Buckeyes Now

Ohio State lands five-star recruit amid preparation for the Cotton Bowl

It was announced Monday night that five-star defensive end D.J. Jacobs has committed to the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Wil Steigerwald|
Jan 18, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; The Ohio State Buckeyes logo at the Westin Peachtree Plaza. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Jan 18, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; The Ohio State Buckeyes logo at the Westin Peachtree Plaza. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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Ohio State Buckeyes

Amid the buzz surrounding Ohio State’s 2025 College Football Playoff debut in the Cotton Bowl, major recruiting news from outside Arlington, Texas, has hit the Buckeyes.

According to national recruiting reporter Hayes Fawcett on X, five-star edge defender D.J. Jacobs has committed to Ohio State. The Blessed Trinity Catholic (Roswell, Georgia) junior ranks as the No. 8 prospect in the nation and No. 1 in 247Sports’ national rankings. Jacobs will join a long list of Buckeye greats at the defensive end position come the 2027 season.

Jacobs had a phenomenal junior year, accounting for 102 tackles, 24 tackles for loss and 16 sacks. Throughout his three high school seasons, the Georgia native has totaled 295 tackles, 73 tackles for loss and 34 sacks.

Despite heavy interest from programs such as Georgia, Alabama and Oregon, Jacobs chose the Buckeyes after contemplating his top three of Miami, Texas A&M and Ohio State. The Bulldogs were originally considered the top landing spot for the No. 1 defensive end prospect.

Adding to that presumption, Jacobs’ father, David Jacobs, was a defensive lineman for Georgia from 1999 to 2001.

Family ties weren’t enough to convince Jacobs, however, as the Buckeyes now add their first five-star recruit for the defense in Ohio State's 2027 class. Jacobs joins wide receiver Jamier Brown as the second five-star recruit who has committed to the Buckeyes.

Brown committed to the Buckeyes in November 2024.

Ohio State has had back-to-back No. 1-ranked defenses in the past two seasons under former defensive coordinator Jim Knowles and now current coordinator Matt Patricia. Jacobs’ decision to become a Buckeye will put him in a suitable position to follow in the footsteps of former Ohio State defensive end greats.

The Buckeyes have landed multiple five-star defensive end prospects, including Chase Young and the Bosa brothers, Joey and Nick Bosa. All three were selected in the NFL draft as top three picks.

More recently, J.T. Tuimoloau stands out as another five-star defensive end commit who went in the second round of the NFL draft, being taken by the Indianapolis Colts with the 45th overall pick.

This recruitment news comes as No. 2 seed Ohio State prepares to face off against No. 10 seed Miami in the quarterfinals of the CFP inside AT&T Stadium on Wednesday. The Buckeyes are currently favored by 9.5 points over the Hurricanes and are the favorites to win the national title, behind Indiana, Georgia and Oregon according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

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Wil Steigerwald
WIL STEIGERWALD

Wil Steigerwald is a recent graduate of Ohio State University with a degree in journalism and media production. During his time at OSU, Wil reported on Ohio State football and other athletics through both written and video content production. Wil joined BIGPLAY to continue pursuing his passion for sports media and to create high-quality content.

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