BOOM
Ohio State lands its second commitment of the day from in-state tight end Nick Lautar.
Ohio State has added an in-state tight end to its 2026 recruiting class.
Nick Lautar, a three-star prospect from Lebanon, Ohio, announced his commitment to the Buckeyes on Sunday.
Home !! https://t.co/lWQELxnq1h
— Nick Lautar TE (@nicklautar8) November 16, 2025
Ranked as the No. 52 tight end and No. 924 overall prospect in the 2026 class, Lautar had been committed to Louisville since June. He quickly flipped to Ohio State, however, after receiving an offer from OSU while visiting OSU for its 48-10 win over UCLA on Saturday.
Truly blessed to receive an offer from @OhioStateFB !!!@CoachKee @ryandaytime @brianhartline @Hayesfawcett3 @CoachMicahFaler @Coach_Pflug @JuckOnBucks @LebanonAthDept pic.twitter.com/Cn4KsLanUa
— Nick Lautar TE (@nicklautar8) November 16, 2025
While Ohio State waited until two-and-a-half weeks before early signing day to offer Lautar, the Buckeyes had been evaluating and building a relationship with Lautar for months. The 6-foot-5, 235-pound tight end also visited Ohio State for its September win over Ohio.
Baylor, Cincinnati, Kentucky, Northwestern, Pittsburgh, Rutgers and Wisconsin were among the other schools that offered Lautar before his initial commitment to Louisville.
A fluid pass-catcher who shows good route-running ability for a high school tight end and the receiving skill to make tough catches in traffic, Lautar caught 38 passes for 511 yards and eight touchdowns in his senior season at Lebanon. He’s also a strong blocker who’s often seen knocking defenders into the dirt when the ball isn’t coming his way.
Lautar will likely still need some time to bulk up and develop his technical skill before he’ll be ready to play a significant role at Ohio State, as most tight ends do, but the Buckeyes shouldn’t need him to play much right away. Will Kacmarek is the only tight end on this year’s roster who’s set to exhaust his eligibility, so the Buckeyes project to have a deep tight end room in 2026 with Max Klare, Bennett Christian, Nate Roberts, Jelani Thurman, Brody Lennon and Max LeBlanc all potentially returning.
As such, Lautar is likely to be the only tight end in Ohio State’s 2026 recruiting class. He replaces Corbyn Fordham, who decommitted from OSU and flipped to Florida State in October. While Ohio State made an effort this fall to flip Alabama tight end commit Mack Sutter, the four-star Illinois tight end appears set to sign with the Crimson Tide.
Ohio State could look to add two tight ends in the 2027 class. Four-star Illinois prospect Brock Williams, who was on campus alongside Lautar for the UCLA game, is a top target for the Buckeyes in that class.
Lautar becomes Ohio State’s sixth commitment of November in the 2026 class, joining five other prospects who were also previously committed to other schools: cornerback Jay Timmons (Florida State), defensive tackle Emanuel Ruffin (Colorado), offensive weapon Legend Bey (Tennessee), defensive end Dre Quinn (Clemson) and offensive lineman Mason Wilhelm (North Carolina).
