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Ohio State Football Suffers Setback at the Hands of Notre Dame

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Nicholas McGee | Last updated May 2, 2025 10:10 AM ET

The Ohio State Buckeyes got the better of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the national championship game, but as they continue to build out their 2026 recruiting class, Ryan Day's team suffered a setback at the hands of the same opposition.

Ohio State had been one of several programs in the mix for four-star linebacker Jakobe Clapper (Cincinnati, Ohio) out of St. Xavier High School.

Clapper is the 30th-ranked linebacker in the 2026 class, per On3's industry rankings, and Notre Dame had long since been seen as the favorite to land his services. That status proved an accurate one.

Per On3's Hayes Fawcett, Clapper has committed to the Irish, having been recruited by their linebackers coach Max Bullough and defensive coordinator Al Golden.

BREAKING: Four-Star LB Jakobe Clapper has Committed to Notre Dame, he tells me for @on3recruits

The 6’2 215 LB from Cincinnati, OH chose the Fighting Irish over Oregon, Michigan, Louisville, & Ohio State

“I’m home. Go Irish!”https://t.co/UYqmX5VOYK pic.twitter.com/RYe9rtaqwC
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) May 2, 2025

Notre Dame has a strong history of sending linebackers to the NFL, with the Jacksonville Jaguars' selection of Jack Kiser this year making it six Fighting Irish linebackers taken in the last seven drafts.

Despite losing out to the Irish, the Buckeyes can be happy with their linebacker situation. Ohio State added two four stars at linebacker in the 2025 class in the form of Riley Pettijohn and Tarvos Alford, that duo joining a group that includes 2024 second-team All-Big Ten selection Sonny Styles and Arvell Reese.

Reese will be looking to step in and fill the shoes left by Cody Simon after he left for the NFL on the back of a first-team All-Big Ten season in 2024.

If he can do that successfully and one of Pettijohn or Alford shows promise before Styles heads to the pros in 2026, Ohio State won't worry too much about missing out on Clapper.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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