Ohio State landed one of the biggest prizes in the 2027 recruiting cycle when five-star defensive end DJ Jacobs picked the Buckeyes, and Rivals now has him sitting at the top of its Big Ten commitment rankings.
Jacobs, a 6-foot-5, 235-pound edge rusher from Roswell, Georgia, is rated by Rivals as the No. 1 defensive end, the No. 1 player in Georgia and the No. 4 overall prospect in the class. He was already one of the most heavily pursued recruits in the country before making his decision.
His production at Blessed Trinity Catholic High School backs up the hype. Over his last three seasons, Jacobs piled up 295 tackles, 73 tackles for loss, 34 sacks, four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. After his junior year, he also took part in both the Under Armour All-America Game and the Polynesian Bowl.
In a December scouting report, 247Sports analyst Andrew Ivins wrote that Jacobs "can shoot right past protection with his quick-twitch athleticism and impressive snap anticipation" and that he "fills holes on the inside with a flat back and will release for tackles near his gap".
Rivals released its list of the 10 highest-rated Big Ten commitments in the 2027 class on Tuesday, and Jacobs came in as the highest-ranked of the six five-star prospects committed to conference programs.
Ohio State had to battle for him. Georgia pushed hard, helped by its location and by the family connection - Jacobs’ father, David Jacobs, played defensive line for the Bulldogs from 1999-2002. Notre Dame also stayed in the mix and hosted him multiple times during his recruitment.
The Fighting Irish currently have the No. 2 class in the 2027 cycle, highlighted by five-star defensive end Abraham Sesay.
Jacobs is not the only high-end piece in Ohio State’s 2027 class. The Buckeyes also have a commitment from in-state wide receiver Jamier Brown, who ranks third on Rivals’ top 10. If Brown sticks with Ohio State, the 2027 cycle would give the Buckeyes their ninth straight recruiting class with a five-star wide receiver.
Rivals’ Big Ten list also features USC and Oregon heavily. USC owns the second- and fourth-highest rated commitments on the board, with in-state defensive back Honor Fa’alave-Johnson committing on March 14 and defensive end Mekai Brown following on April 17.
Oregon has the other two five-star pledges in the rankings. Defensive end Rashad Streets committed on April 3 before the official visit period, and wide receiver Xavier Sabb joined the Ducks on July 3, two weeks after taking an official visit to Eugene.
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