Four-Star Ohio Cornerback Monsanna Torbert Jr. Commits to Michigan Over Ohio State

Four-star Ohio cornerback Monsanna Torbert Jr. announced his commitment to Michigan on Wednesday, picking the Wolverines from a final four of Michigan, Ohio State, Indiana and Louisville.

Ohio State appeared poised to land Torbert, the No. 106 overall prospect in the 2027 recruiting class, after his official visit to Ohio State from June 12-14. Going into that official visit, Torbert expressed strong interest in the Buckeyes, telling Eleven Warriors that he was “very excited” for his official visit and that he frequently received feedback from Ohio State secondary coach Tim Walton.

The tenor of Torbert’s recruitment shifted the following weekend, however, after the Cincinnati native visited Michigan. Ultimately, the Wolverines were able to win Torbert over with their recruiting pitch, stealing a top Ohio State target out of the Buckeyes’ backyard as a result.

Torbert, who initially committed to Indiana before decommitting from the Hoosiers in May, would have become the highest-rated defensive back in Ohio State’s 2027 recruiting class, per 247Sports’ composite rankings. Each of the three highest-ranked cornerbacks from the state of Ohio in the 2027 class has now committed elsewhere, with Ace Alston committing to Notre Dame and Kei’Shjuan Telfair committing to Penn State.

Ohio State can take solace in knowing its receivers won’t make life easy for Torbert in The Game, especially after the Buckeyes landed yet another five-star wideout in Jett Harrison on Wednesday. That said, the loss of Torbert leaves Tim Walton and Co. with a vacancy still to fill at cornerback in the 2027 class.

The Buckeyes currently have two cornerbacks in their 2027 class, four-star prospects Deontay Malone and Jaden Carey, but will continue to pursue a third. Ohio State’s top target at the position is Gabriel Osborne Jr., the fifth-ranked cornerback in the class, but the Buckeyes face an uphill battle to pull Osborne out of his home state as the Oklahoma native committed to the Sooners last month.