Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day. Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ohio State flips 4-star safety Kaden Gebhardt from Clemson

By Andrew Kulha | Last updated Dec 3, 2025 12:54 PM ET

The Ohio State Buckeyes have flipped a major target on the recruiting trail on the day that the early signing period has started.

Kaden Gebhardt is a 4-star safety from Lewis Center, Ohio. He had been committed to Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers since March of 2025.

The hometown Buckeyes had offered Gebhardt in November of 2024, well before he committed to Clemson.

The Tigers had initially won him over, but OSU was able to get him on campus for an official visit in June.

Still, Gebhardt held firm to his Clemson commitment until the Buckeyes were able to get him back on campus this last week for an unofficial visit to take in a practice. The Buckeyes' staff had obviously been staying in contact with him, and ultimately, his relationship with Ryan Day and company, plus the opportunity to stay close to home to play college ball, made him decide to flip.

On Wednesday, it was announced that Gebhardt flipped from Clemson to Ohio State.

Ohio State Buckeyes flip Kaden Gebhardt away from Clemson Tigers

BREAKING: Class of 2026 Safety Kaden Gebhardt has Flipped his Commitment from Clemson to Ohio State, he tells me for @rivals⁰⁰The 6’2 200 S had been Committed to the Tigers since March⁰⁰“Ohio’s where my heart is! I’m staying home! Go Bucks!”⁰⁰https://t.co/xfGstpFjWt pic.twitter.com/2Z3pDFGImp
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) December 3, 2025

Proximity played a big part in this decision.

“One big thing for me, being close to my family. It’s a 20-minute drive," Gebhardt said, according to Rivals. "It ain’t too bad to play for the best team in the country for the best defensive coordinator in the country in Matt Patricia"

The 4-star revealed that he's known Day since he was a youngster and over the past two weeks, Day and the Buckeyes were working very hard to get him to flip from Clemson.

Ultimately, his connection to Day and the coaching staff also made this a good decision for him.

“I have great relationships with [safeties] Coach [Matt] Guerrieri and Coach Day,” he has said in the past. “Love everything about Ohio State and where they see me playing in their defense.

Gebhardt is 6-foot-2, 200 pounds and he plays for Olentangy High School. According to 247Sports, he's the No. 25 safety in the 2025 class and the No. 12 overall player from the state of Ohio.

Andrew Kulha

Andrew Kulha is probably the only sports writer you know who also doubles as a mortician. Spooky! @KulhaSports

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