Four-Star Cornerback Jaden Carey Commits to Ohio State

Three days after Deontay Malone became the first cornerback in Ohio State’s 2027 class, Tim Walton and the Buckeyes landed another top cornerback target on Wednesday as four-star Florida cornerback Jaden Carey announced his commitment to the Buckeyes.

The moment @JadenCarey22 committed to @OhioStateFB. https://t.co/WpzvAIYqfj pic.twitter.com/8hrMry3OKs

— Tom Loy (@TomLoy247) June 17, 2026

Carey, who is ranked as the No. 42 cornerback and No. 384 overall prospect in the 2027 class, chose Ohio State over Miami and Auburn, his other finalists among a list of 40 offers that also included Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Indiana, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Oregon, Penn State and Texas A&M, among others.

Carey chose Ohio State over Miami even though his father, Marcus Carey, played for the Hurricanes alongside current Miami head coach Mario Cristobal.

“They believed in me since the jump,” Carey said of why he committed to Ohio State during his announcement live stream. “They showed the most love to me throughout this recruiting process, especially to not only me but my family, always taking care of them.”

Carey becomes the second player from St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Ohio State’s 2027 recruiting class, joining defensive end Wyatt Smith. St. Thomas Aquinas, a Fort Lauderdale powerhouse that has won seven straight state championships, is also the alma mater of former Buckeye stars Nick and Joey Bosa.

Carey hopes to add a third St. Thomas Aquinas defender to the class. Asked by 247Sports’ Tom Loy after his announcement who he’ll be peer-recruiting to join him at Ohio State, Carey said he wants to flip four-star Notre Dame safety commit Zayden Gamble to the Buckeyes.

“I’m gonna flip Zayden Gamble, watch,” Carey said, drawing a laugh from his teammates.

Carey also plays for the heralded South Florida Express 7-on-7 team, which has produced a bevy of Ohio State stars in recent years, including Jeremiah Smith, Carnell Tate and Brandon Inniss.

Weighing in at 6 feet and 170 pounds, Carey could play either cornerback or nickel at Ohio State. While he’ll need to add some weight to prepare for the physicality of playing in the Big Ten, his film shows a gifted athlete and cover corner who excels at making plays on the ball.

Carey becomes the fourth defensive back in Ohio State’s 2027 recruiting class, joining Malone and safeties Eli Johnson and Angelo Smith, who made their official visits alongside Carey from June 5-7. Carey is the second commitment of June for the Buckeyes and Ohio State’s 15th overall commit for the 2027 class.

Ohio State could soon add a third cornerback to its 2027 class as the Buckeyes are also viewed as the frontrunner to land in-state cornerback Monsanna Torbert Jr., who visited the Buckeyes alongside Malone this past weekend. Torbert would likely be the final cornerback in Ohio State’s 2027 class.