Taking Stock of Ohio State’s Class of 2027 Recruiting: Defense

Both sides have a five-star to build around. The Buckeyes hold a four-star commit at each of the three levels of defense, much like their offensive commits are spread between quarterback, wide receiver and offensive line. Ohio State has laid good foundations for the class across the board. It's why it possesses the No. 3 class in the country thus far.

But, like offense, a lot of work remains. Ohio State doesn't hold a commitment from a defensive tackle or cornerback yet, and wants more talent to fill out its depth chart at other positions. Let's take stock of Ohio State’s defensive recruiting.

Defensive Tackle

Commits: None

Targets: Jalen Brewster, Kasi Currie, John Archer, Karlos May, Nate Kamba, Brayden Parks

Five-star Texas Tech commit Jalen Brewster is the ultimate wish list item here. The Buckeyes finished second in his recruitment the first time around. But after Red Raiders defensive line coach Zarnell Fitch parted ways with the program, a flood of schools are making their bid to flip the No. 1 defensive line prospect in the composite rankings. Ohio State defensive line coach Larry Johnson visited Brewster's home earlier this month, and Brewster visited campus previously. There’s a real chance OSU can land the nation’s No. 1 defensive tackle and defensive end with DJ Jacobs, said No. 1 edge prospect, already committed to the Buckeyes.

As space-eaters go, the 6-foot-5, 315-pound Kasi Currie is a top-50 prospect in the crosshairs of Johnson. Ohio State made Currie’s top eight alongside Alabama, LSU, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M and Washington. Texas is a likely frontrunner right now, but there's still plenty to play out here.

Another 300-pound behemoth and top-100 prospect on Johnson’s board is John Archer, who scheduled visits to Ohio State and four other schools for this spring. Four-star Karlos May visited for Ohio State’s win over Penn State last season and received an in-home visit from Johnson this winter. Four-star Nate Kamba was also on hand for that Nittany Lion win, his third visit to Ohio State as the Buckeyes are considered a frontrunner with him, too.

Four-star Brayden Parks visited for a recruiting camp and earned an offer last summer, but Notre Dame and others are pursuing him more aggressively than it seems Ohio State is right now. Tyler Alexander is a player not yet ranked by recruiting services, but the Buckeyes were one of a host of big-time programs to offer him in the last three months. In December and January alone, he scooped up offers from Florida, Virginia Tech, Florida State, Ohio State, Texas A&M, Texas and Notre Dame. He’s set to visit OSU this spring.

Defensive End

Commits: DJ Jacobs

Targets: Chris Whitehead, Marcus Fakatou, James Pace III, Rashad Streets, Reinaldo Perez, Ezekiel Ayangbile, Chaz Gray, Mekai Brown

Ohio State holds the greatest possible building block at defensive end for its 2027 class in Jacobs. Holding on to that commitment will be no small task, as he is from Georgia and a Georgia legacy. Miami was also a top contender at the time of his commitment, which came right before the Hurricanes beat the Buckeyes in the CFP. Jacobs has reaffirmed his pledge since that point. But Miami is still recruiting him hard, as are others.

All these storys need to stop Im 100% Committed to Ohio State.

— David Jacobs (@DaviddJacobss) January 4, 2026

With such a premium first commitment, Johnson is aggressively pursuing a second elite EDGE to complement Jacobs as his defensive tackle targets. Five-star Chris Whitehead visited for the Texas game during the regular season and fielded an in-home visit from Johnson on Jan. 20. Five-star Marcus Fakatou, who could play defensive end or defensive tackle at the next level, placed the Buckeyes in his top 10 and will head to campus for a visit on March 10.

Ohio State has dipped into Washington D.C.’s DeMatha Catholic High School for multiple defensive linemen in the past, including the legendary Chase Young. The latest prospect on Johnson’s radar from the powerhouse program is James Pace III, a top-100 prospect on the edge. The Buckeyes made his top eight alongside Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Penn State, Maryland, Oregon and Syracuse. 

