Ohio State took a hit on the recruiting trail Monday when Youngstown native Anthony Blalock Jr. picked Alabama over the Buckeyes and Texas Tech.
Blalock, a four-star offensive tackle from Fitch High School, made the call despite being an in-state target for Ohio State. At 6-foot-6 and 315 pounds, he gives Alabama another big addition up front and leaves Ohio State trying to hold its ground in a battle that has already turned into a trench war.
The Buckeyes have built a strong 2027 class, sitting at No. 7 nationally with 18 commits, according to 247 Sports. That group includes two five-star commits and 10 four-star athletes, and Ohio State has clearly leaned into the line of scrimmage this offseason. Eight of its top 10 commits are on the offensive or defensive line.
The commitment was first reported by Rivals’ Fawcett, who wrote on X: "BREAKING: Four-Star OT Anthony Blalock Jr. (2028) has Committed to Alabama, he tells me for Rivals," Fawcett posted on X. "The 6’6 315 OT chose the Crimson Tide over Ohio State & Texas Tech.
"'I give all the glory to God! I just want to thank my family… let the legacy begin.'”
Blalock’s decision also stung because it sent him to an SEC heavyweight far from home, with Ohio State unable to keep one of its own in the state.
Reaction online came fast, with fans joking about Alabama’s status and the program’s future. "Poor, pitiful Bama.
Everyone’s just passed them by. Don’t know what they’re gonna do without Saban," wrote a fan.
"But I thought Bama was broke. Everybody, including Clay Travis, is saying Bama’s broke," posted another.
"Does he know Alabama is a sinking ship program without Saban?" asked a fan.
"2028 gives us plenty of time to flip him," hopes a fan.
In Other News...
Michigan Finally Faces The Reckoning Ohio State Fans Wanted
Michigans athletic department is staring down another ugly chapter, with the football program under investigation for multiple scandals that have already put the school on the defensive. The allegations include illegal scouting and an inappropriate relationship, and the fallout has only deepened the sense that this is no longer just about one bad episode but a broader institutional mess.
For Ohio State fans, the intrigue is obvious because the Buckeyes have spent plenty of time dealing with Michigan on the field while watching the off-field drama swirl around Ann Arbor. Athletic director Warde Manuel is now at the center of the latest uncertainty, and the full investigation report should bring a clearer picture of how far the damage goes and what kind of leadership changes may follow. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Faces A Huge Recruiting Week With QB Pressure Rising
Ohio States 2027 class already sits inside the top 10 nationally and carries the kind of per-player quality that keeps the Buckeyes in the middle of almost every major recruiting conversation. Even with that foundation, the next few days matter because the staff is still working through a cluster of high-end decisions, with quarterback Lukas Prock now listing Ohio State among his top five schools and giving the Buckeyes another chance to stay in the mix at the position.
The bigger pressure point is how the board could shift around those announcements, especially with wide receiver Monshun Sales and defensive lineman Karlos May both nearing decisions. Sales is expected to go first, and while Ohio State remains part of the conversation, the Buckeyes are not being viewed as the front-runner there, which only raises the importance of what happens next as the class keeps taking shape. [Read more 🡒]