Even as so much has changed about the landscape of recruiting, one thing that remains as consistent as ever for Ohio State is its Glenville High School pipeline.
The Buckeyes flipped defensive tackle Jamir Perez from Florida on Friday, adding a 330-pound body to a defensive line room in need of true nose tackles. While only a three-star prospect according to the recruiting services, Perez has the frame to mold into a real space-eater and a built-in love for Ohio State as an in-state prospect from Cleveland.
One player who won't be joining Perez in Columbus is five-star offensive tackle Felix Ojo, who committed to Texas Tech on Friday. With it came a big payday for the marquee prospect, with varying reports indicating that Ojo could make anywhere from $775,000 to $1.7 million a year in Lubbock.
Ojo's recruitment speaks to the modern era of recruiting, and Ohio State remains averse to engaging in pure bidding wars for prospects. While the Buckeyes need to land more top recruits at premier positions like offensive tackle and defensive end, the Buckeyes’ strategy of prioritizing roster retention and spending in the transfer portal rather than promising big money to recruits proved fruitful in 2024, part of the reason it won a national championship.
But Ojo's commitment to the Red Raiders leaves the Buckeyes still needing one more quality offensive lineman in the 2026 class, with Darius Gray being Ohio State’s last shot at landing a five-star prospect in the cycle. The biggest hole left in the class is at defensive end, where Ohio State is searching for a quality partner to Khary Wilder.
Dan Hope and Andy Anders of Eleven Warriors break down Perez's commitment, Ojo's move elsewhere, Ohio State’s approach to NIL in recruiting and the state of its 2026 class on a new episode of Press Coverage, which you can watch in the video at the top of the page.
The full rundown for the episode:
- 0:00 Jamir Perez Gives Ohio State A True Nose Tackle to Develop
- 7:51 Ohio State Misses Out on Another Five-Star Offensive Tackle
- 12:16 Why Ohio State is Cautious About Big-Money Offers in Recruiting
- 24:06 Top Remaining Priorities for Ohio State in 2026 Recruiting Class
