Ohio State’s commitment watch has shifted into the playoff stretch, and a few names made noise last weekend as the Ohio high school postseason opened and moves into the regional quarterfinals.
There’s also the unresolved situation involving Cleveland Glenville, where the OHSAA and the courts are still working through the Tarblooders’ status after the governing body removed them from the playoff last week because of eligibility issues with Glenville players.
For now, the bracket is trimmed to 24 teams in each of the seven divisions, and the OHSAA has the full state playoff bracket available.
As the season rolls on, Ohio State is keeping tabs on its verbal pledges in the 2027, 2028 and 2029 classes. Ryan Day and his staff have built a 2027 group of 20 commitments, a class that includes six national top 100 prospects and is headlined by Georgia defensive end DJ Jacobs, the nation’s No. 1 overall prospect according to 247Sports. That class sits sixth nationally in the 247Sports rankings.
The 2027 class breaks down with one quarterback, no running backs, two wide receivers, six offensive linemen, five defensive linemen, two linebackers and four defensive backs. By state, it includes six players from Ohio, four from Florida, two from California and one each from Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia.
Ohio State’s 2028 class is already taking shape with five commitments, and four of them are ranked in the national top 100. That group is led by Massachusetts quarterback Christopher Vargas, who checks in as the nation’s No. 4 overall prospect and No. 2 quarterback in the class. The Buckeyes’ 2028 haul carries an early No. 2 ranking in the team standings.
The Buckeyes also have one commitment in the 2029 class: California wide receiver Austin Miller. 247Sports has him as the nation’s No. 50 overall prospect and No. 9 wide receiver in that group.
Below is a look at the commitments in each class, along with key details and when they’re scheduled to play next.
In Other News...
Ohio States CFP Ranking Just Reignited A Frustrating Committee Debate
The first College Football Playoff rankings of 2026 immediately stirred up the kind of familiar arguments that seem to arrive every November, and Ohio State fans know the drill well enough by now. Miami landed at No. 1, followed by Georgia, Utah, Indiana and Alabama, but the order raised fresh questions about how the committee is weighing head-to-head results, strength of schedule and the value of unbeaten records in a crowded field.
Hunter Yurachek tried to walk through the committees thinking, but the explanations only sharpened the debate around several placements, especially UCLA sitting behind teams with losses and Utah climbing so high with just one ranked win. For Ohio State, the broader concern is less about one specific slot than the same old uncertainty about what the rankings are really rewarding, and whether the committees logic will hold once the bracket starts to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Has A Legit CFP Ranking Complaint After First Bracket
The first College Football Playoff rankings of the 2026 season immediately stirred the usual arguments, with Alabama landing in the top five despite a mixed record against ranked opponents and Notre Dame showing up lower than it did in the AP poll. The committee also drew attention for the way it handled strength of schedule, a familiar flashpoint this time of year, and it did not take long for the Buckeyes to have a reason to feel slighted.
Hunter Yurachek said the committee did not consider Ohio States head-to-head win over Indiana when it made its first bracket. For a program that has spent the early part of the season trying to stack rsum points against quality competition, that omission stands out, especially when the rankings are already inviting scrutiny elsewhere. Ohio State may not love the opening picture, and this is the kind of detail that tends to linger until the committee explains itself a little more fully. [Read more 🡒]
Lincoln Riley Explains Tense Ohio State Exchange After USC Statement Win
USCs 30-18 win over Ohio State ended with a little more edge than the scoreboard alone suggested, as Trojans coach Lincoln Riley and Buckeyes athletic director Ross Bjork had a brief verbal exchange on the field afterward. Riley was asked about it later and downplayed the moment, saying it was simply part of the emotions that spill over after a game like that and that the two moved past it quickly.
For Ohio State, the exchange was a small postgame footnote to an outcome that already stung, but it still drew attention because it happened in plain view after a high-profile nonconference matchup. Riley did not get into what started it, leaving the specifics out of reach even as he tried to brush off any bigger meaning from the scene. [Read more 🡒]