Now that the dust has started to settle from Ohio State’s summer official visits, it’s become clearer who will and won’t be part of the Buckeyes’ 2027 recruiting class.
Five prospects who were uncommitted entering official visit season have committed to Ohio State over the last month, joining 13 prospects who were already committed to the Buckeyes.
| Player | Pos | Ht/Wt | Stars | Natl Rank | Pos Rank | High School |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DJ JACOBS | DE | 6-5 / 235 | ★★★★★ | 4 | 1 | Blessed Trinity Catholic (Roswell, GA) |
| JAMIER BROWN | WR | 5-11 / 192 | ★★★★★ | 24 | 4 | Big Walnut (Sunbury, OH) |
| MARCUS FAKATOU | DL | 6-6 / 275 | ★★★★★ | 26 | 2 | Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, CA) |
| KELLEN WYMER | OL | 6-5 / 265 | ★★★★ | 67 | 4 | Liberty Center (Liberty Center, OH) |
| CADEN MOSS | OT | 6-5 / 320 | ★★★★ | 74 | 7 | Jackson Academy (Jackson, MS) |
| WYATT SMITH | DE | 6-6 / 235 | ★★★★ | 82 | 11 | St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, FL) |
| PRINCE GOLDSBY | LB | 6-3 / 205 | ★★★★ | 96 | 6 | Blue Springs South (Blue Springs, MO) |
| ELI JOHNSON | S | 6-3 / 200 | ★★★★ | 208 | 17 | Cibolo Steele (Cibolo, TX) |
| BRADY EDMUNDS | QB | 6-5 / 220 | ★★★★ | 251 | 19 | Huntington Beach (Huntington Beach, CA) |
| QUINTON CYPHER | LB | 6-2 / 220 | ★★★★ | 253 | 21 | Millbrook (Raleigh, NC) |
| DEONTAY MALONE | CB | 6-0 / 182 | ★★★★ | 285 | 33 | Massillon Washington (Massillon, OH) |
| BRODY MCNEEL | OL | 6-5 / 285 | ★★★★ | 310 | 29 | Godwin (Richmond, VA) |
| JIMMY KALIS | OT | 6-8 / 290 | ★★★★ | 323 | 33 | Central Catholic (Pittsburgh, PA) |
| MASON WILT | OL | 6-5 / 295 | ★★★★ | 365 | 18 | St. Clairsville (St. Clairsville, OH) |
| JADEN CAREY | CB | 5-11 / 175 | ★★★★ | 383 | 41 | St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, FL) |
| DAVIS SEAMAN | OL | 6-4 / 290 | ★★★★ | 423 | 23 | Bishop Watterson (Columbus, OH) |
| ANGELO SMITH | S | 5-10 / 170 | ★★★ | 882 | 88 | Chaminade-Madonna (Hollywood, FL) |
| JORDAN DONAHOO | WR | 6-4 / 185 | ★★★ | 1217 | 153 | Oviedo (Oviedo, FL) |
| Data via 247Sports | ||||||
Four other prospects who made official visits to Ohio State in May and June remain top targets for the Buckeyes (uncommitted running back David Gabriel Georges, uncommitted wide receiver Monshun Sales, uncommitted defensive tackle Karlos May and Texas Tech wide receiver commit Benny Easter Jr.) while four other summer visitors have since committed elsewhere (BYU wide receiver commit Blake Wong, Colorado linebacker commit Kaylon Bailey, Michigan cornerback commit Monsanna Torbert Jr. and Florida State running back commit Jayden Miles).
With the first wave of post-official visit commitments now complete, we’re taking a look at how Ohio State’s 2027 recruiting class is shaping up at every position, concluding with the defense today after reviewing each offensive position yesterday. For each position, we’ll give an overall assessment of where things stand while taking a look at what Ohio State accomplished with its official visits this summer, where the Buckeyes came up short and where there are still dominoes to fall.
As with the offense, the trenches are currently the strength of Ohio State’s recruiting class. That said, the Buckeyes could still add another player at every position group on defense, and whether they do will determine the final grades after an official visit season that included both wins and losses on that side of the ball.
Defensive Line: On the Verge of An A+
Commits: DJ Jacobs, Marcus Fakatou, Wyatt Smith
Still on the board: Karlos May
Ohio State’s defensive line recruiting class is already elite. The Buckeyes are one of just two schools with two five-star defensive linemen (Texas Tech) in the 2027 class and also one of just two schools with three top-100 defensive linemen (Texas A&M) in the cycle. It’s the first time Ohio State has hit both of those marks since they signed JT Tuimoloau, Jack Sawyer and Mike Hall in the 2021 class.
Jacobs is ranked as the top edge rusher in the entire class. Fakatou is the class’ most versatile defensive lineman with the size and skill set to play either defensive end or defensive tackle. Smith also has the skills to be an elite defensive end – much like his father, former NFL DE Justin Smith – as the No. 82 overall prospect in the class.
The Buckeyes’ 2027 class still lacks a true defensive tackle, but that’s likely to change on July 18. That’s when May is scheduled to announce his commitment, which certainly seems to be trending toward the Buckeyes, as he’s repeatedly tweeted about Ohio State and retweeted Ohio State-related tweets since his official visit last month.
