Ohio State was widely considered the favorite to land a commitment from Suwanee (Ga.) North Gwinnett four-star cornerback Jordan Hancock until he took an unofficial visit to Clemson in early March and pledged his services to the Tigers just a few days later.
The Buckeyes maintained contact with Hancock in the meantime, though, and that persistence paid off when he decommitted from Clemson on Tuesday evening, as first reported by 247Sports’ Anna Hickey.
Per a source, 4-star CB Jordan Hancock has de-committed from Clemson. Ohio State the heavy favorite now. https://t.co/GFzvcE48ss
— Anna Hickey (@AnnaH247) July 15, 2020
The 6-1, 171-pound Hancock — who is considered the sixth-best cornerback and No. 76 prospect overall in the class of 2021 — becomes the second player to decommit from the Tigers in the last three months, joining Corona (Calif.) Centennial five-star defensive end Korey Foreman, which is quite significant since the program hadn’t suffered a single decommitment in the previous three recruiting cycles combined.
Hancock admittedly grew up rooting for Ohio State, and even has a video game controller and blanket with the Buckeyes’ logo in his bedroom. Those close to him believed his commitment to the program was inevitable because of that, with a planned unofficial visit in the spring expected to seal the deal. But things quickly changed during the aforementioned trip to Clemson, and Hancock cited the campus’ proximity to his hometown and the overall focus on faith as the reasons why he picked the Tigers.
In the months since Hancock’s initial decision, Ohio State has loaded up on commitments in the secondary. But head coach Ryan Day, defensive coordinator Kerry Coombs and linebackers coach/area recruiter Al Washington have also made it clear there would always be a spot for Hancock if he ever wanted to flip to the Buckeyes.
Members of Ohio State’s top-rated recruiting class — including those who have been publicly and privately interacting with Hancock in recent weeks — took to social media to display their satisfaction with his decision, suggesting a pledge to the Buckeyes might be imminent. However, sources close to the situation suggest he could wait until he can make it back to campus, where he has not been since he attended Ohio State’s win over Wisconsin in October, before announcing his commitment.
If Hancock ultimately does choose the Buckeyes, it’s worth keeping an eye on his high school teammate, Clemson four-star linebacker commit Barrett Carter. The two have been vocal about their desire to play together at the next level, and Carter included Ohio State among his final schools before choosing the Tigers in May.
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