Ohio State basketball signs top-ten recruiting class on National Signing Day
COLUMBUS — Ohio State is off to a 3-0 start in year two of the Jake Diebler. The Buckeyes also signed a top ten recruiting class on Wednesday, the first day of the Early Signing Period.
Diebler and his staff added a pair of blue-chip prospects in the 2026 class: Five-Star Plus+ small forward Anthony Thompson and four-star power forward Alex Smith.
Top 10
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Lettermen Row has a rundown of what the newest Buckeyes.
Five-Star Plus+ SF Anthony Thompson
Hometown: Lebanon, Ohio
School: Western Reserve Academy (Ohio)
Height: 6-foot-8
Weight: 180 pounds
Commitment Date: October 21, 2025
Lead Recruiters: Head coach Jake Diebler and assistant Jamall Walker
Top Offers: Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, Purdue, and Texas
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 5 overall prospect, No. 2 small forward and No. 1 prospect in Ohio
Rivals Ranking: No. 7 prospect, No. 3 forward and No. 1 prospect in Ohio
Diebler on Thompson: “Anthony is a special player. His combination of size, skill and athleticism gives him unique versatility. Who he is, aligns with what our program is all about and the basketball IQ he has will help him be really impactful right away. Being from Ohio and coming to Ohio State means something to him, and we are excited for Anthony and his family to join ours.”
Four-star PF Alex Smith
Hometown: Upper Arlington, Ohio
School: Fort Lauderdale (Fla) Prolific Prep
Height: 6-foot-8
Weight: 195 pounds
Commitment Date: September 24, 2024
Lead Recruiters: Associate head coach Joel Justus and assistant Brian Walsh
Top Offers: Cincinnati, Nebraska, Indiana and Xavier
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 107 overall prospect and No. 16 power forward
Rivals Ranking: No. 95 overall prospect and No. 15 power forward
Diebler on Smith: “Alex and his family love the Buckeyes, and we couldn’t be more excited for him to officially join our family. He is highly skilled, has positional size, and a high basketball IQ which will be an asset for us. Alex has shown tremendous growth as a player because of his work ethic and will perfectly into the culture of our program because of who he is.”