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Brandon Ennis, Carnell Tate leads East to Blowout Win, Lincoln Kienholz shows his game-making ability as seven of Ohio State’s signings play in the All-American Bowl

January 8, 2023
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The future Ohio State all-pass offense was featured in the All-American Bowl on Saturday.

Seven members of Ohio State’s 2023 recruiting class played in one final high school football game Saturday before beginning their Buckeye careers, and OSU wide receivers Brandon Ennis and Carnell Tate and quarterback Lincoln Kienholz are among the stars of the game.

It didn’t take long for Ennis to make his mark in the competition. On their first possession of the game, Inniss opened up from the hole to make a catch 20 yards up the middle of the field, helping lead East to a touchdown drive. After East recovered the ball at the 9-yard line for its second possession after a West turnover, Ennis beat Notre Dame’s Micah Bell at cornerback on one-on-one coverage for a 9-yard catch.

Inniss made another big run in the second quarter when he exploded in the middle of the field on a tunnel screen for another 20-yard gain. Ennis left the field with an apparent injury, but was able to return later in the match.

One out later, Tate got on the scoreboard by catching a deep ball from Dante Moore for a 29-yard touchdown. Like Inniss earlier in the game, Tate beat man-to-one coverage into the end zone to clinch the scoring.

Ohio State’s receivers coach Brian Hartline was among those wowed by what he saw Saturday of two pass catchers who would soon join his unit.

Their touchdowns helped lead the East team to a decisive 55-17 win at Saturday’s All-Star Show in San Antonio.

Related How Lincoln Kienholz Became a Star at South Dakota State and a Future Ohio State Quarterback

Ohio State’s upcoming offensive lineman Luke Montgomery and Hartford’s safety Malik also played roles in the East win. Montgomery, who is expected to start his career at Ohio State on offense, played primarily at right guard for the Eastern Conference. Hartford demonstrated his playmaking ability by cleanly diving tackle detonating a third-and-seventh screen pass by Kienholz in the first half, though those stops did not count as a hard penalty against Alabama defensive guard (and former Ohio State goalie) Keon Kelly.

Kienholz came under pressure every time he tried to throw the ball upfield as the West offensive line struggled to block the East rush. But that didn’t stop Kienholz from fully showcasing his gaming industry ability.

The future Ohio State quarterback had one of the best highlights of the day when he rushed off pressure before delivering a deep 43-yard touchdown catch to LSU’s Ka’Morreun Pimpton for the West’s first touchdown of the day.

This wasn’t the only time Kienholz displayed his athleticism and running ability. He rushed for a 5-yard gain late in the first half and almost threw a touchdown pass into the red zone for his first lead of the game after escaping pressure in the pocket from Kamran James, Florida’s defensive sign.

Kienholz threw another touchdown pass with only 50 seconds left in the game when he connected with TCU wide receiver Cordale Russell for a 38-yard touchdown.

Ohio State’s future cornerback Calvin Simpson-Hunt and edge tackle Joshua Mickens were also suited up for the West on Saturday. On a generally rough day for the Western defense, Simpson-Hunt was a bright spot as he was seen to consistently shut down opponents in coverage when he was on the field, forcing an East side to throw him out.

While there was a lot to like about the Buckeyes’ future performance that played in the game, Ohio State received some bad news during the second quarter – though not unexpected news – such as a 2024 four-star safety Peyton Woodyardone of the Buckeyes’ top defensive targets in that category, announced his commitment to Georgia.

Ohio State was not in the mix with any of the other players announcing commitments during Saturday’s game as Mickens, who originally planned to announce his decision during the All-American Bowl, instead announced that he would sign with the Buckeyes during the early signing period.

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