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Ohio State just took a big loss on the recruiting trail to an SEC school that shows how bad things really are for the offensive line

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Brandon Little | Last updated Dec 16, 2024 9:32 PM ET

Ohio State is consistently building out top-five recruiting classes each cycle. However, one spot they’ve consistently come up short at is the offensive line.

As of late, the Buckeyes have done a pretty good job of keeping the state’s top linemen in Ohio on the offensive side of the football. However, they just took a loss on the recruiting trail with another big-time program coming into the Buckeye State and getting one of Ohio State’s top targets.

2026 interior offensive lineman Will Conroy announced his commitment on Monday and he posited Oklahoma over the Buckeyes. Conroy is a three-star prospect from Cleveland, Ohio that the Buckeyes are really high on.

BREAKING: Class of 2026 IOL Will Conroy has Committed to Oklahoma, he tells me for @on3recruits

The 6’3 285 IOL from Cleveland, OH chose the Sooners over Ohio State, Oregon, Florida, & Texas A&M

“I’m home. Boomer Sooner!”https://t.co/L9Kdo6xTxI pic.twitter.com/e5n9B598Cc
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) December 16, 2024

Conroy is one of a few Ohio offensive linemen that the Buckeyes would like in their 2026 class. Maxwell Riley, Adam Guthrie, and Sam Greer are the others. Ideally, the Buckeyes could take all four and feel pretty good about the class overall. With it still being really early for the 2026 cycle, Ohio State can give a shot at flipping Conroy. However, that is always easier said than done.

Ohio State’s inability to recruit and keep quality depth on the roster at offensive line is showing this season. It is also why the Buckeyes are looking at bringing in at least two starters from the transfer portal for next year’s offensive line.

Conroy is a 6-foot-3, 275-pound offensive lineman who has offers from Florida, Michigan, Miami, Oregon, USC, Texas A&M, and Wisconsin. This is a player that likely ends up ranked a lot higher across recruiting services.

Put this down as another miss for Justin Frye and the offensive line recruiting at Ohio State. That is exactly what it is.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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