Ohio State Buckeyes look to be on the edge of getting more terrible news on the recruiting trail

Running back recruiting has been up and down under Ryan Day’s leadership at Ohio State. The Buckeyes have landed some of their top targets over the years but have also missed on a few key names.

The addition of Carlos Locklyn, who replaced Tony Alford after his departure to Michigan, injected some excitement into the position room. Locklyn is known for his energy and strong recruiting that he brings. The Buckeyes already have one running back committed for 2026: four-star Favour Akih from Delaware Hayes (OH).

Ohio State is looking to take two running backs in this class but has missed on a couple of recent targets. It now appears the Buckeyes are on the verge of missing out on another player they were once in strong contention for.

Five-star running back Derrek Cooper from Chaminade-Madonna (FL) seems to be trending away from the Buckeyes. Ohio State is one of five finalists for Cooper, along with Georgia, Miami, Texas, and Florida State. However, with a commitment date set for July 20, two schools have emerged as clear frontrunners.

“The ones who’ve been contacting me mostly are Miami and Georgia,” Cooper told On3. “They’ve just done a great job texting me, keeping in contact. All the other schools have done a great job too, but ever since the beginning, it’s been those two schools.”