Caleb Houser
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Ohio State dishes out a handful of new offers in the 2026 class ahead of major recruiting weekend
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
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Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
The Buckeyes extended four new offers on Thursday to 2026 targets.
Spring practice has given Ohio State ample opportunities to bring in several top targets. With so many players making the trek to Columbus, a majority of them may have existing relationships with the staff, but it’s also been seen over the last few weeks that there’s new names worth watching moving forward after leaving their respective visits with an offer in hand.
Thursday proved to be one of the more influential days for new prospects, as a handful of offers were extended out by the staff. On the eve of what is to be one of the busier weekends Ohio State will have this spring on the recruiting front, here’s the latest on those new names that left campus with a feeling that the trip was more than worth their time.
2026 quarterback Troy Huhn was able to get some time with head coach Ryan Day on Thursday to chat, resulting in an Ohio State offer coming to fruition. A 6-foot-4, 205 pound signal caller, the Buckeyes have dished out quite a few offers to quarterbacks in the junior class this spring, and the California native is one of the next in line.
Unranked via his 247Sports profile right now, offers from the likes of Florida State, Notre Dame, Oregon, Penn State, Texas, and now Ohio State show the caliber of player Huhn is. He will be a guy to keep an eye on moving forward as the staff pinpoints who they want to focus on to be their guy in the upcoming class.
Keeping with the trend of 2026 quarterbacks, Ohio State also extended an offer to Georgia native Brodie McWhorter. A 6-foot-2, 190 pound athlete, McWhorter is another player that currently does not have a 247Sports grade on his profile due to his class status. Odds are when those rankings come out, he too will be another player that ranks among the best in the country at his position.
Currently, McWhorter owns nearly 20 offers to his name, and once again from some of the best schools the country has to offer. Programs such as Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, North Carolina and others are already locked in with an offer of their own, but now that Ohio State is in the mix it won’t be long before others come calling as well.
You’d have to think that many times the in-state school offering would mean something, and maybe it still does, but Georgia landing the commitment of five-star Jared Curtis just last week likely means other schools are more in play for McWhorter. Ohio State tends to have their pick of the guys they want at this spot, and 2026 shouldn’t be any different.
Moving to the other side of the ball, the Buckeyes were also just as busy trying to get in the mix for elite playmakers that can help the defense too. Having as many prospects on campus as they have the last few days, the defensive coaches have been able to show face a ton, and Thursday provided the chance to recruit some familiar programs.
Coming away with his latest offer, 6-foot-3, 225 pound edge rusher Shaun Scott now has the Buckeyes involved in his recruitment. Hailing from prep power Mater Dei, the California native is another 2026 target that has an early offer sheet that is impressive to say the least, totaling near 20 schools already.
Florida, Oklahoma, Penn State, Tennessee, Texas, USC, Washington, and more round out the bigger programs to get in on this one early, but Ohio State isn’t just “another” offer. Having the chance to speak with multiple coaches on Thursday is a big-time development and it certainly doesn’t hurt that fellow class of 2026 target and current Buckeye commit, Chris Henry Jr., is now his teammate at Mater Dei.
A school the Buckeyes are constantly trying to recruit, having Henry Jr. in his ear should be an advantage for nearly the next two years.
One more for good measure, the Buckeyes hosted Nevada native Kenneth Goodwin for an unofficial visit on Thursday, and he too came away from his time in Columbus with an offer. Making time to speak with both coach Day and James Laurinaitis, Goodwin is the next linebacker that has received attention from Ohio State in a list that has really grown over the last month or so.
A 6-foot-1, 205 pound athlete, Goodwin doesn’t have a long list of offers to his name just yet, but he certainly makes up for that with quality over quantity. Georgia, Notre Dame, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, and now the Buckeyes make up most of his offers, but again, it’s still relatively early on in his process.
Hoping for good news later this weekend in the 2025 class when Florida product Tarvos Alford makes his commitment public, the linebacker recruiting should be showing the fruits of Laurinaitis and his efforts on the trail. Knowing that this current 2025 class is the first priority, it’s an awesome sign to see the staff all-in on the future cycles as well, getting right into it with building early relationships with guys they’ll recruit for the next year-plus.
It is not out of the question completely that this major recruiting weekend could bring a major BOOM or even BOOM(s) to Ohio State’s 2025 class. Having some major targets who have been closely linked to the Buckeyes on campus certainly provides that sentiment of possibility.
One name that fits that bill is IMG Academy product, London Merritt. A four-star edge rusher, Merritt is the No. 101 player nationally and the tenth best at his position per the 247Sports Composite. Crystal Balled to Ohio State by Director of Recruiting for 247Sports, Steve Wiltfong, the Buckeyes do seem to be the leader in Merritt’s recruitment, but the staff is still putting in plenty of time to ensure he knows how much of a priority he truly is.
Set to be back on campus this weekend, it cannot be overstated how big this is for Larry Johnson and crew to get him back around the program. Many times these visits are what can seal the deal for a player, and that’s obviously going to be a point of emphasis while Merritt is in Columbus as the environment is sure to be special.
A commitment isn’t guaranteed by any means, but knowing how closely the two have been linked, maybe this visit will be what pushes Ohio State over the top for when he does eventually decide.
As mentioned, Saturday could provide some fireworks for Ohio State at the linebacker position, but barring a last minute change, Sacca looks to be headed elsewhere.
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Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
The Buckeyes extended four new offers on Thursday to 2026 targets.
Spring practice has given Ohio State ample opportunities to bring in several top targets. With so many players making the trek to Columbus, a majority of them may have existing relationships with the staff, but it’s also been seen over the last few weeks that there’s new names worth watching moving forward after leaving their respective visits with an offer in hand.
