This week, Eleven Warriors editor Dan Hope named nine recruits Ohio State could flip from Penn State following James Franklin's firing. The recruiting battles that will unfold between now and National Signing Day are far from new, and to understand what could be at stake in the 2026 class, it helps to look back at some of the most notable duels between the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions.
Ki-Jana Carter, Class of 1992
In 1992, Penn State remained independent but established itself as the 11th Big Ten program the following year. Before entering the conference, the Nittany Lions had already won several recruiting battles against Ohio State. However, none were more important than Ohio running back Ki-Jana Carter, the final blue-chip prospect in the 1992 class yet to commit.
Before his senior season at Westerville South — a school located 20 minutes from Ohio State’s campus — Carter suffered a knee injury and returned to play in five games before he broke his finger. Despite his limited time on the field, Carter ran for 975 yards and earned second-team All-American honors. While many schools came calling for the 6-foot, 212-pound tailback, Carter narrowed his final choices to Penn State and Ohio State, ultimately choosing to play for the Nittany Lions.
Carter became a household name at Penn State, recording 395 carries for 2,829 yards and 24 touchdowns while earning two All-Big Ten accolades (1993 and 1994) and one unanimous All-American honor (1994). In his third and final season with the program, Carter ran the ball 198 times for 1,539 yards and 23 scores.
While his career was full of excellent performances, Carter saved his best for Ohio State. Carter rushed for 123 yards in a 24-6 loss to the Buckeyes in 1993, then ran for 137 yards and four touchdowns in a 63-14 blowout win.
After Carter’s dominant junior season, the Cincinnati Bengals selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 1995 NFL draft. He went on to play seven injury-plagued years as a professional running back — four with Cincinnati, one with Washington and two with New Orleans. Carter had 1,633 yards from scrimmage and 21 touchdowns during his career.
Terrelle Pryor, Class of 2008
Sixteen years later, the next marquee recruiting battle emerged when Jeannette, Pennsylvania, native Terrelle Pryor chose Ohio State over Penn State, Michigan and others. The No. 1 dual-threat quarterback and No. 2 overall prospect in the 2008 class, Pryor (.9997) became the highest-rated recruit the Buckeyes had ever signed, surpassing 2006 signee Ted Ginn Jr. (.9992). Pryor held that record for 13 years until Quinn Ewers (1.000) joined Ohio State in 2021, and Jeremiah Smith (.9997) later matched Pryor’s mark in 2024.
Over three seasons in Columbus, Pryor completed 477 of 783 passes (60.9%) for 6,177 yards and 57 touchdowns, adding 436 carries for 2,164 yards (5.0 per attempt) and 17 more scores on the ground.
As a freshman, Pryor’s Buckeyes fell 13-6 to Penn State in Columbus, as he finished 16-of-25 passing for 226 yards, one interception and just 6 rushing yards. He and Ohio State responded with back-to-back wins in 2009 and 2010, when the 6-foot-6, 225-pound quarterback combined for 363 yards of offense and five total touchdowns.
Pryor’s college career ended when the NCAA levied sanctions against him for his involvement in Tattoogate. Rather than face a five-game suspension, Pryor entered the 2011 NFL supplemental draft, in which the Oakland Raiders selected him with a third-round pick. Pryor went on to play eight NFL seasons, including three with Oakland, two with Cleveland, one with New York (Jets) and one with Buffalo.
Micah Parsons, Class of 2018
Ohio State and Penn State both battled Oklahoma and Georgia for Parsons, as the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, native’s size and strength propelled him to the top of college recruiting boards, making him the No. 5 overall prospect and No. 2 weak-side defensive end in the 2018 class.
Parsons took an official visit to Ohio State on Sept. 9, 2017, and watched the Buckeyes fall to Baker Mayfield and Oklahoma, 31-16. Despite the loss, the Buckeyes remained a frontrunner to land Parsons. However, Ohio State learned that a recruiting violation occurred when Parsons took a photo with former Buckeyes Kirk Herbstreit and Eddie George on the set of ESPN’s College GameDay, and the program decided to stop recruiting Parsons as a result.
Three months later, Parsons visited Penn State’s campus — an hour and a half drive from Harrisburg — and met with James Franklin to tour the program’s facilities. Soon after, Parsons committed to Penn State and signed his National Letter of Intent to play defensive end and linebacker for the Nittany Lions.
Parsons played in 26 games for Penn State, collecting 191 tackles with 18 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. He broke out during his sophomore year with the team, winning the Big Ten Linebacker of the Year award and becoming a consensus All-American. Parsons sat out the pandemic-shortened 2020 season and declared for the 2021 NFL draft, where the Dallas Cowboys selected him with the No. 12 overall pick.
