Ohio State just took their biggest off-field loss this year and Ryan Day should be concerned

Predictions became reality on Saturday afternoon and the Ohio State Buckeyes were handed their biggest recruiting loss of the 2025 cycle.

In the game of recruiting, every player is different and the way that you have to recruit each player changes. Ohio State fought hard in this fight but in the end, it was not enough.

The No. 2 player in the country offensive tackle David Sanders Jr. announced he was verbally committing to the Tennessee Volunteers on Saturday and it ended the long pursuit by the Buckeyes. Sanders chose Tennessee over the Buckeyes, Georgia, and Nebraska.

Ohio State has just one pure offensive tackle committed in the 2025 class. Four-star offensive tackle Carter Lowe is the No. 33 player in the country, according to 247 Sports. Jake Cook is another offensive lineman committed that could end up a tackle and he’s not in the top 400 high school players in 2025. The Buckeyes have failed to go out and get premier talent along the offensive line outside of Ohio. Lowe has a bright future, but he was always an Ohio State lean as an in-state player.

Justin Frye’s inability to recruit along the offensive line has been tough for the Buckeyes. While Ohio State is adding elite talent all over the roster, the offensive line is one spot they can’t seem to put consistency together at.

Sanders would have turned the tide and given a great vibe around the position. The 6-foot-6, 290-pound tackle from North Carolina is the No. 1 offensive tackle in the country for good reason and could have been a potential Day 1 starter for the Buckeyes. Now, Ohio State will have to get back to the drawing board.

Ohio State still has the top recruiting class in the country but there is no guarantee they hold onto that spot. Outside of Tavien St. Clair, Sanders would have been the most important member of the recruiting class.

The Buckeyes have their class wrapped up for the most part with a couple more pieces to be added likely. No day on the 2025 recruiting trail is worse than today for Ohio State.

Something will have to change for Frye, or he will soon be on his way out just like Greg Studrawa. That is how it goes in Columbus.

Ohio State’s 2025 commits

• QB Tavien St. Clair
• CB Devin Sanchez
• CB Na’eem Offord
• OT Carter Lowe
• LB Tarvos Alford
• RB Bo Jackson
• DE Zahir Mathis
• DL London Merritt
• TE Nate Roberts
• WR De’Zie Jones
• S DeShawn Stewart
• LB Eli Lee
• S Cody Haddad
• S Faheem Delane
• WR Quincy Porter
• RB Isaiah West
• WR Bodpegn Miller
• OL Jake Cook
• DE Zion Grady
• TE Brody Lennon
• DL Trajen Odom
• DL Maxwell Roy
• LB Riley Pettijohn
• DL Jarquez Carter

Related: Ryan Day’s big quarterback decision has put the writing on the wall for one Ohio State player