Mason Wilhelm arrives at Ohio State with a familiar last name and a path that finally led him where he always expected to land. The Buckeyes’ final member of the 2026 recruiting class is the son of Matt Wilhelm, the former Ohio State linebacker who won a national championship in 2002, and the connection runs deep enough that this move feels like the finish of a long-running story.
Wilhelm grew up in Northeast Ohio wanting to be a Buckeye. The process took a detour in June 2025, when he committed to North Carolina, but Ohio State stayed in the picture. Once the Buckeyes extended an offer in November, he moved quickly, backing off his pledge to the Tar Heels and committing to OSU.
“I have had being a Buckeye in the back of my head for a long time. I didn't want to waste time or drag it out,” Wilhelm told 247Sports.
At St. Edward, Wilhelm spent most of his time at right tackle and also logged snaps at right guard. He earned All-Ohio honorable mention recognition as a junior and even saw action at defensive tackle, adding to the sense that he brings some versatility to the line.
His family name carries real weight in Columbus. Matt Wilhelm is in the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame, was a two-time All-Big Ten selection and a consensus All-American in 2002, then went on to become a fourth-round pick in the 2003 NFL draft. He also won a Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers in 2010.
On the field, Wilhelm’s game starts with the run. He handles his first assignment well and can climb to the second level when the play calls for it. His lower-body power shows up when he gets leverage, and he has enough drive to knock defenders to the turf.
In pass protection, he works from a low base to stay square in front of linemen. He also shows enough awareness to sort out stunts and hand off rushers cleanly to teammates. Add in good lateral movement and active hands, and there’s a clear foundation to build on.
For now, though, patience is part of the deal. Ohio State brings back four starting offensive linemen from last season and has depth behind them, which makes a freshman breakthrough unlikely. Wilhelm has already taken snaps at center and guard in his first offseason in Columbus, and that versatility could matter next year if Luke Montgomery, Carson Hinzman and Austin Siereveld are all in the NFL.
His best path to a starting job probably comes later, once he’s had time to develop. That’s where the comparison to Matthew Jones comes in.
Jones entered Ohio State as the No. 1-ranked center in the 2018 class but spent his Buckeye career at guard. At Erasmus Hall High School, he played both offensive line and defensive tackle, much like Wilhelm did late in his prep career. Jones redshirted, then worked his way into nine games in 2019 and all eight games of the COVID-shortened 2020 season.
By the end, he had turned himself into a reliable interior force. Jones earned second-team All-Big Ten honors in 2022 and 2023, lettered five times, and played in 53 games with 21 starts. His final start came at center in the Cotton Bowl, a fitting reminder of how much value Ohio State got from his ability to move across the interior.
Like Jones, Wilhelm is going to have to earn everything in stages. The climb starts outside the three-deep, then the two-deep, and eventually, if things go right, into the lineup. If he becomes the kind of All-Big Ten interior lineman Jones was, that would count as a win for Ohio State and for the Wilhelm family story that brought him here.
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