The Ohio State football team has been on an unbelievable hot streak as of late. In the month of November alone, the Buckeyes have landed 11 commits, seven in the 2026 class and four in 2027. On Tuesday, Ryan Day’s program notched two of those prospects, f2027 our-star offensive tackle Brody McNeel and three-star linebacker Braxton Rembert.
Rembert originally committed to Wake Forest in June, but after receiving an offer from OSU just before Halloween, flipped his pledge to the Buckeyes.
A high-upside, versatile defender
Rembert comes from Mill Creek High School in Hoschton, Georgia, the same school that produced Ohio State safety Caleb Downs. At 6-foot-5 and 200 pounds, Rembert has a lean, athletic frame that projects well for further development. However, there are some who believe that he will need to change positions at the next level.
At 6-foot-5, he is bordering on being too tall to play linebacker. While he is currently undersized to play defensive end at the collegiate level, that long frame should be able to pack on some muscle, especially after Mickey Marotti and company get him through an off-season program.
Whatever position the Buckeye coaching staff decides to slot Rembert into, he will probably need a little time to develop. As the No. 590 player in the country according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings, it is likely that he is coming to Columbus as a developmental player. However, whether he is eventually coached by James Laurinaitis or Larry Johnson, those are pretty good guys to learn under.
Check out highlights of Braxton Rember:
During his senior season, Rembert has flashed impressive playmaking instincts, showcasing the range, burst, and physicality that the Buckeye coaching staff is hoping will allow him to have an impact in multiple areas of the field.
Why he chose Ohio State
Other than the fact that any player named Braxton should be bound by law to play for the Buckeyes, it appears that OSU’s late push led to Rember’s flip. For a good portion of 2025, it appeared that Ohio State was unsure of how to navigate the ever-changing landscape of recruiting. With the increased importance of NIL, it seemed like Day and the program’s General Manager Mark Pantoni were playing things unnecessarily cautiously.
However, that has changed over the past few weeks. After offering Rembert on Oct. 26, the Buckeyes doubled down by bringing him in on an official visit for the UCLA game. Then, just three days later, he made it official by joining this year’s class.
It’s unlikely that Ohio State promised much (if any) money to Rembert up front, but given the Buckeyes’ track record for turning linebackers and defensive linemen of all recruiting pedigrees into NFL multi-millionaires, I’d say that Rembert made a good business decision.
What it means for Ohio State’s class
Rembert becomes the third linebacker in OSU’s 2026 class, joining Cincere Johnson (No. 63 nationally) and C.J. Sanna (No. 301). Rembert brings an exciting profile that highlights his raw, high-ceiling athleticism. While he may very much be a project early on, his versatility, ability to drop into coverage, rushing off the edge, or support against the run, gives the Buckeyes a flexible defensive piece to mold in the coming year.
With Rembert’s commitment, Ohio State now has 28 commits in its 2026 class. If that number holds, that would be the most players that Ryan Day has brought in during his tenure in Columbus. His previous high was 26 and came in both 2020 and 2025. However, the willingness to increase the class size not only seems to reflect the change in roster sizes, but also the reality that, in a world of increased transfers and skyrocketing NIL, it pays to get as many potential impact players into your program early as possible.
Then, you let the developmental side of your program do its work and hope that you hit on more players than you miss on.
