By Patrick Weider
Ohio State’s 2026 recruiting class has started slowly, and they currently have only seven players committed. They are ranked the 12th overall class in the 247Sports rankings. It is not a huge issue because they still have plenty of time to assemble a class. They have started to gain momentum on the recruiting trail, and I expect more commitments to happen in the next few weeks. Below are five thoughts on Ohio State’s 2026 recruiting class.
No. 1: Offensive Line Recruitment Shows Signs of Life
Tyler Bowen’s reaction when Sam Greer tells him he’s committing to Ohio State is priceless 🌰. pic.twitter.com/8uqxgb7OXd
— The Scarlet and Gray Podcast (@TheSG_Podcast) March 25, 2025
When Tyler Bowen was hired as Ohio State’s offensive line coach, most Ohio State fans were hoping that he could be an elite recruiter because, under previous offensive line coach Justin Frye, he had struggled to recruit top offensive line prospects. Well, so far Bowen has done a good job on the recruiting trail. He has offered many top prospects and seems to be building relationships with many of them over the last month or so.
He also gained three huge commitments in the last two weeks. The first was Maxwell Ray, a four-star offensive lineman from Avon Lake, Ohio. The second commitment was Sam Greer, a four-star offensive lineman from Akron. The third recruit was Tucker Smith, a three-star offensive lineman prospect from Phoenix. Getting all three commitments was huge for Bowen, and he is building momentum on the recruiting trail to get even more prospects.
No. 2: Can Ohio State Keep Top Prospect Chris Henry Jr.?
5-Star Ohio State WR Commit Chris Henry Jr. keeps on finding his way to Eugene and continues to leave the door open for Oregon.
If we know one thing about the Ducks staff, you leave the door cracked open, this staff is going to take an axe to said door. pic.twitter.com/DHKuM3silS
— Ted Leroux (@TedontheDucks) March 21, 2025
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Ohio State once again has a five-star wide receiver, and similar to Jeremiah Smith, in the 2024 class, they will need to fight to the end to keep him from going to other schools. Henry is a talent who could come and play right away for the Buckeyes. He has been visiting other schools even while he is committed to the Buckeyes. Offensive coordinator Brian Hartline has not lost many of these battles, but I expect this battle will continue until the early signing period in December.
No. 3: Where Is the Quarterback?
Ohio State currently does not have a quarterback committed in the 2026 class. With Ryan Day’s philosophy of signing a quarterback in every class, Ohio State is still looking for a commitment in the 2026 class. Some of the names to know are five-star prospect Jared Curtis from Nashville, Tenn., four-star Brady Smigiel from Newbury Park, Calif., and Bowe Bentley, a four-star from Celina, Texas.
Ohio State has its work cut out, as many of these quarterbacks are some of the best players in the country. With former five-star quarterback Julian Sayin in the driver’s seat to start at quarterback and Tavien St. Clair, a five-star quarterback in last year’s class in the program, it might be hard for the Buckeyes to land a top prospect at the position.
No. 4: Does Matt Patricia Help With Defensive Recruiting?
Speaking on the transition from playing under Jim Knowles to Matt Patricia, CJ Hicks said he feels like Patricia has made it easier for the Ohio State defense to play faster and “be themselves.” pic.twitter.com/3Y1538yHbR
— Dillon Davis (@DillonDavis56) March 25, 2025
Former defensive coordinator Jim Knowles was never a driving force on the recruitment trail for the Buckeyes. His focus was on developing players and game planning. Current defensive coordinator Patricia is taking on a similar role, but he is younger than Knowles, and he could be used more as a recruiter. Now Patricia has very little recruitment experience in his career, but he could be a good addition to recruiting defensive players. We will see how the next few months go with him and see his recruiting abilities.
No. 5: Where Does Larry Johnson Go Next?
Larry Johnson has been impressed with Matt Patricia this spring.
"First of all, he's a great teacher, a really great teacher. He makes it simple for players to understand," Johnson said. "The process, the whole orientation of the defense has been really good."
— Chase Brown (@chaseabrown__) March 25, 2025
Defensive line recruitment has fallen lately as 73-year-old Johnson has slowed down as a recruiter. The non-stop rumors of his retirement have also hurt Johnson on the recruitment trail. As a developer of talent, there is no doubt that he still is excellent, but the recruitment worries are real. So far, Ohio State has zero defensive line commitments as of now. As I mentioned above, there is still plenty of time to rectify that situation for the Buckeyes.
Overall, Ohio State does not seem to be on as many top defensive linemen this cycle, and if they do not sign many top players, they could be facing a crisis over the next few years.
