Rivals.com 24/7Sports O3n OUTSIDE LINEBACKER •6'3" | 210 LBS CLASS OF 2025 @ SKYLINE | DALLAS, TX Ohio State has offered.
Blessed to receive a offer from @OhioStateFB @JLaurinaitis55 @CoachJimKnowles @JColemanFB @BHoward_11 @MohrRecruiting @SKYLINEfb pic.twitter.com/bEpB4L6Qpx— Elijah Bo barnes (@ElijahBobarnes1) May 10, 2023
Check out Elijah "Bo" Barnes 6'3 210 LB 2025 by Elijah Barnes on @hudl https://t.co/PQaueUc3Jx #hudl— OSUBasketballJunkie (@ScarletBuckeye2) May 11, 2023
ELIJAH BARNES The 6-foot-2, 215-pound Texas linebacker is the most highly-touted of the three prospects per 247Sports’ composite rankings. Barnes, a four-star recruit, is currently considered the 84th-ranked prospect and 11th-best linebacker in the 2025 class and was offered by defensive coordinator Jim Knowles and graduate assistant linebackers coach James Laurinaitis. Barnes has nearly 20 Division I offers including Alabama, Arizona State, Baylor, Colorado, Florida State, Kansas, Michigan State, Missouri, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Oklahoma State, Purdue and Texas Tech. Barnes also participates in track and field and was named the Texas District 11-6A Defensive Newcomer of the Year last season while also occasionally playing running back.
Ohio State has only started building a relationship with four-star Texas 2025 linebacker Elijah Barnes. Yet, there’s already mutual interest between both sides. Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles first spoke with Barnes at the beginning of May for an introductory conversation. Nearly a week later on May 10, Knowles visited Barnes in Texas and presented him with an OSU offer. “The offer was a blessing,” Barnes told Eleven Warriors. “I was excited because I know how big this opportunity is getting an offer from a big-time school. Coach Knowles came up here and offered me, he said that I was the type of person for their defense and that I’m the type of kid he wants to coach and that he wants to build a relationship with me.” With the offer in hand, Barnes has already scheduled a visit to check out OSU later this summer. “Absolutely,” Barnes said about his intention to visit Ohio State. “I have plans to visit Ohio in the summer, I’ll get to meet the coaching staff, get to see some of the players and have a good time down there.” At the moment, Barnes has more than 20 Division I offers, and the 6-foot-2, 215-pound linebacker isn’t ready to narrow things down in his recruitment just yet. “Like I tell everyone, my mind is not on any top school, I’m still doing my research, trying to take visits and check out programs,” Barnes said. “I’m going to keep working, staying humble and then I will decide when the time comes.” Barnes is currently considered the 100th-ranked prospect and 12th-best linebacker in the 2025 class, per 247Sports’ composite rankings. The Texas prospect also participates in track and field and was named the Texas District 11-6A Defensive Newcomer of the Year last season while occasionally playing running back. “It really doesn’t matter where you put me on the field, I’m going to play ball, make plays, make a name for myself and come in with that winning mindset and dominate,” Barnes said.