One of Ohio State’s top priorities at defensive tackle in the 2026 cycle has narrowed his recruitment down to four teams.
Four-star New Jersey standout Damari Simeon released his top four schools earlier this week, which consisted of Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State and Texas. Per 247Sports’ composite rankings, Simeon is considered the No. 201 prospect and the No. 26 defensive lineman in the 2026 class.
Wheres home? #Top4@HermitsFootball pic.twitter.com/dCdGYoVaUU
— Damari Simeon (@Damari_Simeon) May 22, 2025
The 6-foot-3, 275-pound defensive tackle will take an official visit to Ohio State on June 20, the last official visit he has scheduled out of his final four. Simeon picked up his Ohio State offer in February, a week after Larry Johnson visited him at his school.
Last season, Simeon recorded 28 tackles, six tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, an interception and a forced fumble.
Quentin Hale picks up an offer from the Buckeyes
Brian Hartline already offered one of the top wide receivers in the 2027 class this week, but he doubled down and extended an offer to another top wideout: Four-star California prospect Quentin Hale.
#AG2G
— Quentin Hale 4 (@QuentinHalee15) May 21, 2025
Extremely blessed and grateful to have received an offer from The University Of Ohio State #gobuckeyes pic.twitter.com/XaP3jXTIL0
Hale is considered the No. 70 prospect nationally and the No. 13 wide receiver in the 2027 cycle. The 6-foot-3, 175-pound product has earned 15 Division I offers, including Arizona State, Cal, Colorado State, North Carolina, Oregon, Penn State, Tennessee, UCLA, UNLV, USC, Utah and Washington.
Hale had a breakout sophomore season, catching 63 passes for 995 yards and 14 receiving touchdowns.
Walton visits top CB Justice Fitzpatrick
Tim Walton made it a priority to stop by the spring game of his top remaining quarterback target on Thursday, as OSU’s co-defensive coordinator visited Justice Fitzpatrick in Florida.
Fitzpatrick is considered the No. 47 prospect and No. 3 cornerback in the 2026 class and will likely take an official visit to Columbus later this summer, possibly on June 20.
Great visit from Ohio State @OGWalt_ @OhioStateFB @BuckeyeScoop pic.twitter.com/QVWHjeuAYN
— Justice Fitzpatrick (@JusticeFitzpat1) May 23, 2025
Fitzpatrick is the younger brother of former Alabama standout Minkah Fitzpatrick, who is an all-pro defensive back with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Other schools in contention for him include Miami, Texas, Georgia and Florida.
Last season, Fitzpatrick recorded 34 tackles, seven pass breakups and two interceptions. He racked up 13 tackles, two pass breakups and two interceptions in his sophomore season.
Legend Bey puts OSU in top 5
A quarterback in the 2026 class with an Ohio State offer has narrowed his recruitment down to five schools. Texas prospect Legend Bey released a top five this week consisting of OSU, Duke, West Virginia, Tennessee, and Texas A&M.
Bey is a three-star player considered the No. 429 player overall in the current cycle per the 247Sports composite. At this point, Texas A&M appears to be the clear frontrunner in this recruitment and frankly, it almost sort of feels like the Buckeyes are a hat on a table here at this point unless an official visit gets scheduled in the near future.
There is some movement with a quarterback in the 2026 class and OSU, though, as four-star California prospect Luke Fahey will take an official visit to Columbus next month. Fahey is the former high school teammate of Ohio State freshman wide receiver Phillip Bell.
