA, Iowa, and Michigan State, among others.
There's no surprise that Auburn and Ohio State are two notable programs in his recruitment, however. With both being guard-dominant programs and having recent success at both lead and off-guard positions, each school offers an intriguing recruiting pitch.
For the Buckeyes, there's no doubt the success of Bruce Thornton is appealing. Now, it's time for John Mobley to emerge as a name known more nationally.
Ohio State has also been the trend and landing spot for a lot of talented guards of late. The Buckeyes added Justin Pippen (14.2 ppg & 4.6 apg) from the transfer portal and landed LJ Smith -- a consensus 5-star guard in the 2027 class who reclassified to 2026. Add Curtis Givens, a former four-star guard in the 2024 class and Memphis transfer, and the message is getting out about the development inside the Ohio State program at the guard position.
Ohio State is fresh off a top-16 class in 2026, highlighted by top-10 forward Anthony Thompson.
Can the Buckeyes win out and land another top-level athlete at the guard position? Recent history says yes.
Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion.
This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Four-star guard Jason Gardner Jr sets official visit to Ohio State
Continue reading...
