Commitment Breakdown: Ohio State lands four-star DE Joshua Mickens

Ohio State landed a priority 2023 target this morning when former LSU commit Joshua Mickens announced his commitment to the Buckeyes during a ceremony at his school. The one-time gem of LSU's 2023 defensive line class was offered by the Buckeyes last month, and following an official visit to Columbus shorty after, announced that he was backing off from his longtime pledge to the Tigers.

There was plenty of speculation that Mickens would immediately flip to Ohio State following his decommitment from LSU, but the longer he remained quiet about his intentions, the less confidence there was in him being an Ohio State lock. That all changed this morning when the standout from Indiana announced his intentions to sign with the Buckeyes.

Mickens is a talented edge rusher with the athleticism, frame and upside to become a lethal threat to Big Ten quarterbacks for years to come. His motor runs hot, he has a number of moves in his pass rush toolkit and he is almost impossible to block when playing his best ball. Not only is Mickens already a fantastic player, he has plenty of room for growth and development, making the sky the limit when it comes to his potential.

In addition to being an elite pass rusher, Mickens also plays stronger than he looks enabling him to disrupt the line of scrimmage regularly. With added mass which is surely to come once he is in a college weight program, the edge rusher's ability to become a dominant force in the run game could eventually match his ability as a pass rusher. Mickens uncanny ability to consistently make his way into the opponents backfield for TFL's and quarterback pressures is what makes him standout amongst even his most talented peers. This is huge addition to an already spectacular 2023 Buckeye class.