College Football Powerhouse Emerges as Prime Contender for No. 1 Recruiting Class

Arlington, TX, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day looks on during the first quarter against the Miami Hurricanes during the 2025 Cotton Bowl and quarterfinal game of the College Football Playoff at AT&T Stadium. | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

For much of the offseason, the narrative around the Ohio State Buckeyes centered on damage control.

After the program’s 2024 national title, questions surfaced about roster turnover, scheme tweaks, and whether coach Ryan Day’s staff could reload quickly enough following a follow-up year that fell short of expectations.

That perception shifted Wednesday when veteran recruiter Steve Wiltfong reported for Rivals that the Buckeyes are leading the chase for “many coveted” 2027 prospects and sit atop Rivals’ early team rankings.

Rivals’ industry snapshot credits the early climb to a blend of elite pledges: multiple Rivals-ranked prospects, most prominently edge rusher David Jacobs and wideout Jamier Brown, plus a string of four-star commits that give the class immediate point value and positional balance.

Additions such as offensive linemen Kellen Wymer and Brody McNeel, safety Eli Johnson, linebacker Quinton Cypher, and quarterback Brady Edmunds round out an early core that evaluators say blends upside with depth in key spots.

Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day leads his team onto the field prior to the NCAA football game against the Texas Longhorns at Ohio Stadium. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Buckeyes closed 2025 at 12–2 but were knocked out of the College Football Playoff in a Cotton Bowl quarterfinal loss to the Miami Hurricanes, an outcome that intensified scrutiny of roster attrition and coaching adjustments.

In response, the staff leaned into an aggressive transfer portal strategy and a productive 2026 haul to help stabilize depth and send a clear message that Ohio State wouldn’t sit back this cycle.

The Buckeyes have already secured the No. 5-ranked transfer portal class in 2026, according to 247Sports, headlined by former Alabama defensive lineman James Smith and edge rusher Qua Russaw, along with Florida State safety Earl Little Jr. and Northwestern tight end Hunter Welcing.

On the high school front, Ohio State also holds the No. 2-ranked 2026 recruiting class per 247Sports.

That group is anchored by five-star wide receiver Chris Henry Jr., the nation’s top-ranked wideout, and five-star linebacker Cincere Johnson, the No. 2 linebacker nationally and the top-ranked player in Ohio, a significant in-state win for the Buckeyes.

Ohio State wide receiver Brandon Inniss (1) celebrates a touchdown by wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) during the Cotton Bowl | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Recruiting is ultimately momentum-driven. An early top spot in 2027 reshapes the narrative from “rebuilding” to “reloading,” which can influence official-visit decisions, late flips, and portal targets who weigh a program’s perceived trajectory.

It also bolsters NIL marketability and staff leverage in closing battles across the Midwest and nationally.

The Buckeyes’ challenge is now converting early interest into signed pledges after spring visits and keeping the pipeline intact through June’s signing period.

If staff converts this momentum into commitments and supplements it with targeted portal additions, the early No. 1 tag will have real, lasting implications for roster construction and the program’s timeline back to national-title contention.