Ohio State has already done the heavy lifting for most of its 2026 recruiting class.
The Buckeyes have the seventh-ranked class per 247Sports’ rankings with 21 commits in total, but OSU still has more work to do on the trail between now and National Signing Day in December.
We’ve outlined three goals for the Buckeyes in the recruiting sphere to hit between now and Signing Day if OSU is going to secure another top-five recruiting class for 2026.
Go all in for Bralan Womack
It should be noted that five-star safety Bralan Womack isn’t the only uncommitted target remaining out there for Ohio State. Other highly touted prospects who took official visits to OSU this summer, including Darius Gray, Savion Hiter and Deuce Geralds, have all set commitment dates for next month. But picking the field over the Buckeyes would probably be the better bet in all three of their recruitments right now.
Womack, on the other hand, has publicly said OSU is the leader in his recruitment on multiple occasions. That doesn’t mean his other finalists, Auburn, Texas A&M and Florida, won’t make a late push for the top-rated safety in the country, who’s set to commit on Aug. 21. But the five-star safety from Mississippi has genuine relationships with OSU’s coaching staff and idolizes Caleb Downs. This is a recruitment the Buckeyes can win, and frankly one they need to win if they want to finish with a top-five recruiting class again.
“The way they develop and produce players to help them get to the NFL,” Womack told Eleven Warriors last summer about what he likes most about Ohio State. “But not only produce players, they keep them in the NFL. Marshon Lattimore, Denzel Ward, Jeff Okudah, Eli Apple, Malcolm Jenkins. Those are all guys playing like six-plus years, more than the average NFL career.”
If OSU can land Womack, Matt Guerrieri would secure the most impressive safety recruiting class of any school in the country, with Blaine Bradford and Simeon Caldwell already in the Buckeyes’ 2026 class.
Play defense with its current commits
Revune sharing or no revenue sharing, other schools have always tried to poach OSU’s commits. That’s nothing new, and the Buckeyes have fallen victim to at least a flip or two per recruiting cycle. They already had an unexpected flip this summer, as Ohio cornerback Jakob Weatherspoon switched his commitment to North Carolina without warning.
BREAKING: Four-Star Safety Jakob Weatherspoon has Flipped his Commitment from Ohio State to North Carolina, he tells me for @rivals
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) July 16, 2025
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
The more precarious element about the current times is the uncertainty about how the new revenue sharing procedures will be enforced. The College Sports Commission has already handed back some power to the collectives by reversing its policy on collective-supported deals. While President Trump recently signed an executive order prohibiting explicit pay-for-play agreements, there are doubts about how enforceable that order is without legislation to back it up.
The bottom line is, while it navigates new rules and schools potentially exploiting some gray areas, Ohio State needs to rely on its relationships with its current commits now more than ever to prevent any more flips. And, if it comes to it, decide what’s the best way to allocate its resources throughout the class if other schools try to up the ante.
Continue to stay vigilant and identify potential additions for the fall
Ohio State isn’t going to sit on its hands, either. There are certain positions OSU could use additional playmakers at in the 2026 class, among them: Defensive end, cornerback, linebacker and potentially a running back.
The Buckeyes will evaluate senior film of several prospects the next few months at each of those positions as they survey both late risers in the class and potential flip candidates. Once those targets are identified, they’ll likely head to Ohio Stadium for a gameday visit with the Buckeyes trying to secure late flips of their own.
For cornerback, Nebraska commit Danny Odem makes the most sense as a flip target. Odem was heavily considering OSU up until his commitment, but Nebraska pulled it off at the last minute. There's not much contact between the two at the moment, but that could change in a hurry if Odem has a big year and OSU gets a little clearer picture of the modern recruiting guidelines. The Buckeyes could pivot to other options at the position as well, such as former target Nascar McCoy, who just committed to Ole Miss on Friday.
At linebacker, I wouldn't rule out the Buckeyes making a run at someone like Penn State linebacker commit Elijah Littlejohn. It's not as clear who OSU could pursue at the other two positions, but the Buckeyes will still likely survey their options either in the high school ranks or the transfer portal at defensive end and running back.
