On Sept. 1 the Buckeyes landed what was then commitment No. 6 for their 2022 recruiting class when tight end Bennett Christian from Acworth (Ga.) Allatoona announced he is headed to Ohio State. Christian, who the Buckeyes offered a scholarship on June 2, picked Ohio State over his other finalist, Tennessee. The main other school he had been considering was Penn State.
At the time Christian was an unranked 3-star prospect. Christian then had a great junior season that included helping his team make it to the elite eight of the Georgia 6A state playoffs with a final record of 11-1. Christian was a great blocker from his tight end position and caught 20 passes for 250 yards and two touchdowns playing in a very run oriented offense.
Today in the updated Top247 rankings Christian has received the biggest bump of any of the Buckeyes’ ten current commitments. He has gone from an unranked 3-star to a 4-star ranked as the country’s No. 201 overall prospect.
“I’m kind of shocked,” Christian told Bucknuts. “I wasn’t expecting it. I kind of thought it would come eventually, but I wasn’t expecting it now. It’s very humbling.”
The 6-foot-6 and 235-pound Christian said it is also gratifying.
“Seeing that, knowing you are doing better, it makes you want to work even harder and do even better,” Christian said.
Christian’s ability can be easily seen in his junior season tape.
“I think I made a big jump since my sophomore film,” Christian said. “I think I made some big strides. My pass routes were sharper. I feel I’m more college ready now. My blocking has come around. Having another year of experience, I feel bigger and stronger and I’m learning more.”
But Christian feels he can and will continue to improve.
“For me I think you should have the idea that the sky is the limit,” Christian said. “You should strive for being at the highest level you can be. That’s what I’m doing.”
Christian is training hard in the off season and playing 7-on-7’s, focusing on speed and strength. He is also staying in contact with the Ohio State staff.
“I talk to coach (Kevin) Wilson and coach (Ryan) Day just as much now as before I committed,” Christian said. “That says a lot about them.”
Christian is now a 4-star prospect in the 247Sports rankings. He is the country’s No. 201 overall prospect, the No. 7 tight end and the No. 22 prospect in Georgia. Previously Christian was the country’s No. 20 tight end.
