Top Indiana Recruit Commits to Big Ten Powerhouse Program

Jerquaden Guilford announced his college decision over the weekend

Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day speaks during a press conference with Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman prior to their College Football Playoff championship matchup in Atlanta on Jan. 19, 2025. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Over the weekend, Indiana's top-ranked 2026 recruit made his commitment to Ohio State official.

Jerquaden Guilford, a four-star wide receiver from Fort Wayne (Northrop), Indiana, chose the Buckeyes over the likes of Ole Miss, Michigan, Purdue, and Indiana.

The interesting part is that despite Guilford being the top-ranked player in Indiana according to the 247Sports composite rankings, Notre Dame never offered the in-state product.

In most cases, this would be at least somewhat alarming for Notre Dame, as Ohio State remains one of the few programs the Fighting Irish continue to try and close the gap on. However, Notre Dame's wide receivers in the 2026 recruiting class appear to be as talented as Marcus Freeman's group has seen in quite a while.

she say he say IM H🅾️ME!!🌰🌰🌰 https://t.co/W4pcO8D8JS

— Jerquaden“G2”Guilford (@QuayGuilford) July 18, 2025

Notre Dame's 2026 Wide Receiver Recruiting Haul

gonna be tricky to cover these 3 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Lo3fHbhTs7

— marcwithglasses (@marcwithglasses) July 6, 2025

Although the look of the top player from Indiana going to Ohio State again is something Notre Dame can't love, this one hit differently than in years past.

Notre Dame has a full house at wide receiver in the 2026 recruiting class, with five commitments in the group. With Kaydon Finley, Bubba Frazier, Brayden Robinson, Devin Fitzgerald, and Dylan Faison all committed, Notre Dame went to Texas, Georgia, Arizona, and Florida to gather its wide receiver talent.

Finley, Frazier, and Robinson all come with four-star ratings on 247 while Fitzgerald and Faison are both three-star talents.

Nick Shepkowski's Quick Takeaway

It wasn't long ago that Notre Dame's margin for error on the recruiting trail was so thin that seeing a top in-state prospect choose Ohio State would feel like a major loss. In Guilford's case, it wasn't a fit for the Irish (remember, Notre Dame never offered), and the 2026 class for Notre Dame is powerful.

The question is if Notre Dame identifies an in-state player it wants, can it put a fence around the state and keep Ohio State from coming and taking him?

Monshun Sales 6‘5“ 205 Indianapolis Lawrence North HS, IN is the top prospect in Indiana and one of the nation’s Top 5 WR prospects in 2027. Dominates in all phases of the game. Great hands, 4.4 speed, 10.6 100 m speed. We have already given him a 5* rating. ⁦@__1problem⁩ pic.twitter.com/psjIoGC2od

— Tom Lemming (@LemmingReport) July 16, 2025

Monshun Sales of Indianapolis (Lawrence North) is such a player. The 2027 prospect is rated as a top 15 player overall according to 247Sports. There is a long way to go in his recruiting, but 35 teams have already offered a scholarship, including Notre Dame and Ohio State.

Will wide receivers coach Mike Brown be able to keep him in-state and away from the Buckeyes? If not, that would be a recruiting loss that would sting.