Ohio State’s weekend with Oregon on the schedule is shaping up to be about more than just the game. With the Buckeyes back home, the staff is using the visit window to work the recruiting trail hard, and the guest list for Saturday includes some of the biggest names in the country.
One of the headliners is 2029 defensive back James Allen, a 6-foot-3, 175-pound cornerback from Tampa, Florida. Allen already has more than 50 offers, and the buzz around him is real: he’s the No. 3 player nationally and the top cornerback in the 247Sports rankings. Ohio State is firmly in the mix, and while there’s still a long way to go in his recruitment, the Buckeyes have clearly made enough of an impression to keep him coming back into the conversation.
Allen is set to be on campus for the Oregon game, giving Ohio State another chance to sell him on what Columbus can offer in development and fit. For the Buckeyes, this is the kind of visit that matters. Getting a top-tier prospect on campus is one thing; making sure he leaves with even more confidence in the program is the goal.
Another name worth watching is Georgia receiver John Matthews. The 6-foot, 175-pound pass catcher was offered by Ohio State in late July, and the staff has stayed in close contact ever since.
Notre Dame came in with an offer after Ohio State, and Matthews has continued to rise in the 2028 class. Cortez Hankton would love to land him, and the Buckeyes appear to be in a strong spot heading into the weekend.
Matthews checks in as the No. 424 player nationally and the 61st-best receiver in the 247Sports Composite, but his ranking doesn’t tell the whole story. Ohio State’s interest, along with the rest of the offer sheet, says plenty about how the staff views him. He’ll be in Columbus on an unofficial visit for the Oregon game, and the Buckeyes will have another chance to make him feel like a priority.
That matters even more with Ohio State looking to build a three-man receiver class in 2028. Hankton still has several top targets in the mix, and Matthews is one of them.
The Buckeyes are also working the 2027 class, including players already committed elsewhere. Ohio native Tristin Hughes, a Kentucky commit, will be on campus Saturday as well. Ohio State is clearly pushing for a late flip, and this weekend gives the staff its first real shot.
Hughes is a 5-foot-11, 190-pound safety and a four-star defensive back. He’s ranked No. 269 nationally and No. 16 among athletes in the 2027 class by the 247Sports Composite. Committed to Kentucky since April, he’s one of the more interesting names on the guest list as Ohio State continues to press for future talent while the Oregon game takes center stage.
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