The battle for supremacy between the Big Ten and SEC has found its latest frontline in the recruitment of 5-star receiver Braylon Clark. While Ryan Day’s Ohio State was heavily recruiting the wide receiver, an SEC team has also made its entry into his favorites.
The five-star prospect, currently a top-3 wide receiver in the 2028 class, has offers from blue-blood programs such as Georgia, Alabama, LSU, South Carolina, and Notre Dame. After visiting some of these programs, he has Ohio State and Tennessee at the top of his board.
“I’ve been getting out to a lot of schools this spring, just seeing how everything is and building relationships,” Clark said. “I have visited Clemson, Ohio State, South Carolina and Tennessee. All were good visits for me. Ohio State and Tennessee are definitely standing out to me right now. Both of them are high on my list.”
As expected, Clark has his own reasons for placing both programs above the rest. While he understands the benefits he would gain by committing to Ohio State as a wide receiver, the Vols have an emotional pull that could influence his decision.
“With Ohio State, it’s the way they develop receivers. You see what they’ve done at that position, and that stands out. They’re very detailed in everything they do, and I like that. Ohio State is WRU. They develop receivers.
“Tennessee has been showing me a lot of love. The energy there, the way they recruit me and how they see me in the offense — I really like that. I’ve built a strong connection with their coaches. That’s big for me.”
Specifically with Tennessee, Clark also likes how he’d fit into Josh Heupel’s high-tempo, vertical offense, which is designed to create space for wide receivers. So far, the wide receiver out of Charlotte Country Day School in North Carolina has been to Knoxville thrice, including a recent spring practice visit. Given the Vols’ track record of recruiting from the Charlotte area, they are the main competitor to the Buckeyes’ chances of landing Clark.
Just recently, Ohio State and the Vols had a rough battle for four-star wide receiver Legend Bey that ended up in Ohio State’s favor. Just after committing and signing with the Volunteers, he requested a release and joined Ohio State instead. With Clark, the Buckeyes will be looking to repeat another off-field victory over the Vols.
Ohio State’s chances of earning Clark’s commitment
Clark’s admiration for Ohio State was before he received an offer from the program. Hence, they have a really good chance of earning his commitment.
“I was running a route, caught it, went to the end zone, and coach Hartline comes here and says, ‘You’ve earned a scholarship from The Ohio State.’ I was super excited, but I wanted to play it cool because I had to go compete in camp. I had them at the top of interest, and I didn’t even have an offer from them (before today),” Clark said. “So this means a lot.”
Considering the Buckeyes were the defending national champions at the time of his offer, it was such a big deal to the prospect. And he was not mincing words when he said the major factor he considers with Ohio State is their track record with wide receivers. Having seen a few first-round wide receivers come from Columbus, Smith has also been impressed by Jeremiah Smith.
“For me, my favorite is Jeremiah Smith because I’ve seen him when he was in high school,” Clark said. “I was a little kid that saw him at 7-on-7 tournaments.”
While Ohio State’s track record with receivers gives them a strong pitch, the recruiting battle now shifts to whether Tennessee’s personal connection can overcome the Buckeyes’ developmental pedigree before Clark makes his final decision.
