The month of May is one of the slower months for Ohio State football. However, slower for the Ohio State football coaching staff is different than most. While there is still time before summer football begins, Ryan Day and his staff are busy hitting the recruiting trail.
The Buckeyes have been hitting the trail head on the last couple of weeks, travelling to all areas of the country in efforts of finding the nation’s top high school football players and convince them to come to Ohio State. The work
has been worthwhile as the Buckeyes have accumulated one of the top recruiting classes for 2027. They currently hold 12 verbal commitments, which is good enough for the No. 9 class according to 247Sports.
Because of this impressive start in the class, Ohio State has been able to put more focus on the 2028 cycle. Building relationships early with a recruit goes a long way in becoming a contender late in their recruitment, and on Monday, Ohio State offered two of the nation’s top prospects in the class.
2028 four-star running back Ian Thomas (Tomball, TX / Tomball) was the first to take to social media Monday to announce his offer from the Buckeyes. Thomas is the No. 3 RB in the 2028 cycle according to the 247Sports Composite and is the No. 55 national recruit. He is also the No. 7 recruit from the talent-rich state of Texas.
Ohio State is far from the first school to offer Thomas, as can be expected with one of the top running back prospects in his class. He already holds more than 15 scholarship offers from the likes of Arkansas, Florida, Florida State, Houston, Iowa State, Kentucky, LSU, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, UCLA, and now Ohio State.
The Buckeyes do not yet hold a commitment at running back in their 2027 class, but they do have one in the fold for 2028. Four-star RB Elijah Newman-Hall (Bradenton, FL / IMG Academy) committed to Ohio State in June of last year, and Thomas would make for an excellent addition alongside him.
Another 2028 recruit to receive the coveted Ohio State offer Monday was 2028 four-star CB Nate Dollard (Charlotte, NC / Charlotte Country Day), who, like Thomas, is another rising name in the 2028 cycle. He is the No. 15 CB in the 247Sports Composite and is the No. 148 national recruit. He is also the No. 7 recruit out of North Carolina.
Again, similarly to Thomas, it is still early in Dollard’s recruitment, but Ohio State already has some strong competition for the blue-chip corner. Holding nearly 30 offers already, Dollard is being recruited by the likes of Alabama, Auburn, Duke, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Indiana, LSU, Miami, Missouri, NC State, North Carolina, Ole Miss, Oregon, Texas, Texas A&M, Notre Dame, and many more.
Neither Dollard nor Thomas has found their way to Ohio State’s campus for a visit yet, but expect the Buckeyes to try and get them on campus this summer and then again this fall for a game-day visit. While just now receiving their scholarship offers, Ohio State is viewed as a real contender for both Dollard and Thomas, but will need to continue to build on the relationships with both of them if they want to be one of their finalists later in their recruitments.
Quick Hits
Ohio State learned on Monday that it moved one step closer to securing a commitment from an elite corner back in the 2027 recruiting class that was previously not available. Four-star CB Monsanna Torbert (Cincinnati, OH / Princeton) announced his decommitment from Indiana on Monday, and the Buckeyes will likely jump to increase their communication with him. Being from Ohio, Torbert is no stranger to Ohio State, and the Buckeyes were recruiting him prior to his commitment to the Hoosiers.
Ohio State will very much get back in the race for the blue-chip prospect, and has to be viewed as one of the early favorites to land him following Monday’s news. However, they are not alone as Notre Dame and Michigan have also been recruiting Torbert through his commitment to the Hoosiers. Torbert is the No. 16 CB in the 247Sports Composite, and he is the No. 139 national recruit. He is also the No. 6 recruit from Ohio.