In four-plus NFL seasons, Parsons has won NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and has been named a Pro Bowler four times and All-Pro three times. In 69 appearances, Parsons has recorded 272 tackles with 68 tackles for loss, 58 sacks, 125 quarterback hits, nine forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and nine pass breakups.
Zach Harrison, Class of 2019
Harrison played high school football 25 minutes north of Ohio State’s campus at Olentangy Orange High School in Lewis Center, Ohio, wreaking havoc for the Pioneers and catching the attention of Power Five programs nationwide.
The 6-foot-5, 243-pound defensive lineman became the No. 4 overall prospect and No. 1 strong-side defensive end in the 2019 class. Harrison, who had been at the top of Ohio State’s recruiting board for years, took three unofficial visits to Penn State, Michigan and Ohio State.
Even after he made trips to those schools, Harrison hadn’t made up his mind about where to continue his football career. He delayed his decision multiple times throughout the recruiting process, but on Dec. 19, 2018, Harrison committed to Ohio State, issuing a National Letter of Intent to the Buckeyes.
Because Harrison came to Ohio State with a prominent recruiting ranking, many expected him to be the next Joey Bosa, Nick Bosa or Chase Young. That’s not how his college career turned out; however, he still had a productive four years with the Buckeyes, recording 106 tackles, 25.5 tackles for loss, 13 sacks, five forced fumbles, 10 pass breakups, and one interception in 46 appearances.
Following Harrison’s time at Ohio State, the Atlanta Falcons selected him with their third-round pick (No. 75 overall) in the 2023 NFL draft. Harrison had a slow start to his professional career — he had 59 tackles, seven tackles for loss and three sacks in his first two seasons — but is in the middle of a breakout third year in which he’s collected 17 tackles, four tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks in the first six games of 2025.
Kyle McCord, Class of 2021
Before he became Ohio State’s QB1 in 2023, McCord was the No. 6 quarterback and No. 28 overall prospect in the 2021 class.
Entering his senior season at St. Joseph’s Prep, the 6-foot-3, 215-pound signal caller narrowed his top schools to Ohio State and Penn State. He attended camps and took unofficial visits to both schools throughout the recruiting process, eventually taking an official visit to Columbus in June 2020. Despite Ohio State’s clear lead, Penn State remained in the mix as a distant but persistent contender.
On Dec. 16, 2020, six months after his official visit to Ohio State, McCord committed to the Buckeyes and signed his National Letter of Intent. Three weeks later, he enrolled at Ohio State and began practicing with the team, working with C.J. Stroud and Jack Miller III in the team’s quarterback room.
After two seasons as Stroud’s backup, McCord became Ohio State’s starting quarterback as a junior. With Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka as his top pass catchers, McCord completed 229 of 348 passes (65.8%) for 3,170 yards, 24 touchdowns and six interceptions. Following the Buckeyes’ loss to Michigan in November 2023, McCord entered the transfer portal and later committed to Syracuse, where he threw for 4,779 yards, 34 scores and 12 picks while leading the Orange to a 10-3 record.
Honorable Mention: Justin Fields, Class of 2018
Justin Fields is cemented in Ohio State’s rich football history as one of the best quarterbacks to play for the school. In two seasons leading the Buckeyes, he led his team to two College Football Playoffs, finished as a Heisman finalist and won multiple Big Ten Quarterback of the Year awards.
Fields had a unique journey before arriving at Ohio State. On Dec. 1, 2016, he committed to play football for Penn State, but that’s not where he ended up. Fields decommitted from the program and signed with Georgia four months later. Fields played one season for the Bulldogs, sitting behind Jake Fromm and waiting for his turn. However, when Dwayne Haskins left Ohio State for the NFL, the Buckeyes needed a quarterback, and Fields left his home state and went to Columbus.
Fields took snaps at quarterback for the Buckeyes for the next two seasons, setting records and making impressions on NFL scouts. As Carter was a reminder to Ohio State fans about the pain of losing a talented recruit, so Fields was a signal for Penn State fans. The Kennesaw, Georgia, native took the field against the Nittany Lions twice in a scarlet and gray uniform. He completed 44 of 56 passes for 506 yards and six touchdowns while adding 64 yards on the ground.
Fields declared for the 2021 NFL Draft, and the Chicago Bears selected him No. 11 overall. After three seasons in Chicago, he joined the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024 and led them to a 4–2 record before being replaced by Russell Wilson. Now with the New York Jets, Fields started six games this season before being benched following last week’s loss to Carolina, which dropped the team to 0–7.
