Photo Via @DeuceGeralds/Twitter
July 11 was a day for the Buckeyes to forget on the recruiting trail. In a span of a few hours, the Buckeyes missed out on back-to-back four-star recruits.
Top 400-ranked offensive lineman J.B. Shabazz started the tough night for the Buckeyes, by picking Tennessee over Ohio State and South Carolina. Then, top 150-ranked defensive lineman KJ Ford, who in addition to the Buckeyes, was also considering Alabama, Florida and Texas A&M, chose the Gators.
Despite missing out on Shabazz and Ford along the offensive line and defensive line, respectively, the Buckeyes are in decent shape in the trenches. First-year offensive line coach Tyler Bowen has helped Ohio State gain four commitments along the offensive line, including four-star offensive tackles Sam Greer and Maxwell Riley.
Veteran defensive-line coach Larry Johnson, meanwhile, has earned commitments from four-star defensive tackle Damari Simeon, four-star defensive end Khary Wilder and three-star defensive tackles Cameron Brickle and Jamir Perez.
Johnson and the Buckeyes will hope to add another defensive lineman to their 2026 class when four-star defensive lineman Deuce Geralds commits on August 2. Geralds, the No. 73-ranked player in the class and a native of Suwanee, Ga., is down to a list of five finalists, including LSU, Michigan, Ole Miss and Oregon in addition to the Buckeyes.
