Ohio State had a chance to close the deal on another 2027 piece, but the Buckeyes came up short with a running back they once looked like the favorite to land.
Three-star back Jordan Hall, who had been committed to Miami (OH) before backing off that pledge after bigger programs entered the picture, instead chose Penn State. Hall had been viewed as an Ohio State lean for much of the process, but that changed after Matt Campbell watched him play on Friday night. The Buckeyes, who are based just a short drive away from Hall’s hometown of Cincinnati, ended up watching him head to a Big Ten rival.
Hall measures 5'10.5 and 205 pounds. Ohio State began targeting him in the summer, but the Buckeyes apparently didn’t push hard enough to keep him from drifting elsewhere. His commitment would have made him the lone true running back in Ohio State’s 2027 class.
That miss lands in a spot where the Buckeyes could least afford it. Running back has been a real issue this season, with Ohio State getting a runner to 100-plus yards only once. The staff also went after David Gabriel Georges, but Tennessee outbid them for his services.
For now, Ohio State may need to lean on the transfer portal if it wants a difference-maker at the position. Ja'Kobi Jackson has been the most reliable back on the roster this season, but he is expected to miss most of the regular season, if not all of it. That leaves more on Bo Jackson and Isaiah West.
The need is obvious because Ryan Day’s best teams have always had a hammer in the backfield. J.K.
Dobbins was the top example, piling up more than 2,000 yards in his final season with the Buckeyes, which also happened to be Day’s first year as head coach. TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins were also elite in 2024 when Ohio State won it all.
So even with the quarterback situation for 2027 still unresolved, the Buckeyes know they need more from the running back spot. Losing out on an in-state back to a conference opponent doesn’t exactly build confidence. Hall looks like the kind of late riser who could keep climbing, which only makes the miss sting more.
Maybe Day already has his eye on better help through the portal, and that’s why Ohio State didn’t go all-in on Hall. Either way, it wasn’t a clean finish to the recruitment, and losing a player to a Big Ten rival is never the preferred outcome.
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Ohio State Fans Just Got Another Reminder About The Future At Receiver
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Browns outing fits the larger picture around Ohio State, where the receiver room keeps producing and the recruiting pipeline keeps humming even through coaching changes. For Buckeyes fans, it is another look at a position group that has long been a program strength, and another sign that the talent coming next could keep that standard intact. [Read more 🡒]