Ohio State head coach Ryan Day speaks to the media at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center on Thursday, July 31, 2025 in Columbus, Ohio. Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

SEC Powerhouse Beats Ohio State Football for Key 4-Star DL

Originally posted on Ohio State Buckeyes on SI
By Nathan Beighle | Last updated Aug 3, 2025 7:05 AM ET

The Ohio State Buckeyes are often in the mix for talented defensive linemen, and while they were a finalist for the 4-star Deuce Geralds, he has committed to Brian Kelly and LSU. Geralds set his commitment date for August 2 and had many College Football Playoff-contending teams among those he was choosing from.

Ohio State, Michigan, Oregon, Ole Miss were the other names that he was considering. However, the Collins Hill High School defensive lineman will stay close to home. He is from Georgia and is ranked as the 20th-best player in the state per 247Sports and jumps to the 11th-best player in their composite scoring system.

That said, Ohio State was Geralds' last visit, taking that in late June, while LSU was his first on May 30. Here's arguably the most notable note from 247Sports Director of Scouting Andrew Ivins: "Pesky interior defender with monster year-over-year production in one of the Peach State’s highest classifications."

BREAKING | 4-Star DL Deuce Geralds has COMMITTED to Brian Kelly and #LSU

The Top-10 D-Lineman adds to a LOADED 2026 Class at that spot pic.twitter.com/cHipJcGmou
— Tingle & Co (@Tingle__Co) August 2, 2025

The Buckeyes don't have a ton of talent on the defensive line locked in for the Class of 2026, and this is a bit more surprising when you consider that LSU has the top two players at the position for the class -- Lamar Brown and Richard Anderson. The Buckeyes' top player at the position in the Class of 2026 is Khary Wilder, who ranks as the 18th-best defensive lineman and the 18th-best player from the state of California.

Ohio State still has players like Blaine Bradford, who is from Louisiana, and Chris Henry Jr., set to join its program next season, so there isn't going to be a lack of talent in Columbus. Nonetheless, Geralds could've been a stud with the Buckeyes but has different plans. With several top-30 players still available, the Ohio State Class of 2026 recruiting trail hopefully isn't finished up quite yet.

This article first appeared on Ohio State Buckeyes on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: