One of the top defensive ends in the 2026 class has set his official visit schedule.
Four-star 2026 Florida standout Jake Kreul announced this week he’ll take an official visit to Colorado on Friday, Ohio State on May 30, Florida on June 7, Texas on June 13 and Oklahoma on June 20.
— Jake Kreul 5 EDGE (@JK_DE_SNAKE_34) May 1, 2025
Per 247Sports’ composite rankings, Kreul is considered the No. 31 prospect in the country and the No. 4 defensive end. Kreul visited OSU earlier this spring and Larry Johnson has his eyes on adding the talented 6-foot-3, 230-pound defensive end to Ohio State’s defensive line corps.
In Kreul’s junior season at IMG Academy (Bradenton, Florida), he recorded 39 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 11 quarterback hits and six sacks in nine games. As a sophomore for Bishop Moore (Orlando, Florida), he notched 76 tackles, 34 tackles for loss, 17 sacks and two forced fumbles. He was invited to the Under Armour All-America Game and the Polynesian Bowl following his standout junior year.
Orion Irving commits to Vanderbilt
One of the few remaining transfer options for Ohio State is headed elsewhere. Former Sam Houston State offensive tackle Orion Irving, who visited Columbus last week, committed to Vanderbilt on Thursday. The move makes sense from Irving’s perspective, as he has only two years of eligibility remaining and was unlikely to start at OSU this season.
Lets Work!!! pic.twitter.com/CRyjfPgJmE
— Orion Irving (@OrionIrving_) May 1, 2025
So far in the spring portal, the Buckeyes have made three additions: North Carolina defensive end Beau Atkinson, West Virginia offensive lineman Justin Terry and North Carolina long snapper Grant Mills.
OSU hasn’t added a transfer defensive tackle yet and there are no clear targets remaining at the position. Its two main defensive tackle targets in the spring portal, Maraad Watson and Troy Pikes, both signed with different schools. Former Oklahoma State defensive tackle Justin Kirkland had been viewed as a possible target, but the Buckeyes hadn’t hosted him for a visit and it’s now a moot point as he committed to BYU on Thursday.
No place like home Go Cougs pic.twitter.com/CVnzCwKGZX
— Justin Kirkland (@justinkirklandd) May 2, 2025
Among transfer targets who have visited Ohio State, the only one remaining that hasn’t yet committed to a new school is former Ball State kicker Jackson Courville.
Jordan Thomas likely to make decision this month, Elbert Hill headed elsewhere
By now, you may have heard Ohio’s top-rated player in the 2026 class, four-star cornerback Elbert Hill, is headed out of state to play his collegiate football for USC. Hill gave his verbal commitment to the Trojans on Friday.
Though Hill was a frequent visitor to Columbus for much of his recruitment, he didn't visit OSU this spring and instead visited USC several times. He had scheduled an official visit to Ohio State for this summer, but it seems unlikely that visit will still take place now that he's committed to the Trojans. Hill told 247Sports that the Buckeyes were the runner-up in his recruitment, saying “they really started pushing really, really hard for me.”
The 5-foot-10, 175-pound cornerback is considered the No. 40 prospect in the country and the No. 3 cornerback in the 2026 class per 247Sports' composite rankings. Hill isn't the first high-profile Ohio defensive back to leave the state in recent recruiting cycles, as Trey McNutt and Dorian Brew both signed with Oregon last winter in the 2025 class.
With Hill seemingly now out of the picture, Tim Walton and Ohio State will turn their attention elsewhere in the 2026 class. The highest-priority target to pair with in-state commit Jakob Weatherspoon is likely Jordan Thomas, who visited Columbus twice this spring. Notably, the four-star cornerback from New Jersey announced Friday he’ll make a decision on his future later this month.
wheres home?!? https://t.co/061tYD4qUa
— Jordan Thomas (@jordanthomas_21) May 1, 2025
Other options to join Weatherspoon in Ohio State’s 2026 cornerback class include four-star Florida prospect Justice Fitzpatrick and four-star Georgia prospect Peyton Dyer.
