A priority Ohio State defensive end target is headed west.
Despite all indications pointing to the Buckeyes landing Luke Wafle as late as early Wednesday evening, Wafle committed to USC on Thursday afternoon.
The recruitment of Wafle had been back and forth over the past week, with USC gaining plenty of momentum following his official visit with the Trojans last weekend. Ohio State reportedly upped its NIL offer to Wafle on Wednesday according to On3's Steve Wiltfong, leading to a flurry of predictions that the New Jersey product would land in Columbus from various recruiting networks.
USC struck back late Wednesday evening. Per Wiltfong, the Trojans offered Wafle a lucrative deal that would pay Wafle between $2.2 to $2.6 million over two years. He announced his commitment to the Trojans on Thursday.
The Trojans are having quite the summer on the recruiting trail. They increased their lead for the nation's No. 1 overall recruiting class with Wafle, though they largely hold that spot because they now have a staggering 30 players committed for 2026 (compared to OSU's 16). If nothing else, the recruiting class could buy Lincoln Riley some leeway, as he's facing a heap of scrutiny from fans and alumni following a 7-6 season a year ago.
Ohio State will now pivot to other options at defensive end, including Carter Meadows, Jackson Ford, Jake Kreul, KJ Ford and Landon Barnes.
