Recruiting is not an area that Ohio State has struggled with since the end of the Jim Tressel era. After the uncertainty of the 2011 season, Urban Meyer came in and revolutionized the Ohio State recruiting approach. With the passing of the whistle to Ryan Day, the Buckeyes haven’t missed a step. Since 2012, according to 247Sports‘ rankings, the Buckeyes have finished outside the top five twice. In 2015 and 2019, they had the seventh-best class. While it didn’t finish atop the rankings in that time, Ohio State finished second four times.
Now, fresh off a National Championship, the work never stops. After an incredible March that netted the Buckeyes three offensive linemen, there were even more booms on the trail.
Ohio State Recruiting Is on Fire and Might Not Cool Off Soon
A New Safety Duo
After the trio of linemen pledged to the Buckeyes, a pair of safeties joined the fray. On March 31, it was four-star (five-star composite) Blaine Bradford, and on April 3, Simeon Caldwell committed to the Buckeyes. In his time back with the Buckeyes, Matt Guirrieri has been recruiting as well as any on the staff, setting the Buckeyes up for success once the Caleb Downs era is over (ie, 2026).
Bradford is one of the best safeties of the 2026 recruiting cycle and could be the top Buckeye defender of the class. He’s a hard hitter who can come downhill to defend the run. As a six-foot-one, 207-pound safety, he hits like he’s bigger. Some experts expect Bradford to be the type of player to challenge for playing time as a true freshman in 2026. He could be a great box safety in college and would be a great compliment to a free-range coverage safety. Bradford has the speed to keep up with the burners outside and is a multi-sport athlete for his high school. In reality, if he’s going to get snaps, he will fit into that Downs role. Of course, filling the shoes of a potential top-five pick would not be easy.
Caldwell is a six-foot-three, 185-pound ‘tweener ala Sonny Styles. Depending on the service, Caldwell could be listed as a linebacker or safety. 247Sports‘ rankings for the star from Jacksonville have him as the fifth-best linebacker and would be around 10th at safety. His recruitment may have been a tad easier considering he is the nephew of Tim Walton. When asked if he prefers linebacker or safety, Caldwell said, “I’ll do whatever it takes to get on the field. I just love the game.”
Keep Them Home
At this point, the 2026 Ohio State recruiting class is 10-strong. Five of those commits come from the Buckeye State, including the latest commit, linebacker CJ Sanna. While he does not quite have the same level of hype as some of the others in the class, Sanna looks like an underrated addition to the class.
Coming from just up the road in Lewis Center, Sanna has been a defensive star for Olentangy High School. Last year, he amassed 97 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and seven sacks as a middle linebacker. In addition, Sanna had eight quarterback hurries, forced three fumbles, and recovered two. He is a believer in what linebackers coach James Laurinaitis and new defensive coordinator Matt Patricia are selling:
“I love how coach (James) Laurinaitis runs his room and the fact he’s been through the program as a player as well,” Sanna said. “I also believe in what coach (Matt) Patricia is bringing to Ohio State.”
Shutting Them Out
One of the things about recruiting high schoolers is the fickle nature of 16 and 17-year-olds. All too often, top-rated players commit to one program and then decommit and/or flip at a moment’s notice. Remember when Dylan Raiola was committed to Ohio State? Well, one of the top receivers in the 2026 class has been pledged to the Buckeyes since July 2023. Now, he’s heading into his senior season at Mater Dei in California. On April 1, in what plenty of folks thought was an April Fool’s joke, Chris Henry Jr. reaffirmed his commitment to the Buckeyes and completely shut down his recruitment.
Since he committed so early, Henry was still going about his business and doing his due diligence to make sure the Buckeyes were the right fit. He took a number of official and unofficial visits to top-flight programs and even had officials lined up for Miami (FL), USC, and Oregon. The Ducks have been notorious for making late pushes for top recruits and even managed to flip a top safety away from the Buckeyes on National Signing Day last December. This time, it’s not happening with Henry.
He’s an uber-athletic receiver at six-foot-six and 195 pounds. Despite missing all of last year due to a knee injury, Henry is highly regarded. It’s not often players of his size move as smoothly as he does. He’s a home-run threat and can be a red-zone target. Once he hits the Ohio State strength and conditioning, he’s going to develop into yet another elite receiver to come through Columbus.
Who’s Next?
We’re not in the business of making predictions, but Ohio State will add another handful of recruits before December rolls around. Four-star running back from Ohio, Favour Akih, is looking at Ohio State, Miami (FL), and USC. He will be on hand this weekend as the Buckeyes hold their Student Appreciation Day. Could Carlos Locklyn get his first running back commit of the 2026 cycle?
Another running back on the radar is five-star stud, Savion Hiter. It may be an uphill battle for the Buckeyes to nab Hiter with Michigan in the driver’s seat, and Tennessee and Georgia are certainly in the mix.
Recently, Ohio State offered a 2027 four-star defensive end, Chris Whitehead. He’s the sixth-best at the position according to 247Sports and was reportedly very excited to receive the offer from Larry Johnson. The Buckeyes will have to fend off all of the elite programs for his services, but it is early in the process for the rising junior.
Main Image: Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The post Ohio State Recruiting Is on Fire and Might Not Cool Off Soon appeared first on Last Word on College Football.