The 2028 recruiting race has barely gotten started, and Ohio State already has the headline piece.
Jett Harrison, the No. 1 overall prospect and an elite five-star wide receiver, announced on the first day of July that he plans to play for the Buckeyes, giving Ryan Day’s program the first five-star pledge in the cycle and another big boost to its top-ranked class.
The Buckeyes had been in a strong spot for a while after offering Harrison last May, and the pull was obvious: family ties, plus Ohio State’s track record of sending blue-chip receivers to the NFL. Brian Hartline was the coach most associated with that pipeline before leaving for the head job at USF, but the program’s pitch didn’t lose steam after Cortez Hankton stepped in as the new wideouts coach.
Harrison’s recruitment had settled into a clear three-team battle with Oregon and Miami. Oregon was one of the first major programs to push hard, and Harrison’s initial official visit took him to Eugene, where he came away impressed by the coaches, the practice setting and the facilities.
The Ducks stayed involved deep into the process, and wide receivers coach Ross Douglas earned strong praise from Harrison’s father. Oregon’s rise under Dan Lanning, its connection to Nike, its national title ambitions and its focus on development all kept it in the conversation as a serious landing spot.
Miami also made a real run. The Hurricanes were coming off a national championship game appearance, and Harrison visited this year. His father spoke highly of Miami wide receivers coach Kevin Beard and his work with the position.
Rivals has Harrison as the No. 1 player in the 2028 class, while an industry weighted average slots him at No. 4 nationally. Rivals director of scouting Charles Power described him this way: “I think Jett Harrison’s combination of ball skills and route running ability is elite at this stage,” Rivals director of scouting Charles Power said in his assessment.
“He really comes down with ridiculous catches at a high rate. He looks to have a massive catch radius along with the ability to create constant separation with advanced route running.”
Power also said Harrison’s high school development is “more advanced” than Marvin Jr.’s was at the same stage.
Jett Harrison is the son of Pro Football Hall of Fame member Marvin Harrison and the younger brother of Ohio State great and now Arizona Cardinals wideout Marvin Harrison, Jr. His commitment gives the Buckeyes another elite name at the top of the 2028 class, where they also have No. 4 defensive lineman Jameer Whyce and No. 4 running back Elijah Newman-Hall.
Ohio State’s early grip on the class now stands ahead of the only other ranked 2028 groups. Notre Dame is No. 2 and Alabama is No. 3, with each of those schools holding three commitments.
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