Ohio State Buckeyes Receive Massive Update on Elite 4-Star Pass Rusher

The Ohio State Buckeyes have reportedly taken the lead for one of the best pass rushers in the 2026 recruiting class. According to On3’s Josh Newberg, 4-star edge prospect Luke Wafle out of Hun High School in Princeton, New Jersey, came away impressed with his weekend visit to Columbus, seemingly putting the reigning national champions in a great spot to land the talented defender.

“Talking to Luke Wafle’s family, talking to sources that spent time with him during his visit to Ohio State, I think the Buckeyes do have the edge in his recruitment right now,” Newberg said on the Wiltfong Whiparound podcast. “His father told me the weekend was ‘perfect’. Really, sitting down and getting to know new defensive coordinator Matt Patricia was the new thing of this visit, because when he visited in the spring, I thought Ohio State had some momentum after time spent with Ryan Day, getting back around coach Day, getting back around coach Larry Johnson several times, they said that was special.”

While the Buckeyes have taken the league, Penn State and Texas are still in the race, USC and Florida rounding out the top five landing spots for Wafle. He’s set to visit Penn State on Friday, June 6, USC on June 13, and Texas on June 20.

The 6-foot-5, 245-pound pass rusher is the No. 1 player in New Jersey, the No. 10 edge rusher, and No. 52 overall player nationally. According to MaxPreps, Waffle recorded 53 tackles and eight sacks in his junior season. On3 suggests Wafle could become a five-star prospect before the 2026 recruiting cycle finalizes.

There seems to be plenty of mutual interest between Wafle and the Buckeyes program. While it appears he’s taking his time coming to a commitment decision, all signs show that Wafle and the Buckeyes make for a natural pairing.

“If there was ever a player in this class that looked like he was already on Ohio State’s roster, it’s (Wafle),” Steve Wiltfong said recently on his podcast. “He really enjoyed being in Columbus, said it was a great experience, talked about how badly they want to win, said it was very inspiring.”

“If Ohio State were ranking their prospects in the 2026 class, I think Luke Wafle might be their first pick, Newberg added. “I think Ohio State would draft him No. 1 in 2026.”