Buckeyes Land Commitment From 2024 4-Star SAF Jaylen McClain
The Ohio State Buckeyes had a big weekend in Columbus, hosting 15 recruits on visits after their recruit camp Thursday.
They have landed a commitment from their first recruit from Friday's official visits in 2024 four-star safety Jaylen McClain. He chose the Buckeyes over Notre Dame, USC, Oregon, Penn State and Rutgers among others, while holding 34 offers.
“What led me to commit to Ohio State was how my relationship with the coaches was beyond football,” McClain told On3's Hayes Fawcett. “Also, Coach Day has a standard for his program and how he wants to win championships and develop NFL players.”
McClain told On3 he's closest with safeties coach Perry Eliano.
"Our relationship is great, we have been building it for a long time,” McClain said. “I met his family and he wants to coach me. He plans to use me as a strong safety.”
McClain was a latecomer in the Buckeyes' recruiting class, naming his top 10 — which consisted of the Fighting Irish, Trojans, Nittany Lions, Ducks and Scarlet Knights as well as Michigan, Michigan State, Stanford, Tennessee, and Georgia — back in early February.
Then, Ohio State extended an offer on March 2 — the last of any that he received in his recruitment — but the prospect of the West Orange, NJ. native becoming a Buckeye started to heat up.
He took unofficial visits to Penn State on March 26, 2022, and Michigan State on July 29, 2022, and attended Tennessee's Junior Day on Jan. 14. However, Ohio State was just one of three official visits McClain took in his recruitment.
The Seton Hall Prep product was at USC in Los Angeles on June 2, in Columbus Friday, and will be in South Bend, IN. Friday.
After his official visit Friday, On3's Recruiting Prediction Machine had a commitment to Ohio State at 77.7 percent, while 247Sports' Steve Wiltfong, Bill Kurelic and Brian Dohn all crystal-balled McClain to the Buckeyes.
McClain is the No. 22 safety and the No. 3 player in New Jersey, according to 247Sports' Composite rankings.
In his junior season in 2022, he recorded 83 tackles and an interception.
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