Ohio State Football Recruiting Offers of the Week

It was a huge week on the recruiting front for Urban Meyer and Ohio State.

The Buckeyes hosted some of their top targets for unofficial visits last weekend—a group that included No. 1 overall recruit Rashan Gary (defensive tackle) and Demario McCall (running back).

McCall, rated as a 4-star prospect and the third-best running back in the country, announced his verbal pledge to Meyer, becoming the eighth member of Ohio State's 2016 class.

But the Buckeyes' coaching staff was also active in its pursuit of new targets, as it offered three highly rated recruits last week. 

Dontavious Jackson, 4-Star Linebacker (2016)

Former offensive coordinator Tom Herman was Ohio State's main recruiter in the state of Texas, so when he left Ohio State to become the head coach at Houston, Meyer knew he needed to maintain his momentum in the Lone Star State. 

"Texas is Texas now," Meyer said, according to Tony Gerdeman of The Ozone. "Texas guys, I don't want to stereotype them, but they're usually very well coached. They love football."

So it wasn't a surprise when the Buckeyes offered Dontavious Jackson, the No. 17-rated player in Texas and the fourth-ranked inside linebacker in the country.

Jackson already had offers from Alabama, Florida State, Oklahoma, Texas and Texas A&M (among many others), but he was very excited when Ohio State came calling, referring to the school as "LBU." 

"

I Was Blessed With A Scholarship Offer From LBU & The National Champs The Prestigious Ohio State Buckeyes #GoBucks⚪️ pic.twitter.com/pK97t1RghM

— Dontavious Jackson5⃣ (@DCinco__5) March 25, 2015"

247Sports' Crystal Ball feature currently has Texas, Texas A&M and Oklahoma as the only real contenders for Jackson's commitment, but the Buckeyes could enter the race if they can get him up to Columbus for a visit.

After 4-star Buckeye target Carter Coughlin committed to Minnesota two weeks ago, Meyer and the staff became aggressive in their pursuit of linebackers. They offered 5-star Lyndell Wilson two weeks ago and made Jackson the first of three linebackers they targeted last week.

Devin White, 4-Star Running Back, Linebacker (2016)

Devin White could be a bruising running back at the collegiate level.

He plays that part for North Webster High School in Springhill, Louisiana. During his junior season last year, White ran for an incredible 2,287 yards, averaging 8.5 yards per carry to complement 30 rushing touchdowns. 

But when he gets to college, White wants to line up with the defense at linebacker.

"Most schools are recruiting me as a running back," White said, according to Andrew Lopez of The Times-Picayune. "I'm a good athlete so I can do both. I'm trying to get them to lean to the defensive side."

White told Lopez that he wants to play defense because he believes there's a better chance of ending up in the NFL as a defender. And that desire may give Ohio State an edge.

The Buckeyes already have three running backs in the fold with McCall, Kareem Walker and George Hill. This week's lift of offers reveals Ohio State's desire for linebackers, so that could appeal to White.

It will be hard to pull White away from home-state LSU, though. According to 247Sports' Crystal Ball predictions, Les Miles and the Tigers are a big favorite to land the No. 149-ranked prospect in the country.

Aaron Hansford, 3-Star Athlete, Outside Linebacker (2016)

The Buckeyes already landed one standout from St. John's College when Terrell Hall committed on March 2, but they're looking to add a second with a pledge from Aaron Hansford.

The two teammates made the trip from Washington, D.C., to visit Ohio State last weekend, and Hansford—who plays on both sides of the ball for his high school—came away with the big-time offer.

"

God is truly a factor in my life by blessing me with the opportunity to play at THE Ohio State University #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/9n7E3PoJVW

— Aaron hansford (@AaronTheRealMVP) March 28, 2015"

Ohio State became the seventh school to offer Hansford, joining Duke, Old Dominion, Maryland, Pittsburgh, Toledo and Wisconsin. He's rated the No. 676 prospect overall and the No. 47 outside linebacker (the position he projects to at the collegiate level), but a look at his highlight film indicates that he might be undervalued by the recruiting services.

Meyer has made a habit of turning under-the-radar prospects into stars for the Buckeyes, and it looks like Hansford could be next in line. 247Sports is pegging the Buckeyes as heavy favorites, giving them an 88 percent chance of landing Hansford's commitment. 

All recruiting rankings and information via 247Sports.

David Regimbal is the Ohio State football Lead Writer for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @davidreg412.