BOOOOM! Four-star athlete Jantzen Dunn commits to Ohio State

I know everyone in Buckeye Nation was starting to get worried, as it has been a few days since Ohio State picked up another big commitment. Well, fear not, ladies and gentleman, as the sound of another BOOM can be heard around Columbus.

Four-star athlete Jantzen Dunn has announced via his Twitter page that he has committed to Ohio State. The 6-foot-2, 178-pound prospect out of Bowling Green, KY is the No. 7 athlete in the class, the No. 1 athlete in Kentucky, and the No. 146 player in the class overall according to the 247Sports rankings.

With both Matt Barnes and Kerry Coombs in on the recruiting process for Dunn, the high-level track athlete likely projects as a defensive back at the collegiate level. For Coombs, it is the fifth commit in the Buckeyes’ 2021 class that he has had some part in recruiting — an impressive haul in his first season back in the college game, not that anyone ever doubted his recruiting prowess.

Dunn had cut his list down to his top seven at the end of March, with Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami, Oklahoma, Tennessee, USC and Ohio State all having made the cut. In the end, it was the Buckeyes who made the final push.

On Saturday night, Dunn tweeted he had “big news” coming. About a half hour prior, three new Crystal Ball predictions rolled in for the athlete to choose the Sooners, including 247Sports director of recruiting Steve Wiltfong, and it appeared as though it may be a done deal. Even Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley seemed to be alluding to it...

However, something must have changed, as a short while later those same CBs, including Wiltfong’s, had switched in Ohio State’s favor. By the end of the night, all seven CBs were for the Buckeyes.

The first player listed as an athlete to join Ohio State’s 2021 class, there are still options as to where his career at the next level will take him. However, if he does gravitate towards defensive back, as most think he will, then he will be the fifth prospect to join the secondary, with corners Devonta Smith and Jakailin Johnson and safeties Andre Turrentine and Jaylen Johnson already in the fold. He becomes the 14th player in this ridiculous Buckeye haul ranked in the top 150 nationally.

247Sports national writer Charles Power had this to say of Dunn’s abilities:

Plays wide receiver and safety for his high school and projects on defense at the next level at safety or corner. Has top notch play speed, closing quickly when moving downhill from his safety spot. Shows a wide range with ability to get to the sideline in zone coverage. Has the physical framework and athleticism to develop into a strong tackler and run defender over time. His wide receiver background helps with the ball skills in coverage. [...] A high upside type who should continue getting better at a steady rate. Projects as a Power Five starter with the upside to develop into a NFL Draft pick

Welcome to Buckeye Nation, Jantzen.

Check out Dunn’s highlight reel from his junior year at South Warren: