Ohio State signs sixth-ranked recruiting class during early signing period

COLUMBUS – For the first time in six cycles, Ohio State has not signed top-five recruiting class but the Buckeyes aren’t too far off their normal pace.

Ohio State finished the early signing period with the No. 6 overall class, according to the Rivals Team Recruiting Rankings. The Buckeye signed 27 during the three-day window from Dec. 3-5.

On the offensive side of the ball, three-star Mission Viejo (Calif.) quarterback Luke Fahey leads the way. The Buckeyes also have a of blue-chip running back in four-star Delaware (Ohio) Hayes standout Favour Akih.

Ohio State once again has an elite wide receiver haul, despite the fact that it lost a commitment on the opening day of the early signing period. The headliner is Five-Star Plus+ Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei wide receiver Chris Henry Jr., who they had to battle Oregon for until the very end. Four-star Fort Wayne (Ind.) Northrop wide receiver Jerquaden Guilford also signed after delaying things a day because of the news that wide receivers coach Brian Hartline was leaving the Buckeyes to become the head coach at USF. Three-star Pataskala (Ohio) Watkins Memorial wide receiver Jaeden Ricketts and three-star Southlake Carroll (Texas) wide receiver Brock Boyd are the other signees this cycle.

Three-star Lebanon (Ohio) standout Nick Lautar is the lone tight end commit for the Buckeyes this cycle. He rounds their offensive skill talent in the 2026 class.

Ohio State has five offensive linemen committed in the 2026 class. Four-star Akron (Ohio) Archbishop Hoban offensive lineman Sam Greer, four-star Avon Lake (Ohio) interior offensive lineman Max Riley three-star Phoenix (Ariz.) Sandra Day O’Conner offensive lineman Tucker Smith, Three-star Mentor (Ohio) offensive lineman Landry Brede and three-star Lakewood (Ohio) St. Edward offensive lineman Mason Wilhelm are the signees for first-year offensive line coach Tyler Bowen.

Flipping over to the defensive, Four-star Gardena (Calif.) Junipero Serra defensive lineman Khary Wilder, who Rivals has ranked as a five-star, is the headliner. Additionally, Four-star Buford (Ga.) EDGE Dre Quinn signed with the Buckeyes. The former Clemson commit pairs perfectly with Wilder.

Four-star Richland (N.J.) St. Augustine Prep defensive lineman Damari Simeon, four-star Bessemer City (Ala.) defensive lineman Emanuel Ruffin, three-star Lafayette (La.) Acadiana defensive lineman Darryus McKinley and three-star Cleveland (Ohio) Glenville defensive lineman Jamir Perez are the interior defensive line signees for the Buckeyes.

At linebacker, James Laurinaitis has a pair of in-state standouts committed: Four-star Cleveland (Ohio) Glenville linebacker Cincere Johnson and four-star Lewis Center (Ohio) Olentangy linebacker CJ Sanna. Ohio State also flipped three-star Hoschton (Ga.) Mill Creek linebacker Braxton Rembert from Wake Forest in November. He will need time to develop but he could play a similar role to Arvell Reese in Matt Patricia’s defense.

Four-star Oradell (N.J.) Bergen Catholic athlete Jordan Thomas and four-star Pittsburgh (Pa.) Pine-Richland cornerback Jay Timmons is the Buckeyes cornerback duo this cycle. Ohio State also has four safeties committed: Four-star Baton Rouge (La.) Catholic safety Blaine Bradford, four-star Jacksonville (Fla.) The Bolles School safety Simeon Caldwell, three-star Baltimore (Md.) St. Frances Academy safety Khmari Bing and three-star Lewis Center (Ohio) Olentangy safety Kaden Gebhardt, who flipped from Clemson on Wednesday.

Once again, Ohio State is No. 6 overall in the Rivals Team Recruiting Rankings with its 27 signees. The Buckeyes have the No. 5 class in the country when sorted by average ranking per commit, which speaks to the quality of prospects coming to Columbus.