4-star safety Jordan Battle decommits from Ohio State

The Ohio State Buckeyes have one less recruit in their 2019 recruiting class, as four-star safety Jordan Battle decommitted from the program. In a not-so-shocking turn of events, Battle has committed to the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Battle was the third highest rated commit for OSU in the class heading into the Early Signing Period. Behind wide receiver Garrett Wilson and offensive lineman Harry Miller, Battle was the crown jewel of the defense heading into signing day. Now, that is no longer the case.

Representing St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.), Battle electrified on the field. In the 247sports recruiting composite, he is ranked as the 77th best prospect in the entire class; additionally, he was seen as the sixth best safety overall and 10th best Floridian for the upcoming recruiting cycle.

With the likes of Joey Bosa and Nick Bosa coming to Columbus by way of St. Thomas Aquinas, there appeared to be a pipeline for the Bucks in the prominent Florida high school— thanks to Urban Meyer’s efforts. Battle verbally committed to Ohio State on June 29, 2018, and all seemed good for the time being.

Alabama began making a push in recent months for the Fort Lauderdale native, and within the last few days, were projected by numerous recruiting insiders to win the commitment for Battle in the end.

Since the announcement that Ryan Day would become head coach of Ohio State after the Rose Bowl, the Buckeyes have lost three commitments, with this one being the first from the 2019 class.

We wish Jordan all the best as he continues his academic and athletic pursuits.