Critical Ohio State Buckeyes Recruit Delivers Pivotal Announcement

The Ohio State Buckeyes definitely need to get back to work on filling out their defensive line after just losing their entire front four to the NFL Draft, and while they are set in the trenches for 2025, they still have plenty of question marks for the future.

Ohio State has actually had some difficulty landing top defensive line recruits recently, which seems strange for a school that has become accustomed to pumping out elite talent.

Fortunately, the Buckeyes did land a commitment from four-star defensive end Khary Wilder earlier this week, and pretty soon, they will find out about another four-star prospect.

Alabama defensive tackle Emanuel Ruffin is deciding between Ohio State, Alabama, Georgia, LSU and Texas and has announced that he has set his commitment date for July 4, via Eleven Warriors.

Ruffin — a class of 2026 recruit — visited Columbus last week. He is the 30th-ranked defensive lineman in the country and the 13th-ranked player in the state of Alabama, via 247Sports' composite rankings.

The Buckeyes actually have a major hole at defensive tackle heading into 2025 following the departures of Tyleik Williams and Ty Hamilton. Unfortunately, Ohio State has been unable to plug that gap, as it didn't land any interior defensive linemen via the transfer portal.

As of right now, Kayden McDonald and Eddrick Houston are slated to be the Buckeyes' two starters at the position, and even head coach Ryan Day has acknowledged it is a bit of a concern.

Hopefully, Ohio State can land Ruffin and some other defensive line recruits to ensure that it won't have this problem down the road.