Even despite yet another noon start time for a marquee matchup, Ohio State’s home crowd showed out on Saturday against Texas. The Buckeyes defeated the Longhorns 14-7 in a raucous environment, and while the results on the field were obviously good, so too was the momentum gained on the recruiting trail.
With dozens of recruits in attendance for the season opener, Ohio State’s big win left many impressed. As a result, the Buckeyes have moved into the lead for several top prospects in both the 2027
and 2028 recruiting classes.
First up, Ohio State is now the trending school for 2027 four-star EDGE Reinaldo Perez. The No. 22 DL and No. 213 player overall per the 247Sports Composite, Perez is also the No. 5 player in Ohio in the cycle. The 6-foot-5, 245-pound defensive lineman plays his high school ball at Columbus Academy, and was offered by Larry Johnson this past June.
Following the Buckeyes’ victory on Saturday, On3’s Steve Wiltfong and Greg Smith both logged RPM predictions in favor of Ohio State landing Perez. They join OSU insider Alex Gleitman, who predicted the same back when the Buckeyes first offered.
Perez was voted the top high school football junior in central Ohio by the Columbus Dispatch after recording 67 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and eight sacks last season, earning second-team all-district in Division V. Perez holds 20 offers from the likes of Arizona State, Florida, Indiana, Tennessee, USC and others, including of course Ohio State.
Moving to the 2028 class, Ohio State has received an On3 RPM for five-star WR Eric McFarland. The IMG Academy product is the No. 5 WR and No. 13 overall player in the cycle, as well as the No. 5 player in Florida. Originally from Las Vegas, the 5-foot-9, 175-pound pass-catcher reportedly ran a 4.37 laser-timed 40-yard dash at the age of 14.
On Saturday, vice president of recruiting and transfer portal for On3, Steve Wiltfong, logged an RPM for McFarland in favor of Ohio State. With Brian Hartline at the helm of the Buckeyes’ wide receiver room, any and all prospects at the position are surely on the table, and McFarland seems to be showing interest in joining the growing list of legendary players to be coached by Hartline.
McFarland holds a whopping 35 offers to his name thus far, including the likes of Auburn, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Oregon and many others. Hartline was early on the case in this one, having offered McFarland all the way back in May of 2024.
McFarland made the 2024 MaxPreps Freshman All-American team after catching 36 passes for 574 yards and eight touchdowns.
Turning things back to the 2027 class, Ohio State is also trending for a pair of in-state offensive lineman. St. Clairsville’s Mason Wilt and Liberty Center’s Kellen Wymer both received On3 RPMs in favor of Ohio State following the win on Saturday.
Wilt is listed as the No. 25 IOL and No. 12 player in Ohio per the 247Sports Composite, while Wymer is unranked for now, but is a rapidly rising prospect in the 2027 class. Both guys were predicted by Wiltfong to end up at Ohio State.
Wilt holds around a dozen offers for his services thus far, including Cincinnati, Florida State, NC State, Virginia Tech and others, with Ohio State also in the mix. Wymer has a similarly sized offer sheet, with his list including Indiana, Michigan State, Northwestern, and more, plus the Buckeyes.
Quick Hits
On Saturday night, Ohio State linebackers coach James Laurinaitis offered 2027 LB Josiah Poyer. A three-star prospect out of St. John Bosco in California, Poyer is the No. 46 LB in the class per 247Sports.
