Elite 5-star recruit confirms unfortunate suspicion about Ohio State that makes missing out on him hurt a little worse

The Ohio State Buckeyes have had a very interesting recruiting cycle for the class of 2026. At one point, the Buckeyes had a top-five class and looked poised to put together another elite group. Now, they sit at No. 9 in the 247Sports team rankings after missing on several key recruits over the last few months.

Ohio State is revisiting the recruitment of a number of prospects this fall as they look to round out the class. The Buckeyes currently have 22 commitments, and that number should rise a bit before it’s all said and done. Offensive tackle has been a particular position of need, as the Buckeyes missed on a couple of their top targets. They even finished as the runner-up for a five-star offensive tackle who would have been a major addition.

Felix Ojo confirms it would have been Ohio State if not for Texas Tech

Ohio State pursued a pair of five-star offensive tackles in the 2026 class—Jackson Cantwell and Felix Ojo. Ojo committed to Texas Tech on July 4, but the Buckeyes made his final group. The No. 2 offensive tackle in the country for 2026 recently confirmed that if he hadn’t committed to the Red Raiders, he likely would have chosen Ohio State.

“If I didn’t commit to Texas Tech, I probably would have committed to Ohio State. They were second in the running to Tech,” Ojo said recently.

Ojo chose Texas Tech over Ohio State and several others on July 4. Ranked as the No. 13 overall prospect and No. 2 offensive tackle in the country, he would have been a huge addition for the Buckeyes. Ohio State does have Maxwell Riley, Sam Greer, and Landry Brede committed at the position—all top in-state targets. Riley is expected to play guard at the next level, and the Buckeyes also have Arizona native Aaron Thomas committed at tackle. Whether or not they can hold onto Thomas’ commitment remains to be seen.

In today’s recruiting landscape, NIL often plays the deciding role, and Ojo reportedly received a significant deal from Texas Tech—one that exceeded what Ohio State was comfortable offering. Still, the Buckeyes finishing as the runner-up shows how strong their relationship with Ojo was throughout the process. That could matter down the road, as the transfer portal remains as active as ever, and Ojo may be a player the Buckeyes recruit again one day.

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