Felix Ojo Slips In Recruiting Rankings

After an update to the 2026 rankings, a new Texas Tech five-star falls.

Nov 30, 2024; Lubbock, Texas, USA; A general view of a Texas Tech Red Raiders helmet on the field before the game between the West Virginia Mountaineers and the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Jones AT&T Stadium and Cody Campbell Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images | Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images

The Texas Tech Red Raiders made waves around college football after getting a commitment from Felix Ojo, one of the nation's premier recruits in the 2026 cycle.

It was a consensus belief that the Mansfield native was not only a top-five player in the 2026 recruiting class but was the number one offensive tackle in the country, as he was rated by Rivals and 247Sports.

Now, after Rivals reshuffled their rankings as they do every July, Ojo shifts from being the number one offensive tackle in the 2026 cycle to seventh, and falls in his overall ranking placement to the number 40-ranked recruit in the country.

Does The Drop In Ranking Matter?

In a vacuum? No. This drop in ranking doesn't matter as much as ensuring that a recruit of the caliber of Felix Ojo actually steps foot on campus next fall. There will be two more shuffles of the ranking in September and November before the final rankings release in January, with 32 players securing the prestige of being ranked a 5-star.

While avoiding conspiracy theories, certain recruiting websites report that there are times when a recruit commits to a school and then drops in either the number of stars they have racked up or in their rankings. That doesn't seem to be the issue here, as Ojo is still ranked number one by 247Sports and number four by ESPN at the offensive tackle position.

The fall seems to stem from what has been called a "poor" performance at the Rival Five-Star Challenge by the Red Raiders commit, where he was beaten twice in one-on-one drills. Ojo himself took to social media to address the event, saying that one day doesn't define him, and without pads on, I agree with the DFW native.

Ojo still projects to be a multi-year starter at the collegiate level and a program-altering recruit, so let the rankings slide as much as they want and let the play on the field dictate how good he is.

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