Ohio State just made a serious recruiting splash - and the timing couldn’t be better.
With the Buckeyes gearing up for a high-stakes College Football Playoff quarterfinal against Miami later this week, Ryan Day and his staff landed a game-changing commitment on Monday: five-star defensive end D.J. Jacobs, the No. 1 overall prospect in the 2027 class, per 247Sports.
Jacobs isn’t just another elite recruit. He’s a 6-foot-5, 225-pound edge rusher out of Roswell, Georgia, with the kind of explosiveness and polish that rarely comes around this early.
His commitment gives Ohio State a huge win on the trail - not just because of his ranking, but because of who they beat to get him. Jacobs chose the Buckeyes over a stacked list of finalists that included Georgia, Miami, Texas A&M, Notre Dame, and Oregon.
If he signs during the 2027 cycle, Jacobs would be Ohio State’s highest-rated defensive signee since Jack Sawyer - who came in as the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2021 class and has since become a foundational piece of the Buckeyes’ defense.
Jacobs is already making waves across multiple recruiting services. He’s ranked No. 11 overall in the ESPN Junior 300, the top prospect in Georgia, and the No. 5 defender nationally in the 2027 class.
That’s elite company, and his on-field production backs it up. At Blessed Trinity High School, Jacobs has been a three-year starter, racking up 102 tackles and 16 sacks this past season alone.
He’s closing in on 300 career tackles - a staggering number for a high school junior.
There’s also a strong football pedigree at play here. Jacobs is the son of former Georgia defensive tackle David Jacobs, and his godfather is none other than Mark Richt - the former head coach at Georgia and Miami. So yes, this is a young man who’s grown up around high-level football, and it shows in the way he plays: disciplined, relentless, and technically advanced for his age.
His commitment is a major momentum-builder for Ohio State, especially coming off a tough loss to Indiana in the Big Ten Championship - their first defeat of the season. Now, with a Cotton Bowl clash looming, this recruiting win offers a timely reminder of the Buckeyes’ staying power on the national stage.
Jacobs now joins five-star wide receiver Jamier Brown as one of the cornerstones of Ohio State’s early 2027 class. And the Buckeyes aren’t just looking ahead - they’re finishing strong, too. They closed the 2026 early signing period with the No. 9 class in the country, according to ESPN, led by five-star receiver Chris Henry Jr. - the son of the late NFL wideout Chris Henry and advised by former NFL cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones.
So while the focus this week is understandably on Miami and the playoff push, Ohio State is quietly stacking talent for the future. D.J.
Jacobs is a headline grabber - and for good reason. He’s the kind of player who can anchor a defense, disrupt game plans, and change the trajectory of a program.
And now, he’s a Buckeye.