Thursday proved to be one of the more influential days for new prospects, as a handful of offers were extended out by the staff. On the eve of what is to be one of the busier weekends Ohio State will have this spring on the recruiting front, here’s the latest on those new names that left campus with a feeling that the trip was more than worth their time.
2026 quarterback Troy Huhn was able to get some time with head coach Ryan Day on Thursday to chat, resulting in an Ohio State offer coming to fruition. A 6-foot-4, 205 pound signal caller, the Buckeyes have dished out quite a few offers to quarterbacks in the junior class this spring, and the California native is one of the next in line.
Unranked via his 247Sports profile right now, offers from the likes of Florida State, Notre Dame, Oregon, Penn State, Texas, and now Ohio State show the caliber of player Huhn is. He will be a guy to keep an eye on moving forward as the staff pinpoints who they want to focus on to be their guy in the upcoming class.
Keeping with the trend of 2026 quarterbacks, Ohio State also extended an offer to Georgia native Brodie McWhorter. A 6-foot-2, 190 pound athlete, McWhorter is another player that currently does not have a 247Sports grade on his profile due to his class status. Odds are when those rankings come out, he too will be another player that ranks among the best in the country at his position.
Currently, McWhorter owns nearly 20 offers to his name, and once again from some of the best schools the country has to offer. Programs such as Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, North Carolina and others are already locked in with an offer of their own, but now that Ohio State is in the mix it won’t be long before others come calling as well.
You’d have to think that many times the in-state school offering would mean something, and maybe it still does, but Georgia landing the commitment of five-star Jared Curtis just last week likely means other schools are more in play for McWhorter. Ohio State tends to have their pick of the guys they want at this spot, and 2026 shouldn’t be any different.
Moving to the other side of the ball, the Buckeyes were also just as busy trying to get in the mix for elite playmakers that can help the defense too. Having as many prospects on campus as they have the last few days, the defensive coaches have been able to show face a ton, and Thursday provided the chance to recruit some familiar programs.
Coming away with his latest offer, 6-foot-3, 225 pound edge rusher Shaun Scott now has the Buckeyes involved in his recruitment. Hailing from prep power Mater Dei, the California native is another 2026 target that has an early offer sheet that is impressive to say the least, totaling near 20 schools already.
Florida, Oklahoma, Penn State, Tennessee, Texas, USC, Washington, and more round out the bigger programs to get in on this one early, but Ohio State isn’t just “another” offer. Having the chance to speak with multiple coaches on Thursday is a big-time development and it certainly doesn’t hurt that fellow class of 2026 target and current Buckeye commit, Chris Henry Jr., is now his teammate at Mater Dei.
A school the Buckeyes are constantly trying to recruit, having Henry Jr. in his ear should be an advantage for nearly the next two years.
One more for good measure, the Buckeyes hosted Nevada native Kenneth Goodwin for an unofficial visit on Thursday, and he too came away from his time in Columbus with an offer. Making time to speak with both coach Day and James Laurinaitis, Goodwin is the next linebacker that has received attention from Ohio State in a list that has really grown over the last month or so.
A 6-foot-1, 205 pound athlete, Goodwin doesn’t have a long list of offers to his name just yet, but he certainly makes up for that with quality over quantity. Georgia, Notre Dame, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, and now the Buckeyes make up most of his offers, but again, it’s still relatively early on in his process.
Hoping for good news later this weekend in the 2025 class when Florida product Tarvos Alford makes his commitment public, the linebacker recruiting should be showing the fruits of Laurinaitis and his efforts on the trail. Knowing that this current 2025 class is the first priority, it’s an awesome sign to see the staff all-in on the future cycles as well, getting right into it with building early relationships with guys they’ll recruit for the next year-plus.
It is not out of the question completely that this major recruiting weekend could bring a major BOOM or even BOOM(s) to Ohio State’s 2025 class. Having some major targets who have been closely linked to the Buckeyes on campus certainly provides that sentiment of possibility.
One name that fits that bill is IMG Academy product, London Merritt. A four-star edge rusher, Merritt is the No. 101 player nationally and the tenth best at his position per the 247Sports Composite. Crystal Balled to Ohio State by Director of Recruiting for 247Sports, Steve Wiltfong, the Buckeyes do seem to be the leader in Merritt’s recruitment, but the staff is still putting in plenty of time to ensure he knows how much of a priority he truly is.
Set to be back on campus this weekend, it cannot be overstated how big this is for Larry Johnson and crew to get him back around the program. Many times these visits are what can seal the deal for a player, and that’s obviously going to be a point of emphasis while Merritt is in Columbus as the environment is sure to be special.
A commitment isn’t guaranteed by any means, but knowing how closely the two have been linked, maybe this visit will be what pushes Ohio State over the top for when he does eventually decide.
Quick Hits
- Current Ohio State offeree Anthony Sacca is slated to announce his commitment on Saturday. The No. 187 player nationally and 25th best linebacker per the 247Sports Composite, the Buckeyes are among his final group of schools, but at this point it would be a surprise to see him end up anywhere other than Notre Dame.
As mentioned, Saturday could provide some fireworks for Ohio State at the linebacker position, but barring a last minute change, Sacca looks to be headed elsewhere.
NEWS 4-star LB Anthony Sacca will announce his commitment on Saturday, he tells @ChadSimmons_
Read: https://t.co/MKxkg9K503 pic.twitter.com/CtPwn64Zqm
— On3 Recruits (@On3Recruits) March 28, 2024
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