Ryan Day and his squad are currently in offseason mode after securing the College Football Playoff National Championship. Despite the fact that Spring practices are not set to kick off until March 17, Ohio State recruiting never rests. In the wake of the title run, Day and his staff – carryovers or otherwise – have been on the road meeting recruits and building relationships.
As of mid-February, the Buckeyes only have four commits to the 2026 class. Of course, it’s incredibly early in the process, but Oregon’s top-ranked class has 10 commits. A lot will change over the next 10 months but securing top talent is always the goal. With top-end recruits trimming down lists and taking official visits, the Buckeyes are in the running for a number of top-100 talents, led by the top running back in the cycle. As of now, Ohio State has one commitment from a top-100 player (Chris Henry, Jr.) and a few “crystal balls” by experts.
Ohio State Recruiting: Buckeyes in the Mix For Elite 2026 Recruits
A Top Running Back
Ohio State’s recruiting efforts when it comes to running backs have been strong in the Day era. In 2021, the Buckeyes locked down the top running back in the country. Four years later, TreVeyon Henderson ended his career with the fourth-most rushing yards and sixth-most touchdowns in program history. Last year, in his first season in Columbus, new running back coach Carlos Locklyn nabbed two four-star recruits and a three-star. Two of those were flipped from SEC programs.
To this point, there are no running backs in Ohio State’s 2026 recruiting class. Landing top-rated, four-star running back Savion Hiter would be a massive win. 247Sports ranks Hiter as the 17th-best recruit regardless of position and the Buckeyes will have to fend off Michigan, Georgia, and Tennessee. Thus far in his recruitment, it has appeared that Michigan was the team to beat. Back in November, Hiter evidently said, “I could see myself running in a Michigan jersey.” Whether or not that is genuine or just recruit-speak, the Buckeyes and Coach Locklyn have their work cut out for them.
As a junior in 2023, Hiter totaled 1,187 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground while averaging 7.91 yards per carry. Additionally, he added a pair of kick return touchdowns.
New OL Coach? No Problem
Last year, Ohio State’s offensive line went from liability to one of the reasons it won it all thanks to Justin Frye. Unfortunately, Frye left for the NFL and the Buckeyes will rely on Tyler Bowen to improve on the recruiting trail. Recruiting was not Frye’s strong suit and Ohio State relied on nailing the transfer portal to strengthen the unit. It will be something to watch as Bowen takes over if high school recruiting becomes more of a priority or if the portal will be the primary source of talent.
As for the 2026 recruiting cycle, Ohio State seems firmly in the mix for the sixth-best tackle and 29th-best overall recruit, Felix Ojo. According to On3, Ohio State is in a two-team race with Ojo’s hometown program, Texas. Well, hometown-ish, as Mansfield, Texas is 163 miles from Austin. Even then, Ohio State has shown Ojo that he is a priority:
“What stands out about Ohio State is the culture and how much of a priority I am for them. Especially when Coach Frye left, the whole offensive staff called me that morning letting me know that they’re gonna find someone new quick and that I’m still a top priority.”
The most impressive part is the fact that the staff kept him in the loop with Frye taking off.
Ojo is on the younger side and his strength is in this natural athleticism. The six-foot-six tackle stood out among older, more developed tackle recruits at the 2025 Navy Army All-American Bowl. Once he fills out his frame, Ojo projects to be NFL-bound one day. If Ohio State can bag Ojo, it would be an impressive win for Bowen as the class currently does not have any linemen.
An All-Around Athlete
Despite not utilizing the tight end position as some programs do, Ohio State seems in the mix for a number of top tight ends each year. The Buckeyes added the top transfer tight end for the 2025 season, Max Klare, to go along with an uber-talented (albeit, raw) prospect in Jelani Thurman and 2024 transfer Will Kacmarek. The fact Ohio State is in the running alongside Penn State and Alabama is something to behold, honestly.
Mack Sutter is a do-it-all athlete for Dunlap High School. As a receiver, Sutter hauled in 35 passes for 505 yards and seven touchdowns. He also logged some time at quarterback and showed off an impressive touch on the ball.
Standing at six-foot-five, Sutter has been able to take advantage of his size mismatch. It’s not a “big fish in a small pond” kind of situation with Sutter as Dunlap played in the third-largest division in Illinois. He has reliable hands and is a smooth runner with the ball.
If he ends up pledging to Ohio State, he will need to add a little mass to that frame. Six-foot-five is great, 225 pounds is a tad light. Most recruiting services have Illinois leading the way. Day would love to get a little payback after the Illini swooped into Ohio and stole the top-rated player from the Buckeye state.
Main Photo: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
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