Ohio State Buckeyes Named a Finalist for Key 2026 Recruit

The Ohio State Buckeyes have been a finalist for a major 2026 defensive back.

Oct 5, 2024; Columbus, OH, USA; Class of 2026 Olentangy safety Kaden Gebhardt visits the field ahead of Ohio State's 35-7 win over the Iowa Hawkeyes after the NCAA football game at Ohio Stadium. | Lori Schmidt / Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Ohio State Buckeyes and head coach Ryan Day have had a ton of recruiting success in recent years. They are hoping to find more of that success for the 2026 class.

Kaden Gebhardt has been one of their targets throughout the recruiting process.

A four-star safety prospect hailing from Lewis Center, Ohio, Gebhardt is ranked as the No. 17 safety in the class. He is ranked No. 216 in the nation and is the No. 8 ranked prospect from the state of Ohio.

With that being said, Gebhardt has trimmed his list of potential schools to just four.

Thankfully, Ohio State happens to be among the finalists. The Buckeyes are joined by Penn State, Wisconin, and Clemson as the final four.

Just a couple of days ago, Gebhart commented on potentially playing at Ohio State. He is clearly very interested in the idea of playing for his in-state powerhouse school.

On Sunday, he was among the group of recruits who attended the national championship celebration at Ohio Stadium.

"It went good, I had a good conversation with coach (Matt) Guerrieri," Gebhardt said. "And I had a good conversation with coach (Ryan) Day too. They emphasized how much they want me at Ohio State."

He continued on, opening up about the idea of playing for the Buckeyes.

"I can really see myself playing for Ohio State, but I'm just waiting things out right now," Gebhardt said. "I'm not in too big of a hurry (to decide). I'll narrow things down to four schools pretty soon."

Obviously, he has narrowed down his list. Keeping Ohio State on that list gives Day and the Buckeyes a very good chance to find a way to secure his commitment.

Only time will tell what decision Gebhardt chooses to make. For now, Ohio State has to love the position that they are in and are hopeful of coming out on top in the recruiting war for Gebhardt's services.