2026 OL target set to announce college decision on Saturday, Buckeyes offer Ohio State hoops legacy

Florida native Micah Smith is set to decide his college commitment this coming weekend.

Offensive line coach Tyler Bowen hasn’t been in Columbus for that long, but his presence has been felt in a major way.

Coming in and immediately developing a rapport with prospects all over the country, the Buckeyes landed that jolt in recruiting they needed. Three 2026 commits at the spot thus far, Ohio State is ready for more and would rather it come sooner than later.

One target the Buckeyes have long been in on is Florida native, Micah Smith. A 6-foot-5, 325 pound athlete, Smith is the No. 165 player nationally and 10th best interior lineman per the 247Sports Composite for the current class. With nearly 40 offers to his name, Ohio State is in the mix, and the latest news came Wednesday when Smith set his announcement date to pick the school of his choice.

Revealing the decision this coming Saturday, the Buckeyes will learn their fate as one of six remaining schools he has in mind. Alabama, Illinois, South Carolina, Tennessee, and UCLA the other programs worth noting, the latest intel has a 247Sports Crystal Ball prediction in favor of UCLA winning this battle for the four-star talent.

Vero Beach being the home to Smith and 2025 signee TJ Alford, Ohio State seemed destined to look at the prep powerhouse closely yet again. While UCLA may be favored, the Buckeyes and Bowen have a real shot here be it now or down the road. Several other options remain, but the staff will learn their fate this coming weekend either way for a player they’ve recruited for the duration of this cycle.

Not so fast says top running back target

It was just this past weekend that Ohio State had the chance to host the No. 17 player nationally and top running back per the 247Sports Composite in the 2026 class courtesy of Virginia native Savion Hiter.

The top running back on the board for seemingly every program, the Buckeyes have a courtship with Hiter than has seen tons of effort recently. Making multiple stops to see Savion on the road this spring, Carlos Locklyn and Brian Hartline each made their trek to Virginia in pursuit of this top athlete, and having him already complete his official visit in Columbus shows his mindset when it concerns the Buckeyes.

Taking additional trips in the coming weeks to other programs, Ohio State has a fight here as expected, and though experts such as Steve Wiltfong give the Buckeyes less chance than they’d like to hear, Hiter himself has taken the opportunity to debunk this notion.

Sharing via social media yesterday that he has yet to do any interviews regarding his recruitment, the overall sentiment was pretty clear. Hiter may have schools such as Tennessee and Michigan right there in the fold, but Ohio State has every bit of chance here at landing his services.

Not to diminish the experts, but the Buckeyes are going to stay at this recruitment regardless what anyone says — and rightfully so. Fresh off a national title where two running backs were drafted, Ohio State has as much going for them as anyone, so it would be foolish to not say they have every opportunity to lock Hiter up.

Quick Hits

• Major visits happening basically every day this month, Ohio State had another big time guest on campus recently when Texas native Jalen Brewster made the trek to see all that the Buckeyes have to offer.

The No. 7 player nationally and top defensive lineman in the 2027 class per the 247Sports Composite, this month has seen the 2026 class as the top priority, but making efforts and looking to build lasting impacts on the future cycles is also in the plans.

A five-star in every category, Brewster is a crown jewel of a recruiting class caliber player, and him spending time and resources to see the Buckeyes this early on bodes well for the coaching staff.

• Moving to the hardwood, Ohio State was active on the basketball recruiting front in Wednesday when they offered Buckeye legacy, Jason Singleton. A 6-foot-4, 175 pound combo guard out of Columbus Academy, Singleton knows the Ohio State program well considering his dad was a member of the 1999 Final Four Buckeye team.

The 17th best player at his position per the 247Sports rankings, Singleton adds Ohio State to an offer list that includes Creighton, Dayton, DePaul, Nebraska, and a host of others. One would think this recruitment should sort itself out fairly easily considering the ties to the program.