Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch-USA TODAY NETWORK

Ohio State Buckeyes may have a real problem on their hands after losing elite five-star talent to the SEC

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Brandon Little | Last updated Aug 21, 2025 10:41 PM ET

Unfortunate news has once again struck the Ohio State Buckeyes on the recruiting trail.

Ohio State currently holds the No. 9 recruiting class for 2026, according to 247Sports. After a strong start, the Buckeyes have missed on a number of key targets over the past few months.

Now, they may have taken their biggest loss of the cycle with a player once heavily expected to land in Columbus.

Five-star S Bralan Womack chooses Auburn over Ohio State and Florida

Womack announced his commitment to Auburn on Thursday evening, giving the Tigers a massive recruiting win over both the Buckeyes and the Gators. Ranked as the No. 1 safety and the No. 15 overall player in the country by the 247Sports Composite, the 5-foot-11 Mississippi native is widely viewed as a difference-maker who could see the field immediately at Auburn.

BREAKING: Five-Star Safety Bralan Womack has Committed to Auburn, he tells me for @rivals

The No. 1 Safety in the ’26 Class chose the Tigers over Ohio State, Texas A&M, & Florida

“I’m home! Let’s work! WDE”https://t.co/SMLTMOyjjK pic.twitter.com/mvest8U506
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) August 22, 2025

Ohio State does still boast a strong safety class with five-star Blaine Bradford, the No. 5 safety nationally, already on board. The Buckeyes also hold a commitment from four-star safety Simeon Caldwell.

Still, Womack was a top priority for Ryan Day’s staff, and this loss may once again come down to being outbid in the NIL era. Ohio State has struggled recently on the trail due to its approach to NIL and the emerging revenue-share model. While the program believes its strategy will pay off long-term, the short-term results are beginning to sting.

As things stand, Ohio State could be headed toward one of the lowest-ranked recruiting classes of the Ryan Day era—a tough pill to swallow fresh off a national championship.

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

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