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  • On3.com

    Ohio State sits atop 2025 class recruiting rankings after recent commitments

    By Matt Parker,

    21 days ago
    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0C7GLN_0u8dNOE200

    COLUMBUS — Ohio State is always going to recruit against the best of the best in the country.

    Ohio State hosted well over 40 official visitors in June and some of them are going to end up committed to the Buckeyes. Two more of those official visitors committed to the Buckeyes this week as four-star Matthews (N.C) Weddington defensive lineman Trajen Odom and three-star Cleveland (Ohio) Gilmour Academy tight end Brody Lennon ended their recruitments.

    Lettermen Row looks at the class, now at 21 pledges.

    CB Na’eem Offord

    Five-star Plus+ Birmingham (Ala) Parker cornerback Na’eem Offord committed to the Buckeyes back in February.

    The No. 7 overall prospect and No. 2 cornerback per On3 picked Ohio State because of his relationship with secondary coach Tim Walton. Offord visited Ohio State during the final weekend of the contact period and committed in head coach Ryan Day’s office.

    Offord returned to Ohio State recently for the spring game and made his official visit on June 21.

    CB Devin Sanchez

    Five-star Houston (Texas) North Shore cornerback Devin Sanchez was the prospect who started off the wave of commitments for the Buckeyes this winter.

    Sanchez, the No. 5 overall prospect and No. 1 cornerback per the On3 Industry Rankings, announced his commitment to Ohio State live at the All-American Bowl on Jan 6.

    The 6-foot-2, 170-pound cornerback has already been an instrumental peer recruiter.

    QB Tavien St. Clair

    Five-star Bellefontaine (Ohio) quarterback Tavien St. Clair is the leader of this Ohio State class. He was the first pledge for head coach Ryan Day and committed back in June 2023.

    The 6-foot-3, 210-pound quarterback is the No. 28 overall prospect and the No. 5 quarterback per On3. Those numbers adjust to No. 13 and No. 3 in the On3 Industry Rankings. Both metrics have St. Clair as the top-rated Ohio prospect.

    The junior quarterback finished the season with 3,083 yards, 34 touchdowns, six interceptions and a 70 percent completion rate. St. Clair also had 352 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the ground.

    OT Carter Lowe

    Four-star Toledo (Ohio) Whitmer offensive tackle Carter Lowe was a major winter addition to the Buckeyes’ 2025 class.

    The 6-foot-5, 285-pound pledge from Northwest Ohio committed to Ohio State on Jan. 23 over Michigan, Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee. He is the first offensive lineman in the class and a big win both nationally and in-state.

    Lowe is the No. 42 overall prospect and No. 5 offensive tackle in the On3 Industry Rankings. Those numbers adjust to No. 127 and No. 12, respectively, by On3.

    SAF Faheem Delane

    Four-star Olney (Md) Good Counsel safety Faheem Delane couldn’t leave his official visit to Ohio State without telling head coach Ryan Day he was committed.

    Delane is the No. 44 overall prospect and the No. 3 safety in the On3 Industry Rankings. He is the highest-rated safety in the Buckeyes’ 2025 class.

    WR Quincy Porter

    Four-star Oradell (N.J.) Bergen Catholic wide receiver Quincy Porter committed to Ohio State during his official visit — June 7-9 — and announced it one week later.

    Porter is the No. 31 overall prospect and the No. 5 wide receiver according to On3.

    LB Tarvos Alford

    Four-star Port St. Lucie (Fla) Vero Beach linebacker Tarvos ‘TJ’ Alford committed to Ohio State on March 30, his late grandfather’s birthday.

    Alford is the No. 66 overall prospect and the No. 4 linebacker in the On3 Industry Rankings. He’s the No. 81 overall prospect and the No. 5 linebacker per On3.

    RB Bo Jackson

    Four-star Cleveland (Ohio) Villa Angela St. Joseph running back Bo Jackson committed to Ohio State on June 4, just two days after his official visit with the Buckeyes. Jackson chose Ohio State over Georgia and Alabama.

    The 6-foot, 210-pound running back is the No. 74 overall prospect and the No. 4 ATH in the On3 Industry Rankings.

    EDGE Zion Grady

    Four-star Troy (Ala) Enterprise EDGE Zion Grady committed to Ohio State one day after his official visit with the Buckeyes concluded.

    Grady was formerly committed to Alabama, but backed off his pledge when former Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban retired. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound Alabama native is the No. 79 overall prospect and the No. 11 EDGE in the On3 Industry Rankings.

    EDGE Zahir Mathis

    Four-star Philadelphia (Pa) Imhotep Institute EDGE Zahir Mathis followed Sanchez and committed to the Buckeyes on Jan. 17.

    He was the first defensive lineman in the class and the second member of the front seven in the mix. Defensive line coach Larry Johnson has taken a lot of slack for not bringing in steady numbers on the edge in recent recruiting cycles. Mathis is a good start for 2025.

