Ohio State Buckeyes Spurned by Top Recruit in Shocking Twist

The Ohio State Buckeyes have just lost out on a top recruit in rather stunning fashion.

Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day reacts to a targeting call on linebacker Arvell Reese during the second half of the NCAA football game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. Ohio State won 21-17. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Ohio State Buckeyes may very well be the best recruiting school in the country, but even they can't win them all on the recruiting trail.

Case in point, four-star offensive lineman Drew Evers, who many thought was favoring Ohio State in his recruitment, has pulled off quite a stunner, deciding to commit to SMU.

Evers was thought to be deciding between the Buckeyes and Texas A&M, but instead, he opted to join the much lesser-known school, even if SMU has been on the rise in recent years.

This is definitely a disappointing miss for Ohio State, which has been lambasted for its inability to land top-tier offensive line prospects in recent years. Those criticisms had finally begun to quiet down recently, especially after the Buckeyes put two offensive linemen — Donovan Jackson and Josh Simmons — into the first round of the NFL Draft this past April.

However, Ohio State failing to land Evers will surely jog those memories again, even if Evers simply wanted to remain close to home. The 6-foot-4, 285-pound lineman hails from Flower Mound, Tx., and with SMU's grounds being in nearby Dallas, you can understand Evers' decision.

Evers — a class of 2026 prospect — is the 14th-ranked interior offensive lineman in the country and the 27th-ranked player in the state of Texas overall, via 247 Sports' composite rankings.

It will be interesting to see where the Buckeyes turn after the Evers news. They still have numerous other 2026 offensive linemen on their radar, so we'll see if they can land another piece soon.

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