Four-Star Defensive Back Jantzen Dunn Commits to Ohio State

By Zack Carpenter on April 20, 2020 at 2:31 pm
Jantzen Dunn
Jantzen Dunn
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It may not have been as fast of a turnaround as Devonta Smith, but once again Ohio State has landed a commitment from a defensive back shortly after that player earned a long-anticipated offer.

Jantzen Dunn, a four-star defensive back prospect out of South Warren (Ky.) High School, has committed to Ohio State.

Dunn visited the Buckeyes for their game against Penn State in late November. Despite some quality, in-depth talks with Jeff Hafley and Matt Barnes that day, he left without an offer. But Dunn made his way to campus again in the spring, and on March 4 he received his offer from Ryan Day, eventually leading to today's commitment.

The Dunn File

  • Class: 2021
  • Size: 6-foot-2/180 lbs
  • Pos: ATH
  • School: South Warren (Bowling Green, Ky.)
  • Composite Rating: ★★★★
  • Composite Rank: 15 ATH

Of course, the main story in Dunn's recruitment was the Buckeyes being able to pull off a steal over Oklahoma in defensive back recruiting for a second straight year following the Ryan Watts flip in the 2020 cycle.

After being in a bit of a holding pattern for weeks with Ohio State, the 6-foot-2, 180-pound Dunn was apparently headed to Oklahoma on Saturday night. (You can read up more on that here.)

But after having apparently made a silent commitment to Lincoln Riley and the Sooners, Dunn had a change of heart because of a last-minute pitch by the Buckeyes, and today he gave Barnes (who was the lead recruiter here for a while) and Kerry Coombs another top talent to work with.

Dunn, the composite No. 15-ranked athlete in the country and No. 3-ranked recruit in Kentucky, joins Jakailin Johnson, Andre Turrentine and Smith as the fourth defensive back commit in the class. (Jaylen Johnson is listed as a safety but was recruited as more of an outside linebacker/bullet prospect and is likely be moved positionally in his official listing by the time he gets to campus.)

After Dunn received his Ohio State offer, it felt like a matter of time before Dunn would eventually commit to the Buckeyes over schools like Louisville, Tennessee, Baylor, Florida, Texas, USC, Miami, where his father spent a season playing basketball for the Hurricanes, and, of course, Oklahoma.

OHIO STATE 2021 COMMITS
NAME POSITION OVERALL RANKING POSITION RANKING DATE OF COMMITMENT
JACK SAWYER DE No. 3 No. 3 FEBRUARY 3, 2019
KYLE MCCORD QB No. 22 No. 3 (PRO-STYLE) APRIL 30, 2019
JAYDEN BALLARD WR No. 70 No. 12 JUNE 21, 2019
BEN CHRISTMAN OT No. 108 No. 15 JUNE 26, 2019
REID CARRICO LB No. 73 No. 2 (ILB) SEPTEMBER 10, 2019
MARVIN HARRISON JR. WR No. 56 No. 8 OCTOBER 31, 2019
SAM HART TE No. 392 No. 16 DECEMBER. 30, 2019
JAYLEN JOHNSON S No. 349 No. 19 JANUARY 7, 2020
DONOVAN JACKSON OG No. 36 No. 1 JANUARY 8, 2020
MIKE HALL DT No. 92 No. 7 FEBRUARY 1, 2020
JAKAILIN JOHNSON CB No. 58 No. 4 MARCH 15, 2020
DEVONTA SMITH CB No. 403 No. 30 MARCH 16, 2020
EVAN PRYOR RB No. 83 No. 5 MARCH 16, 2020
ANDRE TURRENTINE S No. 135 No. 5 MARCH 17, 2020
TREVEYON HENDERSON RB No. 17 No. 2 MARCH 27, 2020
TUNMISE ADELEYE SDE No. 41 No. 4 APRIL 15, 2020
JANTZEN DUNN ATH No. 248 No. 15 APRIL 20, 2020

As the 17th commitment of Ohio State's already-lauded class, Dunn helps fill the Buckeyes' defensive backs room, though there is room for at least one more if the player as they look to get to a total of five defensive backs in the class – perhaps even six if he's the right guy, though that's very unlikely.

Dunn doesn't have a set position in the secondary. He is a hybrid safety/cornerback prospect who the type of player Ohio State wants to bring in, develop and see where he fits in best.

With Dunn able to slot into either of those spots and with nickel corner/safety Turrentine and pure cornerbacks Jakailin Johnson and Smith, this defensive backs haul is inching closer toward completion. 

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