Buckeyes still attempting to lure five-star running back to Ohio State

Kemon Spell is one of the country's most elite running back prospects.

Spell, who's one of the top running backs in the 2027 class, decommitted from the Penn State Nittany Lions after the program let go of head coach James Franklin. His decision to decommit cleared a pathway for numerous high-profile programs to enter the picture and zero in on Spell.

“That’s a good question. No, I’m not 100% on Penn State anymore,” Spell said when asked about his commitment in early October. “I will be taking visits and everything else, so we’ll see from there.”

One of those teams is the Ohio State Buckeyes, who were already heavily involved in the recruitment process prior to his commitment to the Nittany Lions.

The Buckeyes have a real shot at landing Spell, who's now taking a look around the country to find a new home.

BREAKING: Five-Star RB Kemon Spell has Decommitted from Penn State, he tells me for @rivals

He’s ranked as the No. 1 RB in the 2027 Class on all websiteshttps://t.co/bSeLYeRfyb pic.twitter.com/TC9hCC7Vov
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) October 12, 2025

“At this time, I am still committed to current staff at Penn State," Spell said. "However, due to the recent changes and uncertainty, I have decided to re-open my recruitment.”

This past weekend, Ohio State played host to the Nittany Lions and dominated them from start to finish. They marched to a 38-14 victory with very little doubt on the Buckeyes even coming close to losing.

In attendance for the beatdown were numerous high-profile prospects, including multiple five-stars in both the 2026 and 2027 classes.

Beating down a Big Ten team like Penn State in such fashion will certainly draw the eyes of recruits, especially with an undefeated record and a No. 1 ranking next to the program's name.

Spell is ranked as the No. 7 recruit in the nation and No. 1 running back in the 2027 class while coming in at No. 2 in Pennsylvania. No matter which program he decides to go with, his elite playmaking is game-changing.

After telling the public he was no longer committed to attending Penn State, he went out and backed up his game on the gridiron with McKeesport High School. In a rivalry game against Mars back in early October, he scored a career-high six touchdowns to help lead his high school to a 56-31 victory.

He finished that game with 17 carries, 237 yards and four touchdowns rushing, adding on a 66-yard receiving score and an 86-yard punt return. He finished that game with 420 all-purpose yards.

Others schools involved in the recruitment of Spell include Big Ten's Michigan and USC, alongside Georgia, Florida, Miami, Notre Dame and Tennessee.

If Ohio State can land an elite prospect like Spell, it might be able to shift the narrative from being just a program that churns out future NFL wideouts to a pipeline for running backs.

From Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson last season to Bo Jackson in 2025, the Buckeyes have a legit chance to continue pulling in a revolving door of high-level running backs.