Ohio State makes the cut for a top 2027 QB target, will host 2025 Michigan State commit

A highly touted quarterback keeps Ohio State in his top schools after narrowing his list down to 12.

When it comes to quarterback recruiting in the 2027 class, Ohio State currently only has two offers sent out. The most frequent name that has been associated with the Buckeyes early on has been California native Brady Edmunds. Though there’s plenty of time before his commitment is made known, his connection to Ohio State has made him the clear leader to be the guy in that class.

Ryan Day and his staff don’t need to have a signal caller committed that far in advance with the amount of aspects that could change before that cycle is at the forefront of the conversation. With the needs of the 2026 class being the priority — at least at quarterback — the Buckeyes have time, but it’s a great trend to not only be highly regarded by maybe your top target, but also the second offered player as well.

Taking to social media on Thursday to release the latest update in his recruitment, fellow 2027 quarterback Trae Taylor (Mundelein, Illinois/Carmel Catholic) kept the Buckeyes in his top 12 schools list as just the second at his position to hold an Ohio State offer.

A 6-foot-2, 175 pound athlete, Taylor is not currently ranked via 247Sports, but with upwards of 30 offers to his name, he’s sure to see a rankings boost in the near future. Cutting out half of the schools who have offered thus far, Taylor kept Illinois, Iowa, LSU, Michigan, Nebraska, NC State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Ohio State in the fold as his top contenders.

Again, Day and company have tons of time before they really need to press for a quarterback in the 2027 class, but having two offers out early on and having both thinking highly of your program is exactly how you want to start off. A lot could change before the 2027 class is the current cycle, but right now the Buckeyes have identified both Taylor and the aforementioned Edmunds as the early guys they are most interested in.

Elsewhere, Ohio State has long wanted to take three cornerbacks in the 2025 class. Position coach Tim Walton has the two best players at the spot currently committed thanks to Devin Sanchez and Na’eem Offord, but three is the desire knowing the turnover that could come after the 2024 season’s end. Offord has continued to entertain other programs, and while the Buckeyes aren’t necessarily worried, the staff wants to have backup plans in case they are to lose Offord elsewhere.

Prepared regardless of what happens, Ohio State’s knows what it’s doing, and Walton specifically deserves to be trusted with the elite efforts and success he’s had on the trail the last two years. Knowing these guys have to be recruited even past signing day in today’s world of college football, getting additional names on the big board is a necessary trend, and the Buckeyes look to be doing exactly that as soon as this weekend.

Set to host a Michigan State commit on Saturday, news broke Thursday that Ayden West would be in town for an official visit with Ohio State. The No. 1092 player nationally and 98th best cornerback in the 2025 class per the 247Sports Composite, West doesn’t have the stock that the Sanchez and Offord have, but these coaches clearly think highly enough of his talents to bring him in on an official.

Offers from 20-plus schools to his name, the Buckeyes are not currently on that list, but this weekend could make that change in a hurry if all goes well. Knowing the need to restock the depth, trying to flip a player this late in the game makes sense, and West very well could be one target this staff is pinpointing as the early signing day approaches.

Quick Hits

• In addition to a several others planning to be in attendance this weekend, Ohio State learned on Thursday that Michigan native Anthony Cartwright will also be in town to watch the top five match-up with Indiana.

A 6-foot-4, 200 pound athlete in the 2027 class, Cartwright is currently the No. 61 player nationally and eighth best at his position per the 247Sports Composite. Offers from the likes of Alabama, Colorado, Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, Tennessee, and more, getting Cartwright on campus this early on in his recruitment is a win for the Buckeyes who’d love nothing more than to poach one of the best player’s in Michigan’s back yard.