| Pos | Name | Rating | Rank | Size | School |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WR | CHRIS HENRY JR. | ★★★★★ | #20 NATL | #2 WR | 6-5 | 205 | Mater Dei (Santa Ana, California) |
| S | BLAINE BRADFORD | ★★★★ | #41 NATL | #6 S | 6-1 | 207 | Catholic (Baton Rouge, Louisiana) |
| OT | SAM GREER | ★★★★ | #55 NATL | #5 OT | 6-6 | 310 | Archbishop Hoban (Akron, Ohio) |
| LB | CINCERE JOHNSON | ★★★★ | #67 NATL | #10 ED | 6-3 | 225 | Glenville (Cleveland, Ohio) |
| DE | KHARY WILDER | ★★★★ | #79 NATL | #9 DL | 6-4 | 260 | Junipero Serra (Gardena, California) |
| CB | JORDAN THOMAS | ★★★★ | #98 NATL | #11 CB | 6-1 | 185 | Bergen Catholic (Oradell, New Jersey) |
| S | SIMEON CALDWELL | ★★★★ | #109 NATL | #7 LB | 6-3 | 185 | The Bolles School (Jacksonville, Florida) |
| CB | JAY TIMMONS | ★★★★ | #136 NATL | #17 CB | 5-11 | 185 | Pine-Richland (Gibsonia, Pennsylvania) |
| WR | KAYDEN DIXON-WYATT | ★★★★ | #142 NATL | #20 WR | 6-2 | 180 | Mater Dei (Santa Ana, California) |
| OT | MAXWELL RILEY | ★★★★ | #143 NATL | #11 OT | 6-5 | 280 | Avon Lake (Avon Lake, Ohio) |
| DT | EMANUEL RUFFIN | ★★★★ | #197 NATL | #26 DL | 6-4 | 290 | Bessemer City (Bessemer, Alabama) |
| RB | FAVOUR AKIH | ★★★★ | #210 NATL | #15 RB | 6-0 | 190 | Rutherford B Hayes (Delaware, Ohio) |
| DT | DAMARI SIMEON | ★★★★ | #211 NATL | #29 DL | 6-3 | 275 | St. Augustine Prep (Richland, New Jersey) |
| LB | CJ SANNA | ★★★★ | #295 NATL| #20 LB | 6-3| 225 | Olentangy (Lewis Center, Ohio) |
| WR | JERQUADEN GUILFORD | ★★★★ | #301 NATL | #46 WR | 6-2 | 190 | Northrop (Fort Wayne, Indiana) |
| WR | JAEDEN RICKETTS | ★★★★ | #334 NATL | #52 WR | 6-0 | 187 | Watkins Memorial (Pataskala, Ohio) |
| ATH | LEGEND BEY | ★★★★ | #361 NATL | #24 ATH | 5-11 | 175 | North Forney (Forney, Texas) |
| DE | DRE QUINN | ★★★★ | #391 NATL | #36 EDGE | 6-4 | 228 | Buford (Buford, Georgia) |
| WR | BROCK BOYD | ★★★ | #504 NATL | #75 WR | 6-2 | 183 | Southlake Carroll (Southlake, Texas) |
| DT | CAMERON BRICKLE | ★★★ | #532 NATL | #63 DL | 6-2 | 305 | IMG Academy (Bradenton, Florida) |
| OL | TUCKER SMITH | ★★★ | #532 NATL | #40 IOL | 6-5 | 280 | Sandra Day O'Connor (Phoenix, Arizona) |
| QB | LUKE FAHEY | ★★★ | #580 NATL | #34 QB | 6-1 | 185 | Mission Viejo (Mission Viejo, California) |
| DT | JAMIR PEREZ | ★★★ | #724 NATL | #89 DL | 6-4 | 330 | Glenville (Cleveland, Ohio) |
| S | KHMARI BING | ★★★ | #923 NATL | #78 CB | 6-0 | 190 | St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Maryland) |
| TE | NICK LAUTAR | ★★★ | #924 NATL | #52 TE | 6-5 | 230 | Lebanon (Lebanon, Ohio) |
| OT | LANDRY BREDE | ★★★ | #1119 NATL | #92 OT | 6-5 | 280 | Mentor (Mentor, Ohio) |
| OL | MASON WILHELM | ★★★ | #1276 NATL | #101 IOL | 6-4 | 285 | St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio) |
| Prospect Rating Data: 247Sports Composite | |||||
Lautar is the third prospect to commit to Ohio State this weekend, joining Quinn and 2027 four-star safety Eli Johnson. Lautar is the 27th overall member of Ohio State’s 2026 recruiting class, and the 10th in-state prospect in the class.
