Ohio State Predicted to Get Shafted on the Recruiting Trail Yet Again

The Ohio State Buckeyes have suddenly looked very vulnerable on the recruiting trail, as they have missed on many of their top targets this offseason.

This has especially been true at defensive end, where three of Ohio State's top recruits decided to take their talents elsewhere very recently.

Well, guess what: the Buckeyes are being predicted to lose out on yet another pass rusher, as Ryan Day's squad has only been given a 1.1 percent chance of landing four-star edge rusher KJ Ford, via On 3.

Ford is being projected to land with Florida, with Texas A&M coming in second place. Meanwhile, Ohio State is sixth.

The Duncanville, Tx. product — a class of 2026 prospect — is the 15th-ranked edge and the 116th-ranked player in the country overall, via 247 Sports' composite rankings.

The Buckeyes are accustomed to boasting very strong defensive fronts, which we saw this past season with Jack Sawyer, Tyleik Williams, Ty Hamilton and JT Tuimoloau — all of whom were just selected in the NFL Draft — helped lead the team to a national championship.

However, Ohio State is facing major questions at both defensive end and defensive tackle heading into 2025 and beyond, and its sudden inability to land top prospects at both positions is very concerning.

The Buckeyes will probably be fine. Their reputation alone should allow them to recover. However, in the new NIL era, recruiting has certainly changed quite a bit, which will make things more difficult for Ohio State in terms of its usual competitive advantage.