Recruiting roundup: Springfield star sees Ohio State; West Virginia and Pitt active in area

Here is a look at some of noteworthy developments from the first week of April:

1. Aaron Scott Jr. visited Ohio State.

The Springfield cornerback is the area’s top-rated recruit and No. 2 in the state according to 247Sports Composite rankings. He has 30 offers and figures to be a high-priority recruit for the Buckeyes.

Scott was in Columbus this week along with Bryce West, a cornerback from Cleveland Glenville who is the state’s No. 1 prospect.

Ohio State fans aren’t the only ones hoping that duo will choose the Scarlet and Gray.

Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State’s top-ranked recruit and the No. 2 prospect in the country regardless of position, chimed in on Twitter to invite them to join him in signing with the Buckeyes in December.

“Let’s make each other better everyday in practice,” wrote Smith, a five-star prospect from Chaminade-Madonna Prep in Opa Locka, Fla. “We need y’all to stay home!”

Scott responded, “Heard ya bro” with a “double eyes” emoji.

2. Da’Shawn Martin released an early top 10.

Another junior from Springfield, Martin appears to have been discovered by colleges before the recruiting services.

He is not rated by any of the major sites yet, but Martin is looking at 10 schools at this point (in alphabetical order): Akron, Ball State, Bowling Green, Eastern Kentucky, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Miami (Ohio) University and Toledo.

The 6-foot-2, 173-pounder caught 41 passes for 622 yards and seven touchdowns last season for the Wildcats.

3. Wayne’s Javon Hammonds received offers from West Virginia and Pittsburgh.

The 6-4, 220-pound Hammonds tied for the GWOC lead in sacks last season with 9.5.

He is 39th in 247Sports’ in-house rankings (which are different from the composite rankings that come from a compilation of multiple other services) and has reported offers from nearly a dozen schools.

He visited Ohio State in March.

4. Dalin Wilkins visited West Virginia.

The Mountaineers offered the 6-3, 200-pound receiver from Northmont more than a year ago, and they are joined by Kentucky and a handful of MAC schools to have done so since.

He is 39th in Ohio in the 247Sports Composite rankings and recently told Rivals he is not in a hurry to make a decision.

Wilkins was fifth in the GWOC with 813 yards on 45 catches last season.

5. Timothy Carpenter visited Marshall.

The Trotwood-Madison quarterback is the third-rated prospect in the Cox First Media coverage area per 247Sports Composite rankings. He is No. 21 in the state and the top-rated quarterback.

Carpenter has been on college radars for a while, and his offer list includes according to 247Sports: Akron, Central Michigan, Eastern Kentucky, Marshall, Massachusetts, Miami (Ohio) and Toledo.

6. Amare Lattimore has been offered by three service academies.

The Thurgood Marshall running back reported offers from Navy and Army last week to go with a previous offer from Air Force.

Listed at 5-9, 185 pounds, he led the City League in rushing last season with 1,280 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also had 95 tackles and two interceptions.

7. A pair of 2025 quarterbacks made significant visits.

Bellefontaine sophomore Tavien St. Clair hit the recruiting radar last year and has maintained a major presence after leading the Chieftains to the playoffs last season.

The 6-3, 175-pounder threw for 2,453 yards and 25 touchdowns with four interceptions, and he lists offers from Florida, Illinois, Iowa State, Louisville and Tennessee among others.

He visited Louisville and Tennessee last week and announced Friday he plans to see Marshall this weekend.

The local class of 2025 is looking very strong, and it got stronger with the addition of Jamison Kitna over the winter.

His father, former Bengals quarterback Jon Kitna, is the new coach at Lakota East, and Jamison visits Pittsburgh and Ohio State over the past week. HIs offers include Baylor, Duke and Houston.

8. Jake Wheelock committed to Cincinnati.

A busy week began when the Stebbins offensive lineman became the first local player to commit to a Power 5 school when he announced his decision Sunday.

Ohio’s No. 31 prospect chose the Bearcats from a final three that also included Duke and Virginia Tech.