Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours, Buckeye Nation. Even with all eyes locked on The Game and that final business trip to Ann Arbor, Ohio State kept its foot on the gas on the recruiting trail. And as has
been the case all month, Wednesday delivered yet another reason for the Buckeyes to be thankful.
For a staff already on one of the hottest streaks in the country, this week has only strengthened what’s become the defining theme of the 2026 cycle: a class that flipped its own narrative and is now barreling toward a statement finish. The momentum has been real, and Wednesday added another exclamation point.
Buckeyes flip LSU commit to their 2026 class
Ohio State’s surge continued as the Buckeyes landed commitment No. 28 in the 2026 class, flipping three-star defensive lineman Darryus McKinley from LSU just weeks before the early signing period.
This one is significant on multiple levels. Not only does Ohio State replace the recent loss of Cameron Brickle with another defensive lineman, but they do so by pulling a Louisiana prospect whose older brother currently plays for the Tigers. That’s a massive win for Larry Johnson and the defensive staff, and further proof that Ohio State’s close isn’t slowing down.
McKinley — No. 600 player nationally and No. 73 defensive lineman in the 247Sports Composite — may not carry the highest ranking in the class, but his offer sheet tells a very different story: Auburn, Florida, LSU, Miami, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, and plenty more. At 6-foot-3 and 270 pounds, he fits the mold of a player Mick Marotti can mold into a real contributor once he gets to campus.
Another position of need filled. Another recruiting battle won. Another sign that Ohio State’s sixth-ranked class nationally is trending exactly the way you’d want entering December.
Quick Hits:
Ohio State extended a new offer to Arizona athlete Keaton Fields, one of the early headliners in the 2028 class. Fields is ranked No. 150 player nationally and the No. 17 athlete per the 247Sports Composite and continues the Buckeyes’ push to establish relationships early in a loaded West Coast cycle.
