Ohio State, Ryan Day Lose In-State Target to Big 12 Program

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As we enter the dog days of summer, the Ohio State Buckeyes and longtime head coach Ryan Day have continued to make progress on the 2027 recruiting trail this offseason.

Currently, the Buckeyes are a consensus top-15 program in the 2027 recruiting cycle, as Day and the coaching staff have landed 15 commits. And while the former 2024-25 National Champions remain in the mix for multiple talented prospects this summer, the program received some unfortunate news this week regarding a top target.

According to Rivals’ Hayes Fawcett on Thursday afternoon, 2027 three-star linebacker Kaylon Bailey has committed to the Colorado Buffaloes over the likes of the Louisville Cardinals and the Buckeyes.

What’s Next For Day, Ohio State?

Bailey, a highly touted prospect residing in the state of Ohio, was an under-the-radar target for the Buckeyes in the upcoming recruiting class. As of this month, the talented defensive back is the No. 31-ranked prospect in the state of Ohio, as well as the No. 63 linebacker in the 2027 class, per 247Sports’ Composite.

While Bailey did not receive much attention from many Power Four programs prior to his junior season, the Buckeyes would ultimately offer the Cleveland, OH, native back in March of 2026. Day and the Buckeyes’ pursuit of Bailey began to heat up heading into the summer, as he took an official visit to Columbus earlier this month. However, despite the coaching staff’s late push for the young linebacker, Ohio State fell short after Bailey’s recent official visit to Colorado.

Luckily for the Buckeyes and Day, the program’s 2027 class is loaded with highly touted prospects on both sides of the ball.

On defense, Ohio State possesses the No. 1 EDGE and Georgia prospect, five-star DJ Jacobs, leading the clubhouse. In addition to the talented defensive end, the Buckeyes also have a total of six four-star defensive commits, including North Carolina native, linebacker Quinton Cypher.

Unfortunately for Ohio State, however, the chances of the program landing another linebacker commit in the 2027 recruiting class are slowly beginning to dwindle heading into the month of July. Day offered three-star Liufau Loumoli back in June of 2024, but outside of the IMG Academy prospect, the Buckeyes will have to flip a recruit in order to add more depth at the position.

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