Ohio State Cornerback Commit Jakob Weatherspoon Flips to North Carolina

In a move seemingly out of nowhere, four-star Ohio State cornerback commit Jakob Weatherspoon flipped his commitment from the Buckeyes to Bill Belichick's North Carolina Tar Heels on Wednesday. Perhaps he's the player to be named later for North Carolina following Beau Atkinson's transfer from Chapel Hill to Columbus?

BREAKING: Four-Star Safety Jakob Weatherspoon has Flipped his Commitment from Ohio State to North Carolina, he tells me for @rivals

The 60 180 S from Avon, OH had been Committed to the Buckeyes since January

SCO Tar Heelshttps://t.co/ithgf5qBjl pic.twitter.com/wyYgg0t5n6

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) July 16, 2025

Though the move was out of left field, it makes sense when you factor in context that Weatherspoon was seen by many in the recruiting industry as primarily a safety, and OSU has two elite safety commits in Blaine Bradford and Simeon Caldwell and potentially another one on the way in Bralan Womack, who's set to commit on Aug. 22. 

Weatherspoon originally committed to OSU on Jan. 2 and is considered the be the No. 178 prospect and No. 14 safety in the 2026 class per 247Sports' composite rankings. With the Avon product now out of the class, OSU's 2026 recruiting cycle sits at 20 commits total.

Regardless of whether Weatherspoon was considered a safety or cornerback by the recruiting industry, with his absence, Jordan Thomas is the lone cornerback committed to the Buckeyes in the current cycle, though Thomas has long been thought to be at the top of Tim Walton's recruiting board for this class.

It's possible they could still add another before signing day if they find an intriguing senior standout this fall or are able to flip someone like Danny Odem. If neither of those options pan out, the Buckeyes could be in the market for a cornerback in the transfer portal this offseason.