Ohio State is now 8-0 following an impressive 38-14 victory over Penn State last weekend. While the game was not as important as it looked earlier on this season, it still presented the Buckeyes with the opportunity
to impress against a team of blue-chip athletes.
Impress is what Ohio State’s football team did on the field, especially in the second half.
Ohio Stadium was full of Buckeye Nation who succeeded in blacking out Ohio Stadium for the game. The blackout was done in opposition on Penn State’s notorious white out, and the fans and the team both combined to create an electric atmosphere in Columbus.
The fans and team were not alone in the the stadium Saturday, as Ohio State was also playing host to a handful of recruits. The Buckeyes won on the field Saturday, and by all reports they won on the recruiting trail as well.
However, Ohio State did suffer a loss to start the week as 2026 three-star offensive tackle Aaron Thomas (Phoenix, AZ / Mountain Pointe) announced his decommitment from the Buckeyes.
Thomas committed to Ohio State in June of this year and was a strong depth piece along the offensive front for Ohio State’s 2026 class. However, in recent weeks Thomas started showing interest in other schools, particularly Florida State, who started making the blue-chip OT more of a priority late in his recruitment.
Thomas always expressed interest in Florida State, as he is a legacy at the school a his father played for the Seminoles in the 90’s. Earlier in October, Thomas took an unofficial visit with Florida State, and according to many reports the Buckeyes were more than understanding of him exploring his options.
Fast-forward to Monday and he is no longer a member of Ohio State’s class.
The decommitment brings Ohio State’s recruiting class to 21 members, still good enough for the No. 9 school in the 247Sports Class Rankings for the 2026 class. Thomas is the No. 46 OT in the 247Sports Composite and is the No. 506 national recruit. He is also the No. 8 recruit out of Arizona.
Ohio State still holds a strong haul along the offensive line in this year’s class. The Buckeyes hold commitments from four-star OT’s Sam Greer and Maxwell Riley as well as three-star OL Tucker Smith and three-star OT Landry Brede and they may try and add to this haul to replace Thomas.
The first name to come to mind is four-star Penn State OT commit Kevin Brown (Harrisburg, PA / Harrisburg) who took an unofficial visit with the Buckeyes last weekend when they played host to the team he is currently committed to.
The visit went well by all reports, and when speaking with Steve Wiltfong of on3.com he said Ohio State “had everything for (him).”
Brown is still committed to Penn State and has not hinted at a decommitment. However, following the recent coaching changes at Penn State, he is well within his right to make sure The Nittany Lions are still the best program for him moving forward and if not, Ohio State looks be one of the best options still on the table.
Brown is the No. 6 OT in the 247Sports Composite and is the No. 61 national recruit. He is also the No. 2 recruit out of the talent-rich state on Pennsylvania.
Ohio State makes the cut for 2027 5-star WR
Ohio State’s 2026 class is all but wrapped up, and because of this, Ryan Day and the Ohio State coaching staff have been able to place more focus on next year’s class. The Buckeyes’ 2027 class is already highlighted by some impressive names and the team added two Ohio offensive tackles to the group over the weekend.
The good news surrounding the class didn’t end there as Ohio State learned Monday it made the cut for another elite prospect in next year’s class in five-star ATH Xavier Sabb (Glassboro, NJ / Glassboro).
Sabb is one of the biggest names in the 2027 class and he holds more than two dozen scholarship offers. In his top school announcement, he cut his list down to ten schools and alongside the Buckeyes he included Alabama, USC, Oregon, Tennessee, Miami, Texas A&M, Notre Dame, Nebraska and Georgia in his top ten schools.
Ohio State offered Sabb in September of 2024 and have continued recruiting him and making him feel like a priority. He took an unofficial visit with the Buckeyes in March for a spring recruiting camp, but the Buckeyes certainly are trying to get him on campus for a gameday visit.
They will need to do so if they are going to become serious contenders for Sabb, as Alabama, Oregon and Nebraska seem to be the current favorites. Sabb and his brother 2026 three-star WR Amari Sabb both have visits scheduled with those three schools.
Sabb is the No. 1 ATH in the 247Sports Composite and he projects as a WR at the collegiate level. He is also the No. 21 national recruit and the No. 1 recruit out of New Jersey.
