Ohio State has not signed a top-10 national recruit in 15 years. The last time the Buckeyes did so was when Northland product Jared Sullinger joined the program in 2010 as the No. 3 recruit nationally.
On Aug. 30, as the football team hosted No. 1 Texas, the men’s basketball program welcomed in two recruits with the potential to break that stretch, Anthony Thompson and Kameron Mercer.
Thompson, the No. 10 prospect in the 2025 class according to 247Sports.com, was on an official visit. Mercer, the No. 5 prospect in the 2028 class according to ESPN, was there on an unofficial visit. There are no rankings yet for the 2028 class at 247Sports.
Both are native Cincinnati natives. Thompson will play his senior year at Hudson Western Reserve Academy while Mercer will be at the Overtime Elite academy in Atlanta. Saturday marked the second time the Mercer family visited Columbus in August.
Ohio State coach Jake Diebler and associate head coach Joel Justus are clearly working to show they view the 6-foot-5, 185-pound guard as a priority recruit.
“That’s been one of the things that Jake and Joel have been saying is how big this is for Ohio State and the program to potentially have a top-10 recruit,” Craig Mercer, Kameron’s father, said. “That it’s been a long time since Ohio State’s had a top-10 recruit, so they continue to harp on how important Kameron is. It can change the trajectory of the basketball program and all that good stuff.
“They haven’t had a top-10 recruit and I think part of that is because Ohio hasn’t had any top-10 guys for them to recruit.”
Ohio has produced only two top-10 recruits since Sullinger. In the class of 2024, Cleveland native Jayden Quaintance signed with Arizona State after graduating high school one year early and has transferred to Kentucky for the 2025-26 season. One year later, Northeast Ohio product Darryn Peterson signed with Kansas in the 2025 class. Ohio State recruited both.
The Buckeyes offered Kameron Mercer a scholarship before he set foot on a high school campus. He visited campus Aug. 1, the first day NCAA rules allowed him to do so. After getting to take in a football practice as part of their tour when the month started, the Mercers experienced their first game inside Ohio Stadium this time.
“It was amazing,” Craig Mercer said. “Obviously the matchup was highly intense and there was a lot of anticipation going into that game, but overall, it was amazing. Great seats, the hospitality, the coaches always coming up to you, ‘Do you need anything? Can we help you with anything?’ Super nice staff. I feel like we connect really well with Ohio State.”
Craig Mercer said his oldest son, Jaylen, was teammates with Thompson growing up. Josh Tyson, a four-star 2027 guard from West Chester (Ohio) Lakota West, has played on the same team as Kameron Mercer. The family is familiar with four-star small forward Demarcus Henry, a Cincinnati native playing at Chandler (Arizona) Compass Prep and a prospect in the 2027 class, and Marcus Johnson, a four-star guard in the 2026 class and an Ohio State commitment.
Johnson was on campus for his official visit while Tyson and Henry were there for unofficial visits. Thompson is declining interview requests until he finishes a slate of official visits that will run through the end of September.
“It was a tight-knit, close group,” Craig Mercer said. “We kind of knew everybody, which was cool. There are a few kids Kam played with growing up that would be amazing for him to play with them in college. I like knowing some of the recruits and knowing Ohio State is going after some of the same guys that Kam grew up with.”
Craig Mercer said they got to meet a host of former Buckeyes who were also on hand for the game, a list that included Aaron Craft, David Lighty, Scoonie Penn, D’Angelo Russell, Sullinger and Evan Turner. The chance to take a photo with Russell was something Craig Mercer said his son especially enjoyed.
“He has a lot of similarities (to Russell),” Craig Mercer said. “Both of them are point guards. Both of them are lefties. Pretty much the same size. They have a lot of similarities. He was excited about getting a pic with Russell and getting a chance to interact with those former pros and current pros.”
While on both visits, Craig Mercer said they have appreciated getting to see how Diebler is a hands-on coach when it comes to player development.
“A lot of head coaches aren’t actually in there working the guys out,” he said. “There’s some value in that. When the head coach is working you out and working on stuff with you, there’s less chance that you second-guess yourself when you get in the game.”
Kameron Mercer will take an unofficial visit to Kentucky during the weekend of Sept. 6. After that, the family will likely take a break from visits and start getting ready for the season, his dad said.
And Ohio State remains on Kameron Mercer’s list.
“They continue to let us know that Kameron’s a perfect fit for Ohio State and how much they value him as a player,” he said. “They’re saying all the right things, for sure. I really love the staff.”
Ohio State men’s basketball beat writer Adam Jardy can be reached at ajardy@dispatch.com, on Bluesky at @cdadamjardy.bsky.social or on Twitter at @AdamJardy.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Five-star 2028 guard prospect, Ohio native Kameron Mercer takes second Ohio State visit
Reporting by Adam Jardy, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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