Ohio State recruiting takeaways: Na'eem Offord flip stings, but Ryan Day's class a success

Amid all the frustration following Ohio State’s loss to Michigan, the Buckeyes solidified what should be another top-five recruiting class Wednesday as the early signing period began.

The class is led by two five-star prospects: Tavien St. Clair, the No. 7 prospect and No. 3 quarterback in the 247Sports Composite, and Devin Sanchez, the No. 6 prospect and No. 1 cornerback. The Buckeyes did take a high-profile hit, however, when five-star cornerback Na’eem Offord, who had been committed since February, flipped to Oregon.

It wasn’t as dramatic of a day as last year, when Ohio State went down to the wire with Miami to sign top recruit Jeremiah Smith. Still, there’s plenty to talk about with a class that finished the day fifth, behind Texas, Alabama, Georgia and Oregon.

How much does losing Offord hurt?

Offord is the No. 11 prospect and No. 2 cornerback in the class, and the Birmingham, Ala., native helped put Oregon in position to edge Ohio State for the top-ranked class in the Big Ten.

TGFAD 🙏🏽 https://t.co/nIGjU6tM77

— Na’eem Offord (@OffordNaeem) December 4, 2024

It’s a tough loss for Ohio State, which had been hoping to pair Offord with Sanchez and sign the top two cornerbacks in the cycle. The toughest pill to swallow for the Buckeyes will be the fact Offord flipped to Oregon, which is becoming the Buckeyes’ biggest conference foe on the recruiting trail. The Ducks put together a stellar defensive back class, with Offord joining prospects like cornerback Dorian Brew and safety Trey McNutt, players Ohio State was targeting at one point.

Losing Offord is hard, but it doesn’t take away from how well cornerbacks coach Tim Walton has done on the recruiting trail. Sanchez is rated as the best of the bunch and could be an immediate-impact candidate for the Buckeyes.

Ohio State got insurance at the position by adding Jordyn Woods to the class in November. Though he’s just a three-star, his size at 6 feet 3 is something Ohio State is excited about. And the future is bright for Ohio State at the position with Sanchez, Jermaine Mathews Jr., Aaron Scott and Bryce West all set to be in the unit with multiple years of eligibility remaining.

Locking in St. Clair is a big deal

When St. Clair committed to Ohio State in June 2023, he was a three-star recruit who wasn’t well known nationally. Now, the standout from Bellefontaine, an hour away from Columbus, is a five-star recruit ranked in the top 10.

All Glory to God! Dreams to reality. It Just means more to be a Buckeye. Buckeye Nation…I’M HOME! 100% Committed…GO BUCKS!🅾️🌰🏠@ryandaytime @CoreyDennis_ @brianhartline @OhioStateFB @BHSChieftainFB @strength_bhs @MickWalker247 @SWiltfong247 @Bill_Kurelic @ChadSimmons_ pic.twitter.com/XdqYzpn8n0

— Tavien St. Clair (@TJSaint_1) June 21, 2023

St. Clair is Ohio State’s first in-state QB signee since Joe Burrow, and he’s also the first five-star quarterback in the 247Sports Composite that Ohio State has signed since Quinn Ewers in 2021. Ohio State has talked with both St. Clair and his parents about how high expectations can be, both locally and nationally.

His ceiling is as high as anybody in Ohio State’s quarterback room. He has the size at 6 foot 4 and 225 pounds already, he is athletic and he used his proximity to Columbus to help him get acclimated to the program. He has spent a lot of time during his recruitment in Columbus watching practice and trying to soak up as much as he can.

It might be too much to expect him to compete and take the job right away from Julian Sayin or Devin Brown, but the future in Ohio State’s quarterback room is the brightest it’s been since C.J. Stroud took over for Justin Fields.

New coaches make major impact on class

During the offseason, Ryan Day brought in two new coaches in safeties coach Matt Guerrieri and running backs coach Carlos Locklyn. He also promoted James Laurinaitis to linebackers coach, with Jim Knowles focusing on defensive coordinator duties.

All three made waves in their first class with the Buckeyes.

Perhaps nobody made a bigger impact than Laurinaitis. Ohio State signed three linebackers: in-state three-star Eli Lee, Florida four-star Tarvos Alford and Texas four-star Riley Pettijohn, the No. 2 linebacker in the class.

One of the reasons Ohio State moved Laurinaitis up, instead of adding a special teams coordinator, was because of his recruiting chops. He showed them off in a major way this cycle. He’s already developing Arvell Reese and Payton Pierce well in the unit, too.

Locklyn made his presence felt by signing three running backs. They include three-star Isaiah West from St. Joe’s Prep in Philadelphia and four-star in-state back Bo Jackson, plus he landed a signing day commitment from four-star Alabama decommit Anthony Rogers.

𝐍𝐒𝐃 ➡️ @anthonykrogers #THE25 | #GoBucks 🌰 pic.twitter.com/3gObGnmAqz

— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) December 4, 2024

Locklyn has been a boost to the running back room, signing two of the top 10 running backs in the class, a feat no other team did this year. It’s a big help to a room that desperately needed depth after missing in previous cycles and losing some players to the transfer portal.

Lastly, Guerrieri added one of the best players in the class in four-star Faheem Delane. Though Ohio State couldn’t get McNutt on board, Delane is a great addition. The No. 4 safety in the country, Delane is a versatile chess piece who will fit perfectly in Knowles’ defense. Ohio State also added four-star DeShawn Stewart and three-star Cody Haddad.

Offensive line still a major question

Ohio State got a big addition to its offensive line with four-star offensive tackle Carter Lowe. The Toledo native is a top-10 tackle in the class and was a must-get from the beginning. Ohio State badly needs tackle depth, though Day said that Lowe is a versatile player who can swing inside if needed.

Outside of Lowe, Ohio State added lower-end four-stars Jake Cook and Jayvon McFadden on the interior. That’s just not enough, especially with the issues on the roster right now.

Ohio State is going to lose four of its five starting offensive linemen this offseason. Day confirmed he expects to hit the transfer portal hard up front, but the Buckeyes still need more young players to develop depth. This has been offensive line coach Justin Frye’s shortcoming since he arrived from UCLA: He hasn’t added enough talent on the recruiting trail. His swings-and-misses and trouble developing young talent are why Ohio State is in such a bad position on the offensive line.

There is a tiny glimmer of hope. Ohio State has been after five-star tackle David Sanders Jr. for his entire recruitment, and the Tennessee commit did not sign with the Vols on Wednesday. He visited Ohio State for the win over Indiana, in a surprise move, and hasn’t made his decision official yet. Ohio State will be putting pressure on him, though it would be a surprise if he flips. If he does, it will be a major boost to an otherwise struggling offensive line class.

(Photo: Michael Reaves / Getty Images)