Ohio State lands commitment from 2028 tailback Elijah Newman-Hall

COLUMBUS — Ohio State running backs coach Carlos Locklyn is getting a head start on the 2028 recruiting class: 2028 tailback Elijah Newman-Hall has committed to the Buckeyes.

Hall, a gifted athlete from Blake (Tampa, Florida) High School, earned an offer from the Buckeyes after shining at a one-day camp this week. Now he’s the first pledge for Locklyn — and for Ohio State — in that recruiting class.

Hall has offers from Florida State, Toledo, Florida Atlantic and others. But his Ohio State offer wasn’t just a dart throw for the future for the Buckeyes. They pushed for his early pledge — and landed it Friday.

Lettermen Row’s Mick Walker saw Hall this week at camp and had this to say about the sophomore running back:

Tampa (Fla.) Blake running back Elijah Hall is the top target Ohio State running backs coach Carlos Locklyn in the 2028 class. Hall was the most physically imposing running back prospect at camp on Monday. He is an incredibly well built for a soon-to-be high school sophomore. He also looked good going through drills but still received plenty of feedback from the aforementioned Locklyn about what to work on. In short, the 6-foot, 200-pound Hall is someone Buckeye fans should familiarize themselves with in 2028.

– Mick Walker, Lettermen Row

Hall had 829 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on 80 carries as a freshman at Blake High School last year and will be earning a high ranking when those rankings come out from On3 and other recruiting services. He is expected to be among the top running backs in the 2028 class.

Now he’s the first commitment for the Buckeyes in that recruiting class. Carlos Locklyn has already secured a long-term win on the recruiting trail.