Ohio State’s three uncommitted official visitors this weekend aren’t quite as heralded as the official visitors Ohio State hosted last weekend, but it’s still an important weekend for the Buckeyes as they build their 2027 recruiting class.
There was no question where each of Ohio State’s first official visitors of the summer stood on the Buckeyes’ board. Running back David Gabriel Georges, defensive lineman Marcus Fakatou and wide receiver Benny Easter Jr. – all five-star prospects – are all top-of-the-board targets whom the Buckeyes are aggressively trying to add to their 2027 class. Even though Ohio State didn’t land immediate commitments from any of them, the Buckeyes appear to have a good shot at landing all of them after making strong impressions on them and their families.
Where exactly this weekend’s uncommitted official visitors stand on Ohio State’s board is a little less clear. None of them are top-300 overall prospects in the 247Sports composite rankings, giving the Buckeyes more to consider in terms of how hard they should push for commitments and how much NIL money they should offer.
That said, the Buckeyes wouldn’t be bringing them in for official visits if there wasn’t real mutual interest on both sides. And at least two of them are candidates to commit to Ohio State by the end of the month, with one potentially being a candidate to pick the Buckeyes as soon as this weekend.
This weekend’s official visitors include a pair of four-star prospects, cornerback Jaden Carey and running back Jayden Miles, as well as three-star linebacker Kaylon Bailey. They’ll be joined on campus by three of Ohio State’s 2027 commits: defensive end Wyatt Smith and safeties Eli Johnson and Angelo Smith.
As their visits begin Friday, we’re taking a look below at each of those official visitors and what to know about their recruitments as they make their way to Columbus.
CB Jaden Carey
Among this weekend’s official visitors, Carey is the one to put on commit watch. Even though his father, Marcus Carey, played for the Miami Hurricanes and Jaden made an official visit to The U last week, Ohio State is viewed as the frontrunner in his recruitment heading into his trip to Columbus.
Ohio State is still seeking its first cornerback commitment for the 2027 class, but that could change this weekend if Carey’s visit goes well. Although he’s ranked as only the No. 39 cornerback in the class in the 247Sports composite, he’s one of the top prospects on Tim Walton’s board for the current recruiting cycle.
Carey is also scheduled to visit Auburn later this month, and Ohio State will have to decide just how hard it wants to push for Carey as it prepares to host three more four-star cornerbacks – in-state prospects Monsanna Torbert Jr. and Deontay Malone, and Georgia prospect Bryce Woods – next weekend.
That said, the Buckeyes also lost a top cornerback target this week when top-40 national prospect Gabriel Osborne Jr. committed to Oklahoma. That raises the stakes for Carey’s visit this weekend, and raises the possibility that the weekend could end with Carey committing to Ohio State.
RB Jayden Miles
Miles’ recruitment is directly connected to the Buckeyes’ pursuit of Gabriel Georges. Because Gabriel Georges is Ohio State’s clear-cut No. 1 target at running back for the 2027 class, it’s unlikely the Buckeyes would accept a commitment from Miles right now, not wanting to do anything to jeopardize their position as the frontrunner for DGG.
Miles’ official visit to Ohio State this weekend is still important, though, because he’s the only running back other than Gabriel Georges who’s scheduled to make an official visit to OSU this month. Another running back who had been expected to make a June visit, Nigel Newkirk, committed to Alabama after visiting the Crimson Tide last weekend.
Florida State emerged as the frontrunner to land Miles after he made an official visit to Tallahassee last weekend, and a commitment to the Seminoles could come sooner rather than later after he canceled his scheduled official visits to LSU and Kentucky. But as the Buckeyes still have to fend off Tennessee, Ole Miss and Georgia for Gabriel Georges, they’ll do their best to stay in the race for Miles this weekend to keep him on the board as their No. 2 RB target.
Miles is the only offensive player making an official visit to Ohio State this weekend. He was expected to be joined by Eric McFarland III, but the five-star wide receiver canceled his trip to Columbus earlier this week, choosing to play in the SEC instead as he will choose from a final four of Florida, Georgia, Tennessee and Texas A&M.
LB Kaylon Bailey
Bailey’s composite ranking as the No. 743 overall prospect in the 2027 class doesn’t stand out. Where he plays his high school football certainly does, though, as Bailey comes from the same Glenville program that produced recent star Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese and five-star freshman linebacker Cincere Johnson, as well as other Ohio State stars like Troy Smith, Ted Ginn Jr., Donte Whitner, Marshon Lattimore and Cardale Jones.
That’s a big reason why Bailey has emerged as a top candidate to round out Ohio State’s linebacker class alongside Prince Goldsby – who made his official visit to Ohio State last week, just days after committing to the Buckeyes – and Quinton Cypher. Like Reese, Bailey is an athletic, versatile prospect who could line up at both linebacker and edge, and the track record of success that Tarblooders have had as Buckeyes makes him a great choice to be a developmental prospect in James Laurinaitis’ unit.
Ohio State rarely misses on Glenville prospects that it wants, so the Buckeyes are viewed as the favorite to land Bailey when he makes his commitment on June 25. They still need to close the deal, though, as Louisville and West Virginia are also major contenders in his recruitment after hosting him for official visits over the past week.
DE Wyatt Smith
Ohio State’s highest-ranked official visitor this weekend, Smith – the No. 78 overall prospect in the 2027 class – makes his way to Columbus just a few weeks after committing to the Buckeyes on May 17.
Smith’s commitment appears rock-solid entering his official visit as Ohio State made him a top-priority target at defensive end alongside fellow commit DJ Jacobs. What makes the timing of Smith’s visit interesting is that he’ll be visiting alongside Carey, his St. Thomas Aquinas High School teammate, making Smith a crucial peer-recruiter who could help push a commitment across the finish line.
S Eli Johnson
Johnson committed to Ohio State last November, and there’s been no drama in his recruitment since, as the four-star safety from Texas ranked as the 173rd overall prospect in the class is firmly committed to the Buckeyes.
Given his position in the secondary, Johnson could also play the role of peer-recruiter for Carey this weekend. As for Johnson, this weekend will be an opportunity for Ohio State to continue laying out its vision for his future in Columbus and why the Buckeyes pushed for his early commitment to be a building block of their 2027 class.
S Angelo Smith
Among Ohio State’s three committed official visitors, Angelo Smith’s visit may be the most meaningful of the weekend as the Buckeyes look to fend off a flip effort from South Florida and former Ohio State offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach Brian Hartline.
A three-star safety, Smith has been committed to Ohio State since September, but has a close relationship with Hartline thanks to his older brother, Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. USF may be able to sell Smith on a quicker path to the field, as the No. 843 overall prospect in the 2027 class would be a developmental prospect for the Buckeyes, but he remains committed to Ohio State, where the Buckeyes hope to see him continue what’s already become a spectacular family legacy in Columbus.