    The 6-foot-5, 230-pound prospect is the No. 64 overall prospect and No. 8 EDGE in the On3 Industry Rankings. Those numbers adjusted to No. 123 and No. 12, respectively, per On3.

    TE Nate Roberts

    Four-star Washington (Okla) tight end Nate Roberts committed to Ohio State the morning of the spring game on April 13. Roberts was the priority target for Keenan Bailey in the 2025 cycle and with Brock Schott committed to Miami, Roberts is likely the only tight end the Buckeyes take.

    Roberts is the No. 164 overall prospect and the No. 9 tight end according to the On3 Industry Rankings. On3 has Roberts as the No. 165 overall prospect and the No. 9 tight end.

    EDGE London Merritt

    Four-star Bradenton (Fla) IMG Academy EDGE London Merritt was the surprise commitment a few weeks back that kicked off a four-commitment weekend for Ohio State. The Atlanta, Georgia native wanted to commit back in November after visiting for the Michigan State game, but held off.

    Merritt is the No. 158 overall prospect and the No. 21 EDGE according to the On3 Industry Rankings.

    WR De’Zie Jones

    Four-star Wayne (N.J.) DePaul Catholic wide receiver De’Zie Jones committed to Ohio State at admittedly a comical time. The Buckeyes started that week off with Jayvan Boggs decommitting and then not even a full seven days later, Brian Hartline and Devin Jordan landed Jones.

    The New Jersey native is the No. 232 overall prospect and the No. 34 wide receiver according to the On3 Industry Rankings. On3 has Jones as the No. 295 overall prospect and the No. 42 wide receiver.

    SAF DeShawn Stewart

    Four-star Wayne (N.J.) DePaul Catholic safety DeShawn Stewart was the first safety commit in the Ohio State class. Although he’s played mostly cornerback in his preps career, the Buckeyes project him as a high safety and can roam in the secondary. He has great closing speed and can track the ball like a wideout.

    Stewart is the No. 329 overall prospect and the No. 28 cornerback in the On3 Industry Rankings. On3 has Stewart as the No. 183 overall prospect and the No. 17 cornerback.

    DL Trajen Odom

    Four-star Matthews (N.C.) Weddington defensive lineman Trajen Odom committed to the Buckeyes on June 28. He’s the No. 300 overall prospect and No. 22 defensive lineman in the On3 Industry Rankings, but checks in as the No. 138 overall prospect and No. 11 defensive lineman according to On3.

    He picked Ohio State over Oregon, USC, Colorado, UCLA and Georgia.

    SAF Cody Haddad

    DeShawn Stewart was the first safety and he was followed by three-star Cleveland (Ohio) St. Ignatius safety Cody Haddad two weeks later.

    The 6-foot, 175-pound talent was previously committed to Wisconsin but decommitted shortly before his pledge to the Buckeyes.

    LB Eli Lee

    Three-star Akron (Ohio) Archbishop Hoban linebacker Eli Lee is the first linebacker commit for Ohio State in the 2025 class. He joined the group on Oct. 25 just three weeks after he earned his offer from defensive coordinator Jim Knowles and graduate assistant James Laurinaitis.

    The in-state pledge is the No. 60 linebacker per On3.

    He finished his junior season as the Division II state runner-up, losing 7-2 to Massillon Washington on Nov. 30. He ended the year with 170 tackles, 11.5 sacks, two safeties, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and one interception that was returned for a touchdown.

    TE Brody Lennon

    Three-star Cleveland (Ohio) Gilmour Academy tight end Brody Lennon had a short-lived recruitment with Ohio State. He earned his offer in mid-June after an impressive camp performance. A week later he made his official visit to Columbus and then he committed to the Buckeyes a few days after that visit.

    Lennon is the No. 488 overall prospect and the No. 27 overall prospect according to the On3 Industry Rankings.

    RB Isaiah West

    Three-star Philadelphia (Pa) St. Joseph’s Prep running back Isaiah West committed to the Buckeyes on June 16 as his official visit was ending. The 5-foot-11, 210-pound tailback is the No. 548 overall prospect and the No. 41 running back according to the On3 Industry Rankings.

    West was previously committed to Kentucky.

    IOL Jake Cook

    Three-star Westerville (Ohio) North interior offensive lineman Jake Cook committed to the Buckeyes on June 18 before he left campus from his official visit.

    Cook’s dream is to play for Ohio State and he has now solidified his stance to pursue that dream. The 6-foot-5, 305-pound Ohioan is the No. 650 overall prospect and the No. 55 interior offensive lineman according to the On3 Industry Rankings.

    ATH Bodpegn Miller

    Mansfield (Ohio) Ontario athlete Bodpegn Miller had a short-lived, fast-tracked recruitment with Ohio State.

    The 6-foot-4, 180-pound prospect committed to Ohio State just four days after he earned his offer from the Buckeyes. Miller is an unranked prospect, but expect that to change at some point.

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