Ohio State Adds Potential High-End NBA Draft Pick in 2026 Recruiting Class

Before the start of college basketball season, Ohio State is already making waves across the sport.

On Tuesday morning, five-star wing prospect Anthony Thompson announced his commitment to Ohio State, joining the Buckeyes' 2025 recruiting class.

Listed at 6-foot-8 and 205 pounds, Thompson is rated the No. 7 overall prospect and No. 2 small forward in the 2026 recruiting class, making him elidigible for the 2027 NBA Draft.

NEWS: 5⭐️ Anthony Thompson has committed to Ohio State, agent Nate Conley of Court XIV tells @Rivals.

The 6-8 wing and Ohio native is the No. 5 overall ranked recruit in the 2026 class.

Ultimately chose the Buckeyes over IU, but also received offers from UK, UNC, others.… pic.twitter.com/Jf7G4j6fqA
— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) October 21, 2025

Thompson played for Lebanon High School in Ohio before transferring to Case Western Reserve Academy, also in the Buckeye State. The standout senior chose Ohio State over offers from Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina and others.

In addition to his size, Thompson appears to boast good length as well, which makes him an even more enticing prospect on the wing.

Of course, most scout are currently focused on the premier prospects in the 2026 class, like Cameron Boozer, AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Nate Ament, Mikel Brown Jr. and others. This time next year, though, there is a solid chance that Thompson is viewed in the same light as the aforementioned players.

Thompson is a gifted scorer who has notched strong shooting splits during his high school and AAU career. The potential 2027 NBA Draft pick is able to make tough shots due to his size and length, but also display a crafty ability to get past defenders and to the rim with an arsenal of impressive moves.

So far in his prep career, Thompson has also shown the potential to be a solid defender, using his length and athleticism to make plays on that end of the floor.

Heading into the 2025-26 campaign, the Buckeyes have an intriguing roster that could develop into a solid team around Thompson if head coach Jake Diebler can convince a few young players to stick around.

John Mobley Jr., Amare Bynum, Gabe Cupps and Myles Herro, among others, could be an strong group next season with the addition of Thompson.

For the newly comitted prospect, playing the Big Ten will give Thompson a chance to put out film against fellow future NBA players. If he can perform well next year in Columbus, Thompson will likely be a first-round pick in the 2027 class.

That's still more than a year away, though, and for now, teams are focused on the upcoming season. Thompson and Jason Crowe Jr. are the only prospects rated in the top 10 of 247Sports' 2027 class who have annonouced commitments thus far.

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