Speaking of top schools lists, Ohio State also made the top six for top-70 prospect Rashad Streets. He’s the teammate of four-star Buckeye linebacker commit Quinton Cypher, so there could be an inside track there. Ryan Day and Matt Patricia both visited Streets at his high school with Johnson, so it’s clear he’s a priority for the program. 

Appreciate the visit! @R2X_Rushmen1 @ryandaytime #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/QtZ0gtvYWp

— Rashad Streets (@Rashad_Streets) January 21, 2026

Then there’s a four-star defensive end in Ohio State’s backyard, too, with Columbus Academy’s Reinaldo Perez. He earned a long-awaited offer this past summer and has taken multiple visits, of course. How aggressively the Buckeyes pursue him will probably determine whether he stays home or goes elsewhere for college.

Top-60 prospect Mekai Brown loved his visit to Columbus for the Rutgers game this past fall and is yet another prospect to keep in mind at defensive end. Four-star Ezekiel Ayangbile called the Buckeyes his “highest-caliber offer” and plans to take an official visit. Three-star Chaz Gray is a recent offer who aims to visit Ohio State this spring. 

Linebacker

Commits: Quinton Cypher

Targets: Kaden Henderson, Aroson Randle Jr., Cooper Witten, Jhadyn Nelson, Josiah Poyer, Roman Igwebuike 

With a sizable amount of youth in his current room, it’ll be interesting to see whether James Laurinaitis opts for more than two linebackers in his 2027 recruiting class. There are some intriguing prospects out there that he’s pursuing to join the four-star Cypher, the No. 11 linebacker in the country and No. 192 overall prospect, who piled up an incredible 181 tackles in 14 games this past season.

Five-star Kaden Henderson is the biggest name on the board. The nation’s No. 2 linebacker and No. 25 overall recruit has been on Ohio State’s campus several times, including for a camp last summer and for the Penn State game last fall. On3’s Mick Walker reported that the Buckeyes were still near the top of his list in January. His talent is salivating.

Four-star Aroson Randle Jr. is a priority target for Laurinaitis, too, and is set to visit Ohio State this spring. After picking up a slew of big-time offers in the late fall and winter, his stock is likely to rise above his current 326th overall ranking. NC State, Oregon, Florida, Virginia Tech, Pitt, Miami, Georgia, Louisville, SMU, Florida State, Texas and South Carolina complete a 13-visit spring schedule he has set. Randle is the younger brother of Michigan State linebacker Brandon Randle, so the Spartans also factor into his recruitment.

Ohio State’s hunt for the No. 1 linebacker in the country, five-star Cooper Witten, took a twist last month when Oklahoma hired his father, former NFL All-Pro tight end Jason Witten, to be its new tight ends coach. The Sooners are, unsurprisingly, surging in his recruitment as a result. Cooper Witten has visited the Buckeyes multiple times and said they were in his top five last summer, but it’ll be hard to pull him away from OU now.

Another in the trend of winter-bloomers on the recruiting trail is Jhadyn Nelson, who is unranked at the time of this article but picked up offers from Ohio State, Texas A&M, North Carolina, Texas, SMU and Miami, among several others, just since Jan. 23. The Buckeyes are currently in his top three, he told 247Sports, and he’s set for a spring visit.

The Buckeyes were also reportedly among the schools pursuing three-star Josiah Poyer the hardest in November, though it seems Notre Dame, UCLA and USC have gained momentum of late. Four-star Roman Igwebuike has publicly praised Ohio State defensive coordinator Matt Patricia’s scheme and is another prospect to watch. 

Cornerback

Commits: None

Targets: Duvay Williams, Larry Moon III, Taelyn Mayo, Jaden Carey, Danny Lang, Josiah Molden, Bryce Woods

Having landed five-star prospects in three straight classes (Aaron Scott Jr. in 2024, Devin Sanchez in 2025 and Jay Timmons in 2026), Ohio State secondary coach Tim Walton is still looking for his first cornerback commit in 2027 after picking up five-star prospects in back-to-back classes.

