Ohio State flips Florida commit, makes top schools for OL target

The Buckeyes’ 2026 class is now up to 21 members after a Fourth of July flip.

While many around the country were lighting off fireworks over the weekend, Ohio State made sure to get in on the action with a BOOOM of its own. A recruitment that had been trending favorably for the Buckeyes for the last few weeks, Ohio native Jamir Perez officially announced that we was flipping his commitment from Florida to Ohio State on Friday afternoon.

Coming in at 6-foot-4, 360 pounds, Perez is currently listed as the No. 29 player in Ohio and the No. 74 DL nationally, per the 247Sports Composite, profiling as a defensive tackle at the next level. While his three-star rating doesn’t jump off the page, his nearly 30-school offer sheet which contains the likes of Alabama, Florida, Iowa, Wisconsin and many others speaks for itself.

A product of Cleveland Glenville, a program that has been very kind to the Buckeyes throughout the years, Perez had been committed to the Gators since May 18 after coming off an official visit to The Swamp. The Buckeyes and Larry Johnson never gave up on their pursuit of the lineman, and following an official visit to Columbus on June 20, the pendulum had clearly swung towards the scarlet and gray.

Perez comes in as a prototypical nose tackle, something that both Johnson and new defensive coordinator Matt Patricia love to have on their units. Here is some of what 247Sports director of scouting Andrew Ivins had to to say in his scouting report of Perez:

“Tends to play with a higher pad level, but natural knock-back power frequently gives him an advantage in the middle. Defeates double-teams with a wider base and can steer obstacles towards ball carriers when he clamps down. […] Should be viewed as a potential anchor at the Power Four level that could fit into both an odd and even front. Might not ever fill the stat sheet, but has a chance to eventually provide valuable minutes on the interior with further physical and technical development.”

Perez becomes the fourth defensive lineman in Ohio State’s 2026 class, and the third tackle alongside Damari Simeon and Cameron Brickle. He is high school teammates with fellow Buckeye commit Cincere Johnson.

Elsewhere, Ohio State’s work in the trenches continued on the other side of the ball this past weekend, as the Buckeyes got one step closer with a talented offensive lineman. Four-star OT J.B. Shabazz cut his list of suitors down to just three on Saturday, with Ohio State making the cut alongside South Carolina and Tennessee.

Shabazz is listed as the No. 30 OT and the No. 321 prospect overall, per the 247Sports Composite. The 6-foot-7, 295-pound North Carolina native holds nearly two dozen offers, including the likes of Georgia, Florida, LSU, Penn State, UNC and others, but is now down to a final trio of programs with a commitment date set for July 11.

Taking official visits to all three of his top schools, the Buckeyes got the final crack at Shabazz on June 20, having visited the Gamecocks on May 30 and the Volunteers on June 13. That being said, it does appear that South Carolina has the inside track on the offensive lineman, with the lone Crystal Ball prediction currently in their favor — albeit from early June.

Things can certainly change between now and his scheduled commitment date this Friday, as the world of college football recruiting has never been crazier. If Ohio State is super interested in Shabazz, they have a few more days to make their final pitch.

The Buckeyes have a solid offensive line class with four commits thus far, but especially with what we saw from the position a year ago, the more the merrier.