The Elite 11 Finals Added a Wrinkle in Ohio State’s 2027 Recruiting Efforts

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Ohio State’s 2027 recruiting class is taking shape. Recruiting is a never-ending race in today’s college football landscape. From finding and courting new athletes to having to fight to retain players currently on the roster, it makes sense that older coaches continue to pursue other ventures. Ryan Day, it seems, continues to be in it for the long haul. Ohio State signed the second-best recruiting class in the 2026 cycle, according to 247Sports. When it comes to 2027, the Buckeyes are off to a good start. In total, at this point, the Buckeyes have the 11th-best class with 13 commits. Of those 13, one is a five-star recruit, and three are top-five at their respective positions.

Ohio State has one quarterback pledged, California’s Brady Edmunds. However, that hasn’t stopped Day and his staff from courting another just in case. Last weekend, the Elite 11 Finals took place, resulting in an 11th-place finish (out of 20) for Edmunds. The MVP was Trae Taylor, who is currently pledged to Nebraska. Despite that, the Buckeyes are doing their due diligence.

Double Flip? Elite 11 Finals Wrinkles Ohio State’s 2027 Recruiting

Edmunds’ Road Ahead

A six-foot-five, 235-pound quarterback, Edmunds has been committed to Ohio State since December 2024. His long-standing commitment is impressive because, on one hand, not many recruits stay committed for that long. On the other hand, the Buckeyes will enter 2026 with their third offensive coordinator in as many seasons.

Last year, Edmunds led Huntington Beach to an 8-3 record, passing for 2,724 yards and 32 touchdowns. Impressively, he only threw two interceptions. Through three seasons as the starting quarterback, Edmunds has 8,637 yards and 92 touchdowns.

However, his door isn’t as closed as others’. When asked about his recruitment, Edmunds said, “As of now, it’s Ohio State.” While that’s not the greatest vote of confidence, it was part of a larger quote. When asked what it would take to pry him away from the Buckeyes, he said, “As of now, I don’t know, because I haven’t been shown it. That’s the hard part about it. I’ve just been so Ohio State all my life; it would be hard for another team to overturn it. But we’ll see.

“(UCLA and Northwestern are) kind of preaching to play early and this and that. Ultimately, I don’t know where it’s going to go as of now. College football is changing day by day. Just being able to hold on to some of those (offers) until the final decision comes.”

A Solid Fall-Back Option

There is a feeling that the Buckeyes want to nab two quarterbacks in the 2027 class. There is a real possibility, barring more portal movement, that the 2027 quarterback room will be just Tavien St. Clair, Luke Fahey, and one or two true freshmen. While two true freshmen won’t give the coaches the most confidence, it would be better than just one. If Julian Sayin has another Heisman Trophy finalist season, he could jump to the NFL, resulting in an incredibly inexperienced quarterback room.

As a result, Nebraska commit Taylor has been on the Buckeyes’ radar. While Ohio State missed out on Notre Dame commit Wonderful Monds, it has picked up its pursuit of Taylor. The Nebraska commit commented on his recruiting on Twitter yesterday, saying,

“When my family and I say it’s not about money but the people inside that building (who is my family) Here is what that looks like. The support I get in this building while still being held accountable is why I picked [Nebraska]. Yes I got checked today on a few things. Money can’t buy my trust. Real people earn it though.”

Is that a direct comment to Ohio State, or is it just another tweet from a high schooler? Either way, the Buckeyes know what they have to do. They have to prove that they can build Taylor and his family’s trust by supporting him, but also by holding him accountable.

It’s fair to say Day can do so, but whether or not Taylor and his camp believe it is the question.

Ohio State’s Quarterback History

If there is a short list of coaches out there worth taking a chance on to develop you as a quarterback, Day has to be there. Since taking over, every quarterback that has started a game for the Buckeyes (including the one who transferred) has been drafted. Justin Fields came over as a highly-touted transfer, and Day developed him into one of the best quarterbacks in program history. The same could be said about C.J. Stroud. Kyle McCord, while he wasn’t quite at their level, ended up leaving for Syracuse and led the county in passing. Will Howard came in, won a title, and could be the next man up with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Now, the Buckeyes have Sayin, who, despite being smaller in stature, could be a first-round pick in a loaded quarterback class in 2027.

Then, if St. Clair is as good as folks (including this author) could be, he could be a one-and-done. Then, where does that leave Day and the Buckeyes in 2028?

That’s why the Buckeyes could be vying for multiple quarterbacks. Fahey could be the next star. He could also not pan out or transfer. In the current climate, anything is possible.

There is a lot of time between now and then. There is plenty of time between now and signing day. The Buckeyes could just as easily nab both quarterbacks as they could miss out on both.

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