Four-star Duvay Williams, the No. 41 player and No. 5 cornerback in the country, is the highest-touted prospect on Walton’s board for the 2027 class. Ohio State’s been in contact, but momentum is with USC for the California native. It’s still up in the air whether the Buckeyes get an official visit after he scheduled one with California earlier this week. If Williams makes an official trip to campus, that’ll be a better indicator of whether Walton has a shot here.

There’s plenty of mutual interest between the Buckeyes and four-star Larry Moon III, who‘s visited Ohio State seven times thus far in his recruitment. The No. 166 prospect in the country still has a number of suitors, but OSU should be a long-term player as he narrows his list down.

The same goes for four-star Jaden Carey, who placed the Buckeyes in his top seven recently along with Auburn, Florida, Miami, Notre Dame, Ole Miss and Oregon. Ohio State and Miami are considered the leaders in his recruitment. His father, Marcus Dave Carey, played for the Hurricanes, but the Buckeyes are pushing them each step of the way. Carey is considered the No. 38 corner and No. 356 prospect in the country.

The Buckeyes are also in the running for the nation’s No. 12 cornerback and No. 135 prospect, Taelyn Mayo. He included Ohio State in his top five with LSU, Oklahoma, Texas and Texas A&M earlier in February. The Tigers and Aggies are considered the top threats to the Buckeyes.

NEWS: Four-Star CB Taelyn Mayo is down to 5 Schools, he tells me for @Rivals

The 64 185 CB is ranked as a Top 3 CB in Texas (per Rivals Industry)

Where Should He Go? https://t.co/0QixJYrkAH pic.twitter.com/8chFkj7lkp

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) February 11, 2026

More likely than Williams to provide some California flavor to Ohio State’s cornerback room is four-star Danny Lang, who made waves last summer for his battles with five-star Buckeye wide receiver commit Jamier Brown during one of OSU’s one-day recruiting camps. Lang visited for the 2025 season opener against Texas, but USC is still a strong contender for the Mater Dei standout. The Buckeyes and Trojans are expected to receive official visits alongside Oregon and Auburn before a planned summer commitment.

Ohio State also made the top six for four-star Josiah Molden alongside Miami, Oregon, Texas, USC and Washington. He’s an Oregon native, his father Alex played at Oregon, the Ducks were his first offer and it’s most likely that’s where he ends up.

Bryce Woods is an as-of-yet unranked prospect who picked up an Ohio State offer in October and is building his relationship with the staff.

Safety

Commits: Eli Johnson, Angelo Smith

Targets: Karon Eugene, Kaleb Elkins, Kenaz Sullivan, Bryson Brown, Jayden Apparicio-Bailey

Ohio State’s safety class is nearly complete, as Matt Guerrieri has already landed top-120 prospect Eli Johnson and three-star Angelo Smith, the younger brother of Buckeye receiver Jeremiah Smith. There’s room to pick and choose his targets as OSU aims for a three-safety class.

The top priority is four-star Karon Eugene, who barely misses the cut for the top 100 prospects nationally at 103rd. Ohio State is considered among his leaders, per 247Sports, alongside Texas A&M and LSU. He took in a game in the Shoe last fall. Four-star Kaleb Elkins, the No. 28 safety and No. 270 prospect in the country, also visited Columbus last season but seems to be trending toward Indiana.

Three-star Kenaz Sullivan has piqued Guerrieri’s interest and got on campus for a game this past fall. Fellow three-star Bryson Brown called Ohio State’s offer a “dream come true” when it came last summer and included the Buckeyes in his top 12. He recently scheduled official visits to Kansas and Arkansas. Four-star Jayden Apparicio-Bailey put Ohio State in his top 10 on Tuesday, but the Alabama native is likely to stay in the South.