Better Know A Buckeye is our look at every member of Ohio State’s 2025 recruiting class and how they became Buckeyes as they prepare to begin their OSU careers this fall.
Jake Cook always wanted to be a Buckeye. A lifelong Ohio State fan, it just took some time to inevitably make that happen. For the 23rd-ranked interior offensive lineman in the 2025 class, he believed in himself and his ability to be a Buckeye to turn that dream into a reality, even if it took longer than he wanted.
Jake Cook
- Size: 6-5/295
- Position: IOL
- School: Westerville North (Westerville, Ohio)
- 247Sports Composite: ★★★★
- Composite Rank: #23 IOL
- Overall Rank: #377
How He Became a Buckeye
Growing up less than 25 minutes from campus, Cook always dreamed of donning the scarlet and gray in Ohio Stadium, not as a fan but as a player. For years, he did his best to impress OSU coaches to prove that he belonged at that level.
With a handful of MAC offers following his freshman season at Westerville North, Cook began to visit Ohio State during the summer after his first year of high school. While he certainly already had the size, he needed to prove that he had the skill set and potential to be a Big Ten offensive lineman every opportunity he had. Cook made his dream known, visiting Columbus numerous times throughout 2023 and 2024.
Although it took nearly two years after he made his first visit to Ohio State, Cook received that coveted offer he had always worked for from the Buckeyes on June 19, 2024, after two workouts in front of OSU's coaches, one of which was so impressive that Day admitted that it made Ohio State's coaches reevaluate their board on the offensive line.
“He called me and asked what I was doing," Cook told Eleven Warriors last summer. "I was just chilling and had just gotten done golfing. He asked me what I got my dad for Father’s Day. Admittedly, I told him I still needed to go do that. He told me ‘How about for Father’s Day, you take him to Ohio State on an official visit next week and you announce your commitment while we’re all at dinner?' I was like, ‘What?’ He said ‘Yeah, man, you’ve got an offer to Ohio State now.’”
Cook, who was previously committed to Louisville, committed to Ohio State four days later, the type of quick decision that proved that the lifelong OSU fan always wanted to be a Buckeye.
“It’s a huge blessing for me, it’s every Ohio kid’s dream to be a part of the Buckeyes,” Cook said. “I’m excited to wake up and compete against the best and get coached by the best every single day. It’s a blessing and I’m ready to work. It really didn’t hit me (I had the offer) until I woke up the next morning. I was like ‘Oh God, this really happened.’"
High School Years
As a freshman, Cook played left guard for Westerville North. As a sophomore, he started at left tackle, showcasing his versatility early.
In his junior season, Cook played at left tackle again, but the Westerville North product said that season that he wanted to get some snaps at all five positions along the offensive line before he graduated.
Ohio State O-line commit Jake Cook (76) pic.twitter.com/R07WDL7Qxr
— Bill Kurelic (@Bill_Kurelic) September 27, 2024
During his senior season, Cook suffered a right ankle injury during Westerville North's second game of the season, an injury that doctors thought would force him to miss four to five weeks after an opposing defensive lineman landed on the back of his ankle. But instead, Cook toughed it out and didn't miss any time at all, showcasing not only his ability to fight through injuries but also his toughness in his final high school season.
“Besides the body composition, I’d say I’ve improved on my explosiveness and just my ability to move," Cook said of where he's improved the most over the past year. "I’d say wrestling helped a lot with that, wrestling got me mean as hell. It made me a tough guy.”
OL Jake Cook vs Tiki Hola at Ohio State camp today. pic.twitter.com/57CJtGHCDu
— Bill Kurelic (@Bill_Kurelic) June 5, 2024
Stanley Jackson, the former Ohio State quarterback who was in his second year as the head coach at Westerville North, appreciated Cook’s toughness and the impact he made on his team despite being injured.
“He shouldn't be playing,” Jackson told Eleven Warriors. “And what happens is as you play on an ankle, it doesn't get any better. And you're in the trench, so you know it's going to get banged up. And I think he's just showing elite toughness. And he's a leader. We kind of need him out there at times because he leads the charge. We want to run the ball behind Jake, we're always getting positive yards.”
Immediate Impact
Better Know A Buckeye
While Cook has plenty of experience across the entire offensive line throughout his four years on varsity in high school, he received the fewest snaps on the interior of the line, where he will likely play for Ohio State. Even so, Cook earned his way into the two-deep at left guard by the end of the spring, as he ran with the second-team offensive line during the spring game.
Cook, who could also play center for Ohio State in the future, felt he made a smooth transition to the collegiate level in his first spring as a Buckeye even though he had a lot to learn.
"It's going really good. It's a lot of learning, a lot of picking up the speed of the game kind of, so just trying to get better and better each day," Cook said in April. "It's just like, alright, I'm here now, let's get ready to work. Let's just keep improving each day."
After reshaping his body and becoming quicker on his feet as an upperclassman in high school, the 6-foot-5, 295-pound lineman brought a college-ready physique to Ohio State, giving him a chance to be on the two-deep right away even though he’s likely still multiple years away from starting.
Long-Term Impact
While Cook still has a long way to go in his development to become a future starter in the Big Ten, he believes his physicality gives him what it takes to succeed at Ohio State.
“You hear a lot of, especially on the inside, like those guards/centers, that's what you want is just a physical dude,” said Cook. “So I kinda take pride in it being a Midwest, Ohio kid. I think that just should be known that we're tough."
Cook’s first chance of pushing for a starting job will likely come in either 2026 or 2027, depending on whether Luke Montgomery, Carson Hinzman, Tegra Tshabola and Austin Siereveld return for another year after the upcoming season.
There’s no guarantee that Cook will be a future starter for the Buckeyes, but with how much he has developed over the last year-plus, don't be surprised if Cook becomes a future standout for Ohio State even though he was a late bloomer in recruiting.
Player Comparison: Luke Montgomery
While Montgomery was a more highly touted prospect than Cook, it took him nearly two full seasons to earn a starting role for the Buckeyes, as he earned his first starts at left guard during Ohio State's College Football Playoff this past season.
Cook will likely need at least that much time to earn that substantial role for OSU, but the freshman is looking up to Montgomery as someone whose lead he can follow as he begins his Buckeye career.
"I'd say Luke Montgomery, that's a guy who, at every practice, I'm just watching him take his reps," Cook said in April. "Like see what he's doing when he has a two-eye or a three-eye in front of him, like what footwork he takes, where he puts his hands, his head."
After two full seasons paired with an impressive CFP run for Ohio State's makeshift offensive line, Montgomery is expected to be the starting left guard this fall. Cook hopes to follow a similar career path as he learns the speed of the game, the footwork that is needed – something that Cook is also learning from Montgomery – and proves in practice that he’s capable of being an interior offensive lineman in the Big Ten.
