Breaking down Chris Holtmann's biggest recruiting wins at Ohio State
Head coach Chris Holtmann is out at Ohio State weeks before he was able to finish his seventh season as the Buckeyes' head coach. He finished his tenure with a 137-86 record and a number of memorable recruiting wins to his name. Below, Rivals.com explores the eight highest-ranked signees of the Holtmann era in Columbus and dives into how each prospect panned out as a player.
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Carton tops the list of the top-rated prospects to sign with the Buckeyes in the Holtmann era, and while things didn’t go as Ohio State fans had hoped, the four-star point guard ended up landing the NBA’s G League by way of Marquette, to which he transferred following just one season at Ohio State. Carton was named preseason Freshman of the Year in the Big Ten but struggled to find a starting role, coming off the bench in most games as a Buckeye and battling self-confessed mental health issues during his time in Columbus. Carton chose Ohio State over Michigan, which felt like the leader until the 11th hour of the Iowa native’s recruitment.
Gayle started 11 games for the Buckeyes as a freshman, breaking out during last year’s Big Ten tournament and securing a regular starting role prior to this season. Gayle, who chose Ohio State over Syracuse, Utah, Pitt and Georgetown, has started every game for the Buckeyes as a sophomore and is currently the team’s second-leading scorer. In high school Gayle was viewed as a strong-bodied prospect that could finish through contact and exploit smaller defenders to get buckets in the paint. He made a quantum leap between his freshman and sophomore seasons and projects as one of the Big Ten’s best players headed into next season, assuming he decides to remain in Columbus. If not, he will be one of the most in-demand transfers in the country next season.
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Holtmann recruited Liddell out of Belleville (Ill.) West High School in 2019, and the four-star forward steadily developed in his four years under the now-fired head coach. By the time Liddell declared for the NBA Draft following his junior season, he was averaging 19 points and eight rebounds per contest. He was selected by the New Orleans Pelicans in the second round of the 2022 NBA Draft and remains with the team today. Holtmann landed Liddell back in 2019 and held off pushes from Missouri and Illinois in order to do so. Liddell was one of the biggest recruiting wins of the Holtmann era and garnered first-team All-Big Ten honors in his final year with the program.
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Branham not only lived up to his lofty recruiting ranking, but surpassed it, eventually blossoming into a first-round pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, where he was selected at No. 20 overall by the San Antonio Spurs. He played just one year in the college ranks, however, averaging 13.7 points per game as a freshman under Holtmann. He garnered Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors following the COVID-impacted season and became a regular contributor for the Spurs as a rookie. Holtmann landed Branham’s commitment without much push-back, as his only official visit was a trip to Columbus. Louisville and Xavier were involved with the four-star to some extent but never seemed like serious threats to actually land his commitment.
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An Ohio native and star at the Buckeye State’s Pickerington Central, Royal committed to Holtmann last offseason and has been used lightly as a freshman, averaging 8.5 minutes per contest. In high school his reputation was that of a strong, physical guard with a developing long-range jumper. He’s shot just 22 percent from the 3-point line but 50 percent from the floor for Ohio State, and will look to take a massive step forward as a sophomore next season. Royal narrowed his list to include just Ohio State, Alabama and Michigan State before choosing the home-state program in August of 2022.
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Chatman hasn't made anything resembling an impact in his freshman season as a Buckeye. The four-star prospect has appeared in just eight games, playing a total of 26 minutes. As a high school prospect he was one of the more productive players on the adidas 3SSB circuit, but there was some small concern about how his athleticism translated to the next level. But it was thought that his ability to distribute would offset that early in his career. Chatman committed to Hottman and the Buckeyes over Kansas, Virginia and Minnesota citing his level of comfort with the coaching staff. Because of that Chatman seems like a strong candidate to hit the portal following the year.
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The only Holtmann signee to be selected for the McDonald’s All-American Game, the big, physical Thornton was an in-demand prospect out of the Atlanta area as a high schooler. He seriously considered offers from Alabama, Georgia, Indiana and Purdue and cited Holtmann as the reason he decided to spurn Southern-based programs in order to play in the Big Ten. Thornton was an immediate starter for the Buckeyes as a freshman and had a bit of an up-and-down year before blossoming into a star this season. He currently leads Ohio State in both scoring and assists and will have a long list of major opportunities should he decide to enter the transfer portal following the season.
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Gaffney was a consensus top-50 prospect when he signed with Holtmann’s Buckeyes out of New Hampshire's Brewster Academy in 2019. His one season in Columbus was uneven to say the least, however, as he appeared in just 17 games and made next to no impact before deciding to transfer to JUCO power Northwest Florida. He played just one season for the Raiders before landing at Arizona State, where he remains today. This season, Gaffney is averaging 7 points and 3.3 RPG as a starter after spending last season in a reserve role.