Ohio State recruiting stays HOT, picks up fifth commitment in two weeks

The Buckeyes keep on BOOOOMing!

Ohio State football recruiting is absolutely on fire right now, as the defending national champs have added repeatedly to their 2026 class over the last two weeks. The Buckeyes opened up spring practice with only five commits in the cycle, and have since doubled that total to 10 with a number of huge additions.

This flurry of commitments has catapulted the class the No. 3 in the country with still plenty of time to go. Ryan Day and company aren’t just getting the job done from a quantity standpoint either, as Ohio State currently lays claim to the highest average player rating of any school with double-digit commits.

Four-star offensive lineman Maxwell Riley got the ball rolling on March 10 prior to the start of spring ball, and since then the Buckeyes have added four-star OT Sam Greer (March 25), four-star IOL Tucker Smith (March 26), five-star safety Blaine Bradford (March 31), four-star safety Simeon Caldwell (April 3) and mostly recently four-star linebacker, CJ Sanna.

The talented in-state prospect announced his commitment to Ohio State on Friday morning. Sanna, a product of Lewis Center Olentangy High School, ranks as the No. 20 player in Ohio and the nation’s No. 35 linebacker per the 247Sports Composite. The 6-foot-3, 225-pound defender first received his OSU scholarship offer back in January from position coach James Laurinaitis.

“I love how coach (James) Laurinaitis runs his room and the fact he’s been through the program as a player as well,” Sanna told 247Sports. ”I also believe in what coach (Matt) Patricia is bringing to Ohio State.”

Sanna holds over two dozen offers to his name, choosing the Buckeyes over Indiana, Iowa, Miami, Michigan State, Oklahoma, Wisconsin and many others. The junior is coming off a stellar 2024 campaign, recording 97 tackles with 11 tackles for loss, seven sacks and a pair of forced fumbles.

Ohio State is doing a fantastic job of locking down the borders, with Sanna the fifth commit in the 2026 class from the state of Ohio, joining the aforementioned Greer and Riley in addition to four-star CB Jakob Weatherspoon and four-star WR Jaeden Ricketts. The Buckeyes are also still heavily involved in the recruitments of four-star CB Elbert Hill (No. 2 in OH) and four-star LB Cincere Johnson (No. 6), among others.

Quick Hits

• Ohio State had a huge visitor on campus this past weekend in five-star safety Bralan Womack. The nation’s No. 1 safety and No. 12 overall player per 247Sports’ rankings, Womack made the trip up to Columbus to spend time with position coach Matt Guerrieri in addition to Caleb Downs. By all accounts, the Buckeyes are now at or near the top of his list following the visit.

• Another big name in attendance this past weekend was five-star DL Richard Wesley. Recently reclassifying from the 2027 class to 2026, Wesley is the No. 3 EDGE and No. 20 player overall per the 247Sports Composite. The California native is notably teammates with the also recently reclassified five-star corner Havon Finney Jr., who Ohio State is also pursuing.

• Ohio State and position coach Carlos Locklyn sent out a new offer on Saturday to four-star running back, Damon Ferguson. The Baltimore native is the No. 27 RB and the No. 7 player out of his home state of Maryland, per the 247Sports Composite. Ferguson holds nearly 40 offers to his name, including the likes of Duke, Indiana, Michigan State, North Carolina, Wisconsin and now the Buckeyes, among many others.

• Carsyn Baker, who just last week included Ohio State among his top five schools, will be on campus this week to take in a spring practice session. Baker, the No. 14 RB and No. 23 player in the talent-rich state of Georgia per the 247Sports Composite, ran for nearly 1,300 yards with 14 touchdowns this past season. The Buckeyes are one of his final programs in consideration alongside Clemson, Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, and his official visit with Ohio State is scheduled for June 13.