ESPN names Ohio State football in Tier 1 of current commitment season

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College football offseason content is in full swing, and ESPN just dropped a piece that separates programs into tiers based on the commitments they've landed so far this season. Ohio State has historically been a monster in recruiting, and that doesn't figure to change anytime soon, but what does the "worldwide leader" think of the Buckeyes' efforts so far?

Eli Lederman took a look at an important window of March through July in today's recruiting world and identified Ohio State as a program that is hot on the recruiting trail for the 2027 class and, in fact, put the Buckeyes in Tier 1. Only five programs made the top tier, defined as "traditional powers that made the most of the business window." Joining OSU were Notre Dame, Oregon, Texas, and Texas A&M.

Lederman pointed to Ohio State's five-star commitments and ability to get in on recruits that had relationships elsewhere to land ten spring and summer pledges.

"Only Texas A&M holds more five-star pledges (six) than coach Ryan Day, and the Buckeyes after defensive tackle Marcus Fakatou (No. 13 overall) and offensive tackle Caden Moss (No. 15) joined longtime commits D.J. Jacobs (No. 3) and Jamier Brown (No. 11) atop the program's incoming class, wrote Lederman.

"Ohio State overcame longstanding relationships at LSU, Ole Miss and Tennessee to land Moss, ESPN's No. 4 offensive tackle, on June 26, then edged CFP rivals Georgia and Texas to add Fakatou to an impressive defensive line class days later. Five-star running back David Gabriel Georges was a long-term priority, and there's no getting around the blow his July 22 commitment to Tennessee dealt the Buckeyes. But Ohio State flexed its muscles to fill out its class this summer while adding a trio of four-star defenders — edge rusher Wyatt Smith, outside linebacker Prince Goldsby and Deontay Malone — and quality depth on the line of scrimmage."

It's true that the Buckeyes were some pretty heavy hitters this spring and summer, but there's still a long way to go, and they'll need to close strong to continue to be considered in ESPN's top tier when the Early Signing Period rolls around in December.

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This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: ESPN names Ohio State football in Tier 1 of current commitment season

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