Ohio State offers a pair of in-state prospects in 2025, 2026

Ohio State is now 2-0 following a win over Youngstown State. The offensive side of the ball looked much improved from the week prior, and the defense had another impressive showing. That being said, there are still a lot of things this team will need to work on this week, and most of the coaching staff’s focus will be on preparing for this weekend’s game against Western Kentucky.

However, the Ohio State coaching staff will also continue to dedicate time towards recruiting in efforts to maintain the program’s status as one of the upper-tier college football schools in the country.

Ohio State offers elite Ohio OT

Ryan Day has made it known that recruiting the top talents in Ohio is one of Ohio State’s biggest priorities. The Buckeyes have eight verbal commitments in their 2024 class from Ohio, and they are working on continuing this thought process in future classes.

The Buckeyes played host to 2026 four-star offensive tackle Maxwell Riley (Avon Lake, OH/Avon Lake) during for their home opener against Youngstown state.

Ohio State started recruiting Riley early on in his recruitment, offering him back in March. The offer was one of his first from a Division I school, and the head-start the Buckeyes have given themselves may be crucial in keeping him in Ohio.

Riley has already shown the potential to be an elite prospect. He is a top-15 prospect according to 247Sports, and his offer sheet matches his potential. Riley holds an impressive 13 offers already from schools like Florida State, Kentucky, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, Pitt, Tennessee, West Virginia, Wisconsin, etc.

Because of the close proximity, many believe the Buckeyes to be an early favorite to earn his commitment. He also was very excited to receive the scholarship offer from Ohio State. Following his offer, Riley spoke with cleveland.com and had the following to say:

“I was experiencing a lot of emotion,” Riley told cleveland.com of the OSU offer. “I was excited, honored and humbled.”

It is still early in Riley’s recruitment and he will likely take more visits to the above schools, including a re-visit with the Buckeyes. He told cleveland.com that he was trying to have fun with his recruitment, but that he could also see himself becoming a leader for Ohio State’s 2026 class, alongside Ohio State five-star wider receiver commit Chris Henry Jr.

Riley is the No. 3 OT according to 247Sports, and he is the No. 14 overall prospect. He is also the No. 2 recruit from Ohio, trailing only Henry Jr.

Quick Hits

• Ohio State is keeping with the trend of offering the best recruits in Ohio. On Monday, the Buckeyes offered 2025 defensive end Jameil Hamm (Cleveland, OH / Glenville). The offer was his 10th, and the Buckeyes join the likes of Akron, Bowling Green, Buffalo, Kent State, Miami (Ohio), Ohio, Toledo, etc.

• The Ohio State football coaching staff are not the only Buckeyes hitting the recruiting trail head-first. The Ohio State men’s basketball team, led by Chris Holtmann, offered 2026 point guard Jonathan Sanderson (Saline, MI / Saline) on Monday. The Buckeyes join the likes of Illinois, Iowa, Marshall, Michigan, Ohio, etc.

• Chris Holtmann and the Ohio State men’s basketball team made multiple recruiting headlines Monday, as Recruits Zone reported 2026 point guard Dezhon Hall (Indianapolis, IN / Pike) will make an unofficial visit to Ohio State next month.