‼️‼️ pic.twitter.com/9AVRJLUg8U
— Karlos”Big Los”May⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@Karlosmay2027) July 2, 2026
#buckeyenation what’s the word???#Gobucks #buckeye #Gobuckeyes pic.twitter.com/7QG6nxHyGO
— Karlos”Big Los”May⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@Karlosmay2027) June 21, 2026
Assuming the Buckeyes ultimately land May, who’s ranked as the No. 132 overall prospect in the 2027 class, Larry Johnson will earn an A+ for the cycle with a star-studded, four-man recruiting class that ranks among the best in his long career as a defensive line coach.
Linebacker: Still Solid Despite A Miss
Commits: Prince Goldsby, Quinton Cypher
Official visitors committed elsewhere: Kaylon Bailey
James Laurinaitis secured his top target entering the summer when Prince Goldsby, the sixth-ranked linebacker in the 2027 class, committed to Ohio State four days before making his official visit in late May. He pairs with Cypher, who’s been committed to the Buckeyes since December, to give Ohio State a strong tandem at a position that’s already one of the deepest on the roster.
Losing Bailey to Colorado was a disappointing miss, as Ohio State typically doesn’t miss on the prospects it wants from Ted Ginn Sr.’s program at Glenville High School. That said, Bailey would have been the No. 3 linebacker in Ohio State’s class, limiting the amount of NIL money the Buckeyes were willing to invest in him compared to the Buffaloes.
There aren’t any other clear targets left on the board at linebacker, so Ohio State could end up signing only two linebackers unless a late target emerges at the position this fall. Considering the Buckeyes signed three linebackers in each of the last two recruiting classes and all nine of their current scholarship linebackers have at least one more year of eligibility, they don’t need to force a third addition if the right target doesn’t emerge.
In terms of rankings and volume, this class doesn’t currently jump off the page quite as much as Laurinaitis’ first two recruiting classes, which were highlighted by five-star Cincere Johnson last year and near-five-star Riley Pettijohn two years ago. But it still includes two linebackers with the talent to be future starters for Ohio State.
Cornerback: Disappointing Misses Cloud June Wins
Commits: Jaden Carey, Deontay Malone
Official visitors committed elsewhere: Monsanna Torbert Jr.
If only because of where he chose to play instead, Torbert’s commitment to Michigan over Ohio State last week was the most painful loss of official visit season. While the Wolverines may have valued Torbert more highly than the Buckeyes in terms of NIL offers, the fact remains that Ohio State thought it would land a commitment from Torbert after his official visit in Columbus, only to lose the four-star Ohio cornerback to its bitter rival after his subsequent visit to Ann Arbor.
The Buckeyes still landed two cornerback commitments in June, adding Carey and Malone to their 2027 class after their official visits. Both of them are quality prospects, but as things currently stand, this would be Ohio State’s first recruiting class in five years without a cornerback ranked in the top 100 overall prospects in 247Sports’ composite rankings, and its first since 2020 without a cornerback ranked in the top 200.
That’s not for a lack of trying, as Ohio State was also scheduled to host top prospects John Meredith III and Gabriel Osborne Jr. for official visits, but both of them committed elsewhere (Meredith to Texas, Osborne to Oklahoma) before they made it to Columbus. Add in the fact that the three highest-ranked cornerbacks from Ohio in the 2027 class are all committed elsewhere (Ace Alston to Notre Dame, Kei’Shjuan Telfair to Penn State and Torbert to Michigan), and there have been some missed opportunities for Tim Walton in this recruiting cycle.
Walton made up for some in-state misses last year by flipping five-star cornerback Jay Timmons from Florida State last fall, and he could still earn high marks for the 2027 class if he can flip Osborne or another top cornerback this fall to pair with Carey and Malone in the class. If that doesn’t happen, it would be a disappointment, especially with Walton’s track record of landing elite cornerback recruits on an annual basis in his first four years as Ohio State’s secondary coach.
Safety: Still Searching For A Third
Committed: Eli Johnson, Angelo Smith
Uncommitted official visitors: None
Like at cornerback and linebacker, Ohio State has two commits at safety but is still looking for a third.
The Buckeyes were supposed to host multiple uncommitted safeties for official visits in June, but those visits didn’t materialize. Top target Kenaz Sullivan committed to Maryland after canceling his official visit to Ohio State. Seth Williams also canceled his trip to Columbus after announcing he would choose between Clemson and Georgia, though the three-star Georgia safety ended up postponing his scheduled July commitment.
Ohio State added a new safety to its board last month when it offered Jordan Darren Djila Tchuisseu, but whether he becomes a Buckeye could be tied to whether they win the battle with Tennessee and Ole Miss – the only other Power 4 school that’s offered Djila – for his best friend and high school teammate, five-star running back David Gabriel Georges.
Johnson is viewed by Ohio State as one of the class’ top safeties despite being ranked outside the top 200 overall prospects. Smith will come to Ohio State ready to compete after spending plenty of time around the Buckeyes with his older brother Jeremiah over the last three years, though Ohio State still has to hold off Brian Hartline and South Florida to sign Smith after he made an official visit to USF in June.
Either way, Matt Guerrieri and the Buckeyes still have a need for another safety in the 2027 class, given that current starters Earl Little Jr., Terry Moore and Jaylen McClain could all be gone next season if McClain enters the 2027 NFL draft.
