Buckeyes Get Various Updates on Recruiting Trail

The No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes (9-1, 6-1 Big Ten Conference) are right in the middle of their monumental college football season. Head coach Ryan Day and his staff are preparing for numerous huge games on the horizon. Despite their focus on the task at hand, the recruiting efforts never cease in modern college football. The Buckeyes have had major developments in both their 2025 and 2026 classes this past week.

2025 Buckeyes' Recruiting Class

Ohio State received a devastating hit to its 2025 class as four-star edge Zahir Mathis decommitted from the Buckeyes earlier this week. The 6-foot-6, 225-pound prospect from Pennsylvania has also been heavily recruited by Penn State and could be staying in-state. There has been a lot of speculation about other possible causes around his decision to decommit.

Five-star defensive end Jahkeem Stewart out of Louisiana recently reclassified from 2026 to 2025. Rumors have swirled that his interest in joining the Buckeyes was a factor in Mathis' decommitment. Stewart has been making the rounds on his visits, including one to Ohio State on Oct. 26. Reports indicate that he will be back in Columbus, Ohio when the Buckeyes play Michigan (5-5, 3-4 B1G) on Nov. 30.

Stewart took his visit to LSU (6-4, 3-3 Southeastern Conference) on Nov. 9 when they were blown out 42-13 by No. 7 Alabama (8-2, 4-2 SEC). A recruit watching the team he is visiting get embarrassed at home is never ideal. He visited Oregon on Oct. 12 when the Ducks (11-0, 8-0 B1G) edged out a one-point victory over the Buckeyes. Regardless of Stewart's eventual decision, Ohio State now needs to make up more ground on the defensive line for 2025 as they will lose all four starters after this season.

Anthony "Turbo" Rogers has been a huge target for the Buckeyes as they have looked to add a third running back to their 2025 class. Rogers is a four-star RB who was committed to Alabama before decommitting on Nov. 17. He visited Ohio State on Nov. 9 and 247Sports lead expert Tom Loy has him crystal-balled to the Buckeyes. First-year Ohio State RB coach Carlos Locklyn has seemingly been well-loved by current players and recruits alike. He has helped RB TreyVeon Henderson resurge and brought in Quinshon Judkins through the Transfer Portal in the offseason. Locklyn and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly have orchestrated their RB tandem to near perfection this season, showing recruits that there are enough touches to go around. Locklyn is now expected to close the deal with Rogers and solidify a stellar RB class.

2026 Commitments

The sole commitment for the Buckeyes in their 2026 class was previously five-star wide receiver Chris Henry Jr., the son of former Cincinnati Bengals star WR Chris Henry Sr. He finally has company in the class with the commitment of another WR in three-star Jaeden Ricketts. The Ohio native from Watkins Memorial High School made his decision on Nov. 16 to join the Buckeyes. Wide receivers coach Brian Hartline is one of the nation's best recruiters and has the 2026 class looking very impressive at the position already.

The Buckeyes have another piece of news when it comes to the 2026 class. Five-star quarterback Jared Curtis recently decommitted from Georgia and opened up his recruitment once again. Curtis is reportedly going to visit Ohio State when it takes on No. 5 Indiana (10-0, 7-0 B1G) on Nov. 23. There were rumors that Curtis may skip the visit due to the noon EST kickoff. Fans have heavily criticized the Big Noon Kickoff on FOX show taking nearly every Ohio State game for their broadcast. West Coast and southern recruits have canceled Ohio State visits at times this year over the noon games. The early start times make it difficult to swing a long trip to Columbus for players from those parts of the country. Despite rumors of scheduling conflicts, the top-ranked QB in the 2026 class is now expected to be in attendance on Nov. 23.

Ohio State is staying busy on the recruiting trail as it has moved deep into the regular season. The Buckeyes still have work to do and will see an abundance of recruits visiting in the next two weeks. Day and his coaching staff continues to look to round out their 2025 class as early national signing day on Dec. 4 draws closer.