Ohio State among final two for a top in-state 2026 OL target

The Buckeyes will look to keep their in-state recruiting momentum going with an important in-state offensive lineman.

Fresh off a national championship, Ohio State’s offensive line — both players and coach — deserve a ton of praise. No stranger to criticism this year, Justin Frye had his unit ready when the lights shined the brightest, quieting the skeptics. Seeing his guys perform at an elite level down the stretch, it’s a credit to his development and coaching, which will keep him in Columbus for the time being even if many thought otherwise just a few short weeks ago.

With a national title now under his belt, it’s back to the recruiting realm, and the greatest accolade you can earn as a team should help bring some positive momentum. Whether it be with high school prospects or even in the transfer portal, Frye’s success should be celebrated, and many of these top players took notice of what he was able to help lead.

With the near future providing an opportunity to see if the recruiting success will increase along the offensive line, earlier this week in-state target Maxwell Riley shared his plans to not only commit to the school of his choice soon, but also that he is down to just Clemson and Ohio State as his final suitors.

The No. 97 player nationally and eighth best offensive tackle in the 2026 class per the 247Sports Composite, Riley has long been on Ohio State’s radar, but Clemson is a major threat to the Buckeyes — and still are. A player that has been rumored to prefer the smaller setting Clemson would provide in comparison to Columbus, the Tigers beating Ohio State here would hurt, but knowing the Buckeyes are in it this late is promising, especially considering the current state of the program.

It’s not often that big-time Ohio natives leave the state for other programs, and Frye will work overtime to make sure that’s not the case in this instance either. He has a ton of positive energy surrounding his unit right now ,and hopefully that helps keep Riley at home, who is the top offensive tackle in the state with a college ready 6-foot-5, 280-pound frame.

Buckeyes in the top-10 for 2026 running back

Watching Ohio State’s two-headed monster at running back cap off their season with the ultimate prize is testament to how well TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins complimented each other and bought into the process. Rushing for 1,000 yards each, it was pick your poison all year for the Buckeyes, and that should speak volumes as the position continues to recruit the next wave of backs.

Sure to catch the interest of top running back targets all over the country, this week one class of 2026 prospect updated his recruitment by trimming his list of top schools down to 10, and kept Ohio State very much in the mix until that decision goes final.

Five-star running back Derrek Cooper is the No. 23 player in the country and third best athlete per the 247Sports Composite. Down to just 10 schools from his offer list of 30 programs, only Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Miami, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Penn State, and Texas A&M remain.

A Florida native and Chaminade-Madonna product, the Buckeyes struck gold with his prep program thanks to the likes of Jeremiah Smith, and would love nothing more than to be a continued presence at a school that is constantly churning out top players. Seeing what JJ did this season certainly doesn’t hurt Ohio State’s chances moving forward.

With double-digit running backs currently offered by the Buckeyes in the 2026 class, there may not be a real leader in the clubhouse for a player most likely to commit at this point, but toting a national championship ring and two 1,000-yard backs is sure to help that change soon.

Quick Hits

• Attracting top players more times than not, Ohio State doesn’t necessarily have to win it all to be a more attractive program for recruits, but it doesn’t hurt! Five-star caliber players are taking notice of the historical run the Buckeyes just had. Taking time to share his pro-Ohio State thoughts, the No. 1 overall player in the country per the 247Sports Composite is liking what he saw from Ohio State the last month of the season.

A 6-foot-7, 300 pound offensive tackle, Jackson Cantwell hasn’t been shy about his takeaways from the Buckeyes, and recently took time to express those thoughts with On3’s Steve Wiltfong.