Ohio State Buckeyes set to have five major 2026 defensive back commits

The Ohio State Buckeyes have done some major recruitment work in their defensive backfield.

Nov 29, 2024; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Bergen Catholic vs. Don Bosco in the NJSIAA Non-Public A football final at MetLife Stadium. DB #2 Isaiah Alvarez makes a catch as BC #21 Jordan Thomas tries to break up the pass. | Michael Karas-NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

On Thursday, Nov. 6, the Ohio State Buckeyes flipped four-star defensive back Jay Timmons from the Florida State Seminoles. Timmons is the No. 17 cornerback and 136th overall prospect in the 2026 class.

Bringing in another high-profile defensive back recruit in the 2026 class brings their count up to five major additions set to join the Buckeyes. Timmons joins an elite class that already has four-star safety Blaine Bradford, four-star cornerback Jordan Thomas, four-star cornerback Simeon Cladwell and three-star safety Khmari Bing.

To say this might be one of the top defensive back rooms in the country at the start of the 2026 campaign may be an understatement.

In total, the program has 22 commits for next years class with a nation ranking of No. 8. The early signing period begins on Dec. 3 with many top-rated recruits potentially set to join Ohio State via early enrollment in the spring.

Ohio State's 2026 DB class is loaded🔒

Read: https://t.co/uROaYwncxA https://t.co/sVyaabqy7g pic.twitter.com/YsFigAIehL

— Rivals (@Rivals) November 6, 2025

The defensive back room will more than likely be led by Bradford who's ranked No. 41 in the nation and as the No. 6 safety. At 6-foot-1, 207 pounds, Bradford's good balance of physicality and speed will match him up nicely against many opposing teams' offensive weapons.

Thomas comes in as the No. 98 nationally ranked athlete and No. 11 cornerback at a similar size of 6-foot-1, 185 pounds. Caldwell, who's been lined up at a number of positions in high school, is listed down as a safety, cornerback and linebacker. He's placed at the No. 109 overall spot in the 2026 class and No. 7 linebacker at an impressive size of 6-foot-3, 185 pounds.

That frame will allow him to place various spots on the field and if he bulks up, he could be a sub-linebacker down the line for the Buckeyes if need be.

Timmons, the newest addition of this group, is the son of former Florida State and Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Lawrence Timmons. At 5-foot-11, 185 pounds, he creates turnovers with his athleticism, speed and heavy-hitting ability. He also tested off the charts at the UA New Jersey regional camp this past May. He fills to void of Jakob Weatherspoon who flipped from the Buckeyes to North Carolina over the summer.

Lastly, Bing is a bit further down the national ladder. He's ranked No. 923 in the class and is the No. 78 cornerback. However, he was another critical flip for the program. Initially, he was committed to Maryland before taking an official visit to Columbus and then flipping his decision.

The Buckeyes will continue to push for more recruits to commit in the coming weeks, especially with one major target on their scouting board, Kemon Spell, who opened up his recruitment a few weeks back.

“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.”

He is the No.1 running back in the 2027 class across multiple recruiting platforms and sites.

Spell and countless other high-profile high school athletes were in attendance for the beatdown the Buckeyes gave to the Nittany Lions just last weekend.

If Ohio State can remain the No. 1 team in the nation and stay undefeated, there's no doubt the eyes of many recruits will be on Columbus and what the program can offer their athletic careers.