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Latest news around Ohio State Buckeyes’ newest commitment shows how badly he wants to play in Columbus

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Brandon Little | Last updated Jul 22, 2025 3:11 PM ET

The Ohio State Buckeyes are up to 21 commitments in the 2026 class and have only suffered one decommitment so far—four-star cornerback Jakob Weatherspoon, who recently flipped to North Carolina.

Recently, Ohio State has dropped a couple of spots in the team recruiting rankings to No. 7, according to 247Sports. The Buckeyes have missed on several targets lately on the trail.

However, they did land a key commitment in four-star wide receiver Jerquaden Guilford, who chose the Buckeyes over programs like Ole Miss, Penn State, and Michigan.

Ohio State’s latest commitment took less money—and for a good reason

Ohio State consistently lands its top wide receiver targets, and much of that success is thanks to Brian Hartline. Widely regarded as the best wide receiver developer in college football, Hartline continues to send players to the NFL, many in the first round.

According to a report, Guilford turned down a higher NIL offer from another programs to play for Hartline and the Buckeyes.

Sources tell me that Guilford took significantly less of an NIL deal to be developed at Ohio State by Brian Hartline. https://t.co/ANWNbzy7Mt
— Greg Smith (@GregSmithRivals) July 18, 2025

Guilford is ranked as the No. 350 overall player and the No. 50 wide receiver in the 2026 class, per the 247Sports Composite. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound pass catcher is the fifth wide receiver to commit to Ohio State in this class alone. Five-star prospect Chris Henry Jr. and his Mater Dei (CA) teammate Kayden Dixon-Wyatt headline the group. The Buckeyes also landed in-state talent Jaeden Ricketts and secured a flip from former TCU commit Brock Boyd.

Beating out Ole Miss for Guilford—and him turning down a more lucrative NIL offer from an unnamed program—shows the strength of Ohio State’s brand at the wide receiver position. It also speaks volumes about Guilford’s mindset: choosing long-term development and exposure over short-term earnings.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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