Ohio State makes the cut for 2026 four-star safety

The Buckeyes also saw 2025 four-star WR commit Quincy Porter impress over the weekend.

Ohio State is now 3-0 in the newly expanded College Football Playoff following another impressive showing this past weekend. Ohio State will once again be playing for the national championship after defeating Texas 28-14 in the Cotton Bowl.

The Buckeyes will now have a week to prepare for Notre Dame, who the team will take on in the championship game. Because of this, and rightfully so, many of the headlines surrounding the Ohio State football team this well focus on the upcoming game and the many storylines that will come along with it.

The same can be said for the Ohio State coaching staff, but Ryan Day and co. will also continue to put an emphasis into recruiting. With the transfer portal being open and with high school football seasons over, recruiting will soon be heating up and Ohio State will not be missing out on the fun.

This dedication to recruiting keeps Ohio State in the college football recruiting headlines and Monday was no different. In case you missed out on any of the Ohio State recruiting news, Land-Grant Holy Land has you covered.

2026 four-star safety has Ohio State as a top school

With the 2025 recruiting cycle all but wrapped up for the Buckeyes, the Ohio State coaching staff has shifted focus towards the transfer portal and the 2026 class. Fortunately for the Buckeyes, the staff has been building relationships with recruits in the 2026 class for months now, if not longer.

This hard work has led to Ohio State earning four verbal commitments already in the class, good for the No. 12 spot in the 247Sports Class Rankings. The Buckeyes are constantly working on adding to this and the team moved one step closer to doing so on Monday when it learned 2026 four-star safety Zech Fort (Bradenton, FL / IMG Academy) included the team in his top 6 schools.

Alongside Ohio State, the blue-chip safety also included Georgia, Notre Dame, Florida, Alabama and Florida State in his top schools. Fort has made visits with each of his six finalists and has found his way to Ohio State’s campus multiple times, the last being the Ohio State versus Michigan game in November.

Ohio State also has another tool in its arsenal for recruiting Fort which is that the safety has family ties to the program, and he has said the Buckeyes were his dream school as a kid. Rest assured, Ryan Day and the Ohio State coaching staff will use this in his recruitment.

Fort has also reportedly mentioned he would like to commit earlier than later. He spoke with Chad Simmons of On3.com recently and said that he may be ready to come to a decision by February.

There have been no 247Sports Crystal Ball predictions cast for Fort but the On3 predictions favor Alabama, giving them a 25.6 percent chance compared to a 14.5 percent chance for the Buckeyes.

Fort is the No. 8 safety in the 247Sports Composite Rankings and he is the No. 103 overall recruit. He is also the No. 18 recruit out of the talent-rich state of Florida.

Quick Hits

• Ohio State 2025 four-star wide receiver recruit Quincy Porter impressed all of last week in practice, leading up to the All-American Bowl on NBC. The good impressions continued during the weekend game as Porter had quite the performance. He was listed as one of the overall top performers by On3 and made this impressive play on fourth-and-20.

• The recent buzz surrounding Ohio State recruiting has revolved around former Alabama defensive end transfer target Damon Wilson II, the No. 5 transfer portal prospect. The Buckeyes were one of his finalists in his recruitment, and because of this immediately became contenders to land him.

Wilson has visited with both the Buckeyes and Missouri since entering the portal and Ohio State has remained the favorites until recently. There is a feeling Missouri could quickly jump the Buckeyes as the favorite to land him, if they have not already. Land-Grant Holy Land will continue to keep you updated on his recruitment.