Chris Holtmann’s brought in more than a handful of Ohio natives from the high school recruiting ranks during his tenure with the Buckeyes. Malaki Branham even lived in Columbus until he began his high school career.
But before Wednesday, the sixth-year Ohio State head coach had never actually landed a local prospect who played high school hoops in the Columbus area. Kaleb Wesson hailed from Westerville in the 2017 class, but Holtmann largely inherited his recruitment from the Thad Matta regime.
That all changed when Pickerington Central’s Devin Royal opted to stay home for the next step in his basketball journey, becoming the first local prospect whose recruitment was seen through by Holtmann and his staff from start to finish to become a Buckeye.