In-state 2026 targets, top Florida edge rusher set to visit Ohio State in coming weeks

The Buckeyes continue to see the list of spring visitors grow with top talent.

With NFL Combine activities now underway, Ohio State couldn’t be more well represented. Sure to impress scouts and NFL personnel both on and off the field the rest of this week, this is just a prequel to what looks to be a rather impressive draft class of Buckeyes.

A major recruiting pitch to the top recruits out there on Ohio State’s board, seeing that many Buckeyes in the spotlight is a testament to the development being provided in Columbus. Pairing these next-level types of opportunities with a national championship victory is an excellent bonus.

The coaching staff will use these highlights to further showcase their program, and if national championships and the NFL are continuing to be the top goals for elite high school players, there’s no reason to look any further than Ohio State.

In-state running back keeping close eye on Ohio State

It’s going to be fun to see who running back’s coach Carlos Locklyn will land in this 2026 class knowing the talent that’s out there. With offers out to many of the nation’s top players at the position, Locklyn doesn’t need much of a recruiting pitch other than what he was able to help develop in his first year at Ohio State.

Winning the ultimate prize and doing so with the best one-two punch at running back in the country, the Buckeyes showed a recipe for success that should carry over in the seasons to come. Likely wanting to take at least two at the position in 2026, the staff has been all over the country looking for the top options to add, but Ohio also has a name worth watching inside state lines even if he doesn’t yet hold an offer from the Buckeyes.

Four-star running back Favour Akih is the No. 192 player nationally and 16th ranked running back per the 247Sports Composite. Having 20-plus offers to his name, Ohio State knows what he’s all about, but has yet to pull the trigger — though the likes of Miami, Penn State, and USC have.

Keeping the lines of communication open, Akih will make the short trek to campus this spring as he has every intention of visiting Ohio State once again. Not out of the question that he ends up earning an offer from the Buckeyes, keeping in touch and making return trips to campus may not guarantee anything, but does help the idea that Akih will in fact get the nod from the home town team soon enough.

Buckeyes atop of the priority list for Ohio native linebacker

With an offer going out this past January, the momentum for Ohio State quickly grew for in-state linebacker prospect CJ Sanna. The No. 438 player nationally and the 33rd best linebacker in the 2026 class per the 247Sports Composite , Sanna is the classic Ohio-tough linebacker the Buckeyes have recruited so many times before. Right now, it does seem as if the local program is the team to beat.

Holding offers from the likes of Iowa, Missouri, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, and several others, Sanna is going through the process, and Ohio State has plenty of opportunities in the near future to make sure he stays home. Set to be back on campus in the coming weeks, Sanna has two spring trips planned to see Ohio State, but has also locked in his official visit for the final weekend of May, further proving how highly he thinks of his in-state Buckeyes.

A class that could be an all-Ohio situation thanks to Cincere Johnson and Storm Miller, position coach James Lauriniatis doesn’t have to look too far for guys that can reload his room, and Sanna also sits in that grouping. The Buckeyes will take every shot they can at Georgia native Tyler Atkinson as well, but their own backyard has some real talent.

Sanna is taking every opportunity to see the ins and outs of the Buckeye program.

Quick Hits

• Every passing day there’s a new name worth mentioning in regard to an upcoming Ohio State visit, and Wednesday was no different, as Florida native, Asharri Charles shared his visit plans to see the Buckeyes in the coming weeks. The No. 248 player nationally and the 22nd best edge rusher in the 2026 class per the 247Sports Composite, Charles will be in Columbus for a weekend stay April 29-31.