Ohio State has reached into Clemson's pocket and snagged one of America's best cornerbacks in the 2021 class.
Jordan Hancock has flipped his commitment from Clemson to Ohio State, giving the Buckeyes their 12th top-100 player and the country's No. 6-ranked cornerback in the class of 2021.
1000% COMMITTED
— jordan hancock (@jordanhancock_7) July 19, 2020
I AM A BUCKEYE FOR LIFE pic.twitter.com/VKGkvXxDfu
The Hancock File
- Class: 2021
- Size: 6-foot-1/170 lbs
- Pos: CB
- School: North Gwinnett (Suwanee, Ga.)
- Composite Rating: ★★★★
- Composite Rank: 6 CB
Hancock, who was ranked No. 294 overall, No. 24 at corner and No. 26 in Georgia in mid-January, became one of the fastest-rising prospects in the nation by the time he was offered by Clemson in early January. For a while, it looked like he was a Buckeye lean until he made an unofficial visit to Clemson in March, and a commitment to Dabo Swinney's program soon followed.
As far as Ohio State goes, Hancock told Eleven Warriors in January that the Buckeyes had long been in serious consideration for being his college of choice, way before he ever received an offer.
Then, one of the biggest turning points in his recruitment came when he took an unofficial visit to Columbus the weekend of October 25 to catch the Shoe's atmosphere for the Wisconsin game. He bonded with Ryan Day and Jeff Hafley, with whom he talked about football and playing cornerback for more than an hour, and said he didn't want to leave the conversation to fly back home to Suwanee, Ga.
“How hard they recruit me (is a big factor),” Hancock said. “When I went up there, they just showed me a lot of love. It was the best visit that I took."
Hancock, whose recruitment and communication with Ohio State began when former Buckeye recruiting assistant Jason Kwon sent him a direct message on Instagram in September, was only a three-star prospect at the time of the offer. But Hafley saw something in Hancock's game and personality that stood out, and Hancock will come to Columbus as a four-star corner who polished his game while playing at the highest level of high school football in Georgia.
| 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. 50 | No. 5 | JUNE 21, 2019 |
| BEN CHRISTMAN | OG | No. 114 | No. 6 | JUNE 26, 2019 |
| REID CARRICO | LB | No. 70 | No. 2 (ILB) | SEPTEMBER 10, 2019 |
| MARVIN HARRISON JR. | WR | No. 89 | No. 14 | OCTOBER 31, 2019 |
| SAM HART | TE | No. 382 | No. 16 | DECEMBER. 30, 2019 |
| JAYLEN JOHNSON | S | No. 351 | No. 24 | JANUARY 7, 2020 |
| DONOVAN JACKSON | OG | No. 21 | No. 1 | JANUARY 8, 2020 |
| MIKE HALL | DT | No. 55 | No. 5 | FEBRUARY 1, 2020 |
| JAKAILIN JOHNSON | CB | No. 41 | No. 4 | MARCH 15, 2020 |
| EVAN PRYOR | APB | No. 86 | No. 2 | MARCH 16, 2020 |
| ANDRE TURRENTINE | S | No. 138 | No. 4 | MARCH 17, 2020 |
| TREVEYON HENDERSON | RB | No. 16 | No. 1 | MARCH 27, 2020 |
| TUNMISE ADELEYE | SDE | No. 31 | No. 4 | APRIL 15, 2020 |
| JANTZEN DUNN | S | No. 203 | No. 11 | APRIL 20, 2020 |
| JESSE MIRCO | P | No. 1,865 | No. 3 | MAY 6, 2020 |
| DENZEL BURKE | ATH | No. 178 | No. 7 (ATH) | MAY 24, 2020 |
| JORDAN HANCOCK | CB | No. 77 | No. 6 | JULY 19, 2020 |
The Buckeyes threw the kitchen sink at Hancock during his recruitment, as he said he has spoken with at least 10 coaches from Ohio State, a brigade led by Matt Barnes, Al Washington and, of course, Day and Kerry Coombs.
“(The coaches) really like me,” Hancock said previously. “They really want me to become a Buckeye. That’s why I really like those guys, and their history of their DBs.”
One of the biggest factors that pulled Hancock toward Columbus is the Buckeyes' major need to replenish the defensive backfield this year and next. He will have his chance to make his mark early.
“It’s a really big pull. It plays a huge factor,” Hancock said. “They’ve talked to me about Sevyn (Banks), how he’s gonna be a senior when I come. Shaun (Wade) is gonna be gone, and they signed two corners. Clark (Phillips) decommitted. Ryan (Watts III) and Lejond (Cavazos) are both coming in, and they really need me.”
Before he rose in the rankings, Hancock's offer sheet was impressive, as he held offers from Georgia, Clemson, Alabama, Florida, Oklahoma, Penn State, Florida State and many others.
