Ohio State’s third official visit weekend moved the needle for a defensive end target in the 2026 recruiting class.
Four-star Pennsylvania prospect Jackson Ford told Eleven Warriors his weekend trip to Columbus was a productive one and he got to see the vision for how his collegiate career would play out in scarlet and gray.
“I really learned a lot more with it being my second time up here,” Ford said. “The first time I learned about the program, while this time I got to see the dorms and the campus. They reinforced what I already knew, this program is a bunch of dawgs who put in hard work and want to compete for a championship. They want to be the best and win every game. Coach Larry Johnson, coach Ryan Day and coach Matt Patricia doubled down on that and were really straightforward, telling me if you want to be the best football player you can be, come to Ohio State.”
OSU defensive end Joshua Mickens was Ford’s player host over the weekend and explained how tightly knit the culture is around the team.
Buckeye Nation Im back up at the Shoe this weekend, cant wait!!! @R2X_Rushmen1 @MalvernPrepFB @CoachGueriera @ChadSimmons_ @adamgorney @RyanSnyderOn3 @BrianDohn247 pic.twitter.com/5B414ZDA8L
— Jackson Samuels Ford (@Jackson_S_Ford) June 13, 2025
“He was really straightforward the whole weekend,” Ford said. “He told me it’s a fun experience but it’s also what you make of it. You can make it a bad experience if you choose not to work hard or are lazy. If you’re willing to make sacrifices and compete against the best to be the best, you’re going to fit right in and have a great time. Joshua said that, coach Day said that, coach Patricia said that and coach Johnson said that. It’s just kind of a theme really.”
Ford had a one-on-one meeting with Johnson, who explained Ford’s potential fit in the Buckeyes’ defense.
“He wants to let me use my athleticism to be versatile, so to be that edge guy but also an outside linebacker,” Ford said. “They have a five-man front, so be that overhang guy. The one dropping back into coverage but also blitzing and getting after the quarterback as well. He was also showing me everything he’d do to help develop me as a player if I were to commit to Ohio State.”
Patricia has also become more actively involved in the recruitment of Ford, and made time to show Ford the ins and outs of his past defenses.
“He’s a really smart dude with a lot of experience,” Ford said of Patricia. “He definitely coached a lot of smart players in the NFL and in college he’s about to coach a lot of really good players. For him to sit us down and break down his Patriots defense, it was nice to pick his brain because he’s really, really smart as a defensive coordinator.”
Ford has now taken official visits to OSU, Penn State, Kentucky and Wisconsin, and will take his final visit of the summer to Michigan next weekend. He says he hopes to make a college decision either a week or two after the Michigan official visit next week.
Ohio State has given itself a strong chance to land the Pennsylvania standout.
“They’re definitely a top school for me entering the final stretch here of my recruitment,” Ford said.
