The weather in Ohio right now is hot, but it may not be hotter than the 2027 Ohio State recruiting efforts. Already a top class in the nation, the Buckeyes added three of the top-of-the-line talents (one for 2029) to go with three other recruiting wins. Ryan Day and his staff have been hard at work parsing through the noise and trying to get the next wave of studs to wear the scarlet and gray. With the new “5-for-5” eligibility model, Ohio State knows it can take swings on the best in the class with the promise of early playing time.
This month’s recruiting updates from Ohio State have quelled The Fringe™ for now.
Ohio State Recruiting Closes Out June With Two Massive Wins
Adding to B.I.A.
Midway through the month, the Buckeyes’ defensive back room added a pair of recruits to its future ranks. On the 14th, consensus four-star corner from Massillon Washington High School in Ohio, Deontay Malone, pledged his commitment to the Buckeyes. According to 247Sports’ composite rankings, Malone is the 15th-best recruit from the Buckeye State, and he marks the fifth top-18 talent to commit to Ohio State, led by the top two players in the state, Jamier Brown and Kellen Wymer.
Malone became the first cornerback to commit to the Ohio State 2027 class. He is a triple-threat at Massillon with 34 catches for 498 yards on offense, 25 tackles, three interceptions, seven pass breakups, two recovered fumbles, and a forced fumble on defense, while returning 24 kicks and punts for 534 total yards. In total, across all three phases, he scored nine times for the Tigers.
The other corner to commit was four-star recruit Jaden Carey. The Buckeyes went back to St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to nab another rising star away from Miami (FL) and Auburn. Oddly enough, Carey’s father played for Miami alongside current Hurricane head coach Mario Cristobal. He could play corner or nickel for the Buckeyes, but the best part could be that he wants his teammate, Zayden Gamble, to flip to the Buckeyes away from Notre Dame to join him and Wyatt Smith.
Cortez Hankton Gets A Couple Wins
Well, we asked when new wide receivers coach Cortez Hankton was going to get a win on the recruiting trail. He delivered, but not in the way we expected. The potential top player in the 2029 class, and likely top receiver, Austin Miller, committed to the Buckeyes on the 22nd. While it’s difficult to project that far out, remember Chris Henry Jr. and both of the Buckeyes’ 2028 commits pledged incredibly early. There’s a long way to go, but Miller being the first of the class could be massive.
Miller is currently a six-foot-five, 200-pound recruit from California. Ohio State offered him earlier this month, along with a host of other Power 4 programs. Miller picked the Buckeyes and said, “This [visit] cemented Ohio State as my top choice. My biggest takeaway is that I felt it was a great fit for me and what I’m trying to accomplish as a student-athlete at the next level.”
As a freshman, Miller did just about everything. Defensively, he amassed 36 tackles, eight tackles for loss, four sacks, four pass breakups, a forced fumble, and a scoop-and-score. On offense, he hauled in 35 passes for 609 yards and eight touchdowns with 883 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground.
Then, on the 27th, three-star receiver Jordan Donahoo joined the class. He’s currently the lowest-rated player in the class, but he’s a six-foot-four multi-sport athlete who could give the Buckeyes even more size on the outside when it’s his time. He was initially going to pick from a final three of Cincinnati, Georgia Tech, and Minnesota, but Hankton’s offer changed everything.
Big Fish #1
Over the final week of June, the Buckeyes reeled in some seriously big fish. To start, picked right out of Mississippi, Caden Moss pledged his future to the Buckeyes on the 26th. He picked the Buckeyes over the likes of Ole Miss, LSU, and Oregon. According to 247Sports’ system, he’s a four-star recruit as the 74th-best player in the class regardless of position. In terms of offensive linemen, he’s ranked seventh and is the second-best player from Mississippi.
If you think Tyler Bowen has been cooking, you’d be correct. Moss is now tied as the top-rated offensive lineman in the 2027 Ohio State class, which has six trench pledges (five of which are four-star recruits). He is also the highest-rated offensive lineman from outside Ohio to commit since Donovan Jackson, who turned out to be pretty good.
Moss is six-foot-five and 320 pounds. He’s a mauler in the run game and is surprisingly athletic at his size, considering he’s a multi-sport athlete. 247Sports’ Andrew Ivins did say his “future might ultimately be on the interior, where he can lean into defenders and clear space with his power.” Ohio State loves to go the “five best” route, so they could play him anywhere.
Big Fish #2
Most recently, Larry Johnson proved he still has his fastball. The 74-year-old legend of the game has been on a tear in the 2027 class, landing now for future stars. Joining five-star DJ Jacobs and four-stars Wyatt Smith and Prince Goldsby, Johnson nabbed five-star defensive lineman from Sierra Canyon in California, Marcus Fakatou. A towering six-foot-six, 275-pound frame, Fakatou is projected to kick inside, much like Eddrick Houston did.
Fakatou committed to Ohio State on Monday (the 29th) over recruiting superpowers Georgia and Texas. These three programs have been dealing one another body blow after body blow this recruiting cycle, with the Longhorns nabbing guys like Kasi Currie and Brock Williams, while UGA won Waylon Wooten and stud running back Kemon Spell.
Either way, Fakatou is the consensus 26th-best player in the nation and the second-best defensive lineman. He will need a bit of refinement, because he is currently able to win by just being bigger and more athletic than his opponents. In the Big Ten, that can only get a player so far. However, you can’t teach size, and Fakatou has more than enough.
If things hold – which, in today’s recruiting and NIL climate, it’s a good bet that something will change – Ohio State will have seven top-100 consensus players…FOUR on the defensive line.
For as juicy as that sounds, could there be more coming?
An Even Bigger July?
For as great as June has been, July could be even better for the Buckeyes. As of now, there are four Ohio State targets set to commit next month:
- Four-star CB Monsanna Torbert (July)
- Four-star DL Karlos May (July 18)
- Five-star RB David Gabriel Georges (July 22)
- Five-star WR Monshun Sales (Sometime in July)
Buckeye
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Buckeye https://t.co/y3rRD4wD0u— Last Word On Ohio State (@LastWordOSU) June 29, 2026
There is a chance the Buckeyes sweep these four, but it’s not a great chance. Torbert hails from Cincinnati, an area that is ambivalent regarding Ohio State and its rivals. As a result, there is a feeling that he will continue north to The Team Up North in a massive recruiting win. Sales would be an incredible get as well, and Ohio State is pushing hard for the Indianapolis receiver, but Curt Cignetti’s Hoosiers could lock down the highest-rated player in program recruiting history.
Now, as for the other two, Ohio State is the favorite for May. Gabriel Georges is going to come down to the wire and will likely be a fight until he graduates/is drafted. However, it looks like the five-star game-breaking back could be heading to Columbus.
This Ohio State recruiting class could be incredible, but it’s going to take a real effort to retain each and every player.
Main Image: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
