A busy Wednesday for Ohio State football, the Buckeyes were the talk of the town with over 140 NFL personnel on hand for their 2025 Pro Day, and the players showed out with the impressive crowd watching their every move. Plenty of elite performances by the draft eligible guys, Ohio State is sure to be well represented with the upcoming NFL Draft keeping their mantra of “Developed Here” as true as ever.
From a recruiting perspective, not much more needs pitched to the recruits on Ohio State’s board other than the amount of NFL scouts and personnel who chose to come to campus to see the Buckeyes perform. Knowing the goal of seemingly every recruit wanting to get to the highest level of play, Ohio State is atop of the college football landscape for development, and Wednesday was another feather in the cap for these Buckeyes.
BOOM! Buckeyes land another key offensive line addition to 2026 class
Offensive line coach Tyler Bowen hasn’t been at the help of his room for long, but his recruiting chops are already being felt in a major way. Landing Maxwell Riley in the 2026 class, Ohio State kept one of their top linemen at home for his college career and that was a huge first win for Bowen, but doing so again with Sam Greer earlier this week was confirmation Day got the right guy to lead this group.
Now two commits in the fold, Bowen has work to do still for this currently cycle and knows this class is far from over, but Wednesday brought more great news for Ohio State when Arizona native Tucker Smith announced his commitment to the Buckeyes’ 2026 class.
The No. 798 player nationally and 71st best interior lineman per the 247Sports Composite, the recruitment of Smith couldn’t have gone any quicker or smoother for that matter. Taking his first trip to Columbus just last week, Smith earned an offer while on campus and took hardly no time at all to realize Ohio State was the place for him to be.
Choosing the Buckeyes over the likes of Arizona, Arkansas, Oklahoma State, USC, and Washington, Smith now gives the Buckeyes their third offensive line commit in the 2026 class, which is likely to end up at six or seven. At 6-foot-5, 280 pounds, Tucker has a wrestling background and makes for an awesome prospect on the interior which is exactly where the staff sees him.
Now at seven members in the 2026 class and a group that is rising in the rankings quickly, the Buckeyes can take a little pressure off of themselves thanks to Bowen’s fast start. A position group that is crucial every year, this new hire by Day is working out impressively well thus far and it looks as if the momentum has no signs of slowing down.
In-state running back set to see the Buckeyes yet again
Back on the practice field later today, Ohio State has another opportunity both on and off the field to better their program this spring. Development of the current players being the first goal of spring practice, the Buckeyes are also using this time as a major recruiting tool, and top talent has flocked to Columbus at an impressive rate.
On Thursday in-state running back Favour Akih makes his way back to campus for yet another unofficial visit, and the buzz surrounding Akih is pretty favorable for the Buckeyes. Picking up his Ohio State offer just over a week ago now, it hasn’t taken long for the Buckeyes to rise to the top of his recruitment as the favorite to land his eventual commitment.
The No. 205 player nationally and the 15th best running back in the 2026 class per the 247Sports Composite, Akih has plenty of official visits set for later this summer, but the two programs likely in the lead are Ohio State with Miami being the other.
An important trip for Akih nonetheless, it wouldn’t be a total shock if the in-state running back pulled the trigger and took his spot in this current class following his latest trip to Columbus. A cycle that is sure to take two running backs in the fold, it makes sense to keep a top Ohio native in the fold and that good news could soon be on the verge of coming public.