Ohio State’s recruiting board keeps moving, and the Buckeyes added another name to the mix on Monday with an offer to 2028 four-star running back Zion Coger out of Jasper, Alabama.
Coger becomes part of a growing priority for Ryan Day’s staff in the 2028 cycle. Ohio State already has four commitments there, including three five-stars in quarterback Christopher Vargas, wide receiver Jett Harrison and edge Jameer White, plus four-star running back Elijah Newman-Hall. Even with Newman-Hall in the fold, the Buckeyes are clearly not done at the position.
That makes sense after Ohio State missed on five-star back David Gabriel Georges, who picked Tennessee instead. With no commitments at running back in this year’s cycle, the Buckeyes appear to be leaning even harder into the next wave of talent at the spot. The need is obvious, especially with Bo Jakson back as the starter and three strong backs leading the way this season, but long-term depth still has to be built.
Coger won’t be easy to land. He already holds close to a dozen offers, with Alabama, Indiana, LSU, Missouri, Oregon and South Carolina among the schools in the hunt. Ohio State will likely need to get him on campus multiple times, starting with a possible game day visit, if it wants a real shot at pulling him out of SEC Country.
The numbers back up the interest. Coger is ranked as the No. 9 running back in the 247Sports Composite, the No. 131 overall recruit and the No. 8 player in Alabama.
On the basketball side, Ohio State is working the trail there, too. Jake Diebler’s program has already finished its 2026 class, headlined by five-star small forward Anthony Thompson and four-star combo guard LJ Smith. Smith had originally been Ohio State’s first commitment in the 2027 class before reclassifying to 2026 ahead of signing day, which helped the Buckeyes in the short term but left them without a pledge in the 2027 cycle.
That could change soon. Four-star shooting guard Geren Holmes of The Burlington School in Burlington, North Carolina, said he will take an official visit to Ohio State on November 7. The college basketball season hasn’t been announced yet, so it’s not clear whether that trip will line up with a game day visit.
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