Oftentimes, an offer sheet is more telling than a recruiting ranking.
While Damari Simeon is no lowly touted prospect, ranked 201st overall and 26th among defensive linemen in the 247Sports composite, Ohio State beat out a slew of its rivals to land a commitment from the New Jersey native on Friday. That includes Texas, Penn State and most importantly, Michigan.
Simeon's athletic profile stands out on tape and on the camp circuit, but there's room to grow in the technical components of his game, which has always been a specialty of Buckeye defensive line coach Larry Johnson. Simeon will likely try to add a bit of weight to play 3-technique defensive tackle at Ohio State, but his versatile skill set fits the mold of new defensive coordinator Matt Patricia.
Ohio State hopes Simeon will be the first of two defensive tackle commitments in two days with Cameron Brickle set to announce his college choice on Saturday.
The Buckeyes added a developmental piece to their offensive line room earlier in the week with the commitment of Aaron Thomas, another player whose offer sheet shines above his recruiting standing as a three-star prospect. He chose the Buckeyes over Texas A&M, Florida State, Washington and Texas.
Beyond the trenches, wide receiver Jerquaden Guilford postponed his planned Friday commitment after it appeared Brian Hartline might snag a fifth commitment for his receiver room. While not an urgent need for Ohio State, he's a clear want for Hartline and will be an intriguing storyline to follow as the Buckeyes battle Ole Miss for the player they hope will be the final piece in their 2026 receiver recruiting class.
Eleven Warriors' Andy Anders and Dan Hope break down Simeon's commitment and the latest developments for Ohio State on the recruiting trail on a new episode of Press Coverage, which you can watch at the top of the page.
The full rundown for this episode of Press Coverage:
- 0:00 Buckeyes Beat Rivals for A Top Defensive Tackle Target
- 5:53 Cameron Brickle Could Give OSU Two DTs in Two Days
- 8:25 Aaron Thomas’ Commitment Continues Good Start for Tyler Bowen
- 12:22 Carter Meadows, Jamir Perez Among Top Remaining DL Targets
- 14:19 Jerquaden Guilford Delays Commitment As Ohio State Battles Ole Miss
