Ohio State cornerback Jermaine Mathews Jr. announces decision for 2026

Another Ohio State defender makes his choice for next year.

Ohio State Buckeyes cornerback Jermaine Mathews Jr. (7) celebrates an interception by cornerback Davison Igbinosun during the NCAA football game against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich. on Nov. 29, 2025. Ohio State won 27-9. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The window for a collegiate football player to enter the 2026 NFL Draft has a somewhat “hard” deadline on January 15th, as we saw many decisions happening that day. Dante Moore announcing his return to Oregon for another year. In OSU news, many offensive lineman announced their return to the program for their final seasons. 

Yesterday, we also saw one of Ohio State’s best defenders, Sonny Styles, declare for the 2026 draft, where he should be a first-round pick. On the contrary, defensive linemen Kenyatta Jackson Jr. announced his return to the Buckeyes, passing up on the NFL for another year.

Now, we have official news that junior cornerback Jermaine Mathews Jr. will also forgo the NFL Draft and return to Ohio State for his senior season. 

Mathews was originally a highly-rated four-star coming out of Winston Woods High School in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was rated as the top overall recruit in Ohio in 2023, according to the 247 Sports Composite score, number five cornerback, and a top 50 player in the nation. 

He played as a freshman when Denzel Burke got injured against Penn State, and played lockdown on the outside. As a true freshman, Mathews totaled 13 tackles, three passes defended, and an interception returned for a touchdown against Western Kentucky.

In 2024, Mathews was mainly on the bench, but was the first guy off when needed. He racked up 22 total tackles, along with 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack. 

This past season, Mathews just kept improving, as he finished the year with 20 solo tackles, two passes defended, two interceptions, a sack, and a forced fumble as he played all over the field.

This is great news for an Ohio State team that aims to maintain its defensive dominance, as its secondary is being built through the transfer portal and from players already on the team. That secondary will now consist of Mathews, Devin Sanchez opposite of him, Duke transfer Terry Moore, Florida State transfer Earl Little Jr., along with returning safety Jaylen McClain. 

Mathews will also now get the chance to play with his high school teammate at Winston Woods, Cam Calhoun, who committed to play for the Buckeyes earlier today. Calhoun is also a defensive back who will add much-needed depth to a room that lost Aaron Scott Jr. and Bryce West. 

Another major retention for the Buckeyes as they look to keep reloading in the offseason portal period.