No. 1 Safety In 2026 Class Lists Ohio State Buckeyes In Top 5

The Ohio State Buckeyes received some good news when it comes to the defensive side of the football in their 2026 recruiting class. Blaine Bradford, a five-star safety from Louisiana, has cut his list of schools down to five and the Buckeyes remain on the list.

On3's Hayes Fawcett posted the graphic on X with the logos of the Ohio State Buckeyes, LSU Tigers, Oregon Ducks, Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Alabama Crimson Tide representing the top five.

NEWS: Elite 2026 Safety Blaine Bradford is down to 5️⃣ Schools, he tells me for @on3recruits

The 6’2 205 S from Baton Rouge, LA is ranked as a Top 10 Recruit in ‘26 (No. 1 Safety) per On3

Where Should He Go?👇🏽https://t.co/HkUeZgMBbW pic.twitter.com/VssFXTcIZo
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) August 3, 2024

Bradford is currently listed at 6'2" and 205 pounds as a rising high school junior. He is also the No. 1 safety in the 2026 class according to both the On3 industry rankings and the 247 Sports composite rankings.

At this very moment, the LSU Tigers significantly hold the highest percent chance of getting him according to On3's recruiting prediction machine.

As for upcoming visits, Bradford's father Stacey told On3 that Ohio State is one of the schools they plan to go watch a game at in the future. "We plan on seeing games at Ohio State, LSU, and Alabama," he said. "We will definitely check out a couple of Houston games since his brother (Jacob) committed. He has also mentioned Oregon."

The Ohio State Buckeyes are certainly among a competitive group for Bradford's top five schools. Landing a safety of this caliber in the future would be huge, especially knowing that 2026 has a good chance of being the year that Caleb Downs heads to the NFL.

The month of August is shaping up to be a big one for the Buckeyes when it comes to the 2025 and 2026 recruiting classes. Numerous top-tier talents will either be making commitments or narrowing their lists down.