Ohio State hosts several big recruiting targets and current commits during win over Nebraska

The Buckeyes made the most of their first home game in two weeks.

Another home game for Ohio State on Saturday meant another chance to host a large handful of top prospects. The Buckeyes only have a few games left at Ohio Stadium on the schedule the rest of the season, and the coaching staff must make the most of them in terms of recruiting visits. This past weekend was no different, as a bunch of big names were in attendance to witness Ohio State’s win over Nebraska.

Of the many talented players who flocked to Columbus over the last few days, the name everyone had their eyes on was none other than five-star defensive lineman Jahkeem Stewart. The Louisiana native, who has reclassified from the 2026 class to 2025, is the No. 3 DL and No. 14 player nationally per the 247Sports Composite in the current cycle.

Ohio State is among the top four schools for Stewart, who is also considering LSU, Oregon and USC. It is the second time in as many games for the Buckeyes that Stewart has been on hand, as the lineman was also present in Eugene to witness the Ducks’ one-point victory over OSU at Autzen Stadium. The Edna Karr product plans to see Ohio State once more this season, notably for the Nov. 30 clash with rival Michigan.

In addition to one of Ohio State’s top remaining targets being on campus, so too was one of the Buckeyes’ toughest battles among its current commits in four-star defensive end Zahir Mathis. The Philly native has been committed to Ohio State since January, but the nation’s No. 5 EDGE and No. 67 overall player in the 2025 class has also been rumored as a potential flip candidate for quite some time.

Penn State has been unrelenting in its pursuit of Mathis, and the in-state program appears to be putting the pressure on Ohio State in its quest to retain the talented edge rusher’s pledge. The 6-foot-6 lineman has visited Happy Valley a handful of times already, so the coaching staff is hoping this trip to Columbus for his official visit will go a long way in securing his spot in the Buckeyes’ class ahead of signing day.

That being said, there were a number of other highly regarded prospects across various recruiting cycles also in attendance this weekend.

Maxwell Hiller, a five-star offensive tackle in the 2027 class, is of course an incredibly important target for Ohio State even with him being just a high school sophomore. The 6-foot-5 Pennsylvania native ranks as the No. 4 OT and No. 29 player nationally per the 247Sports Composite, and it is clear the Buckeyes are making him a priority super early on in the process — and rightfully so, given their prior recruiting failures at the position.

Here are a few of the other notable names that were in attendance on Saturday:

• 2026 four-star RB Ja’Michael Jones (Pike Road / Montgomery, AL)

• 2026 running back Favour Akih (Rutherford B Hayes / Delaware, OH)

• 2027 athlete Max Brown (Jefferson / Jefferson, GA)

• 2025 three-star CB Jordyn Woods (Cartersville / Cartersville, GA)

• 2026 three-star DL Blake Smythe (Franklin Community / Franklin, IN)

• 2026 wide receiver Justen Hodge (Mentor / Mentor, OH)

• 2027 linebacker Jake Godfree (North Gwinnett / Suwanee, GA)

Quick Hits

• As we prepare to flip the calendar to November, weekends in Columbus aren’t just for football anymore. The Ohio State mens basketball team did some work on the recruiting front over the weekend as well, offering 2026 power forward Tristan Reed. A native of St. Louis, MO, Reed is the No. 13 PF and No. 82 player nationally per the 247Sports Composite. Reed’s older brother, Tarris Reed Jr., spent two years at Michigan before transferring to UConn this offseason.