You could hear a pin drop in Columbus. Just when Buckeye Nation thought they were sitting pretty in the Savion Hiter sweepstakes, Michigan and Tennessee came lurking like snakes in the grass. The top dog on Ohio State’s board—a five-star freight train from Virginia—might just be sliding right past Ryan Day’s fingers. But don’t panic just yet. Word on the street is OSU’s cooking up a nasty comeback move involving a 250lb edge monster.

Savion Hiter. Remember the name—because that boy is DIFFERENT. The No. 1 running back in the 2026 class. 1,698 rushing yards. 26 tuddies. And he still found time to rack up 56 tackles, 7 sacks, and a pick on defense. He’s basically a human highlight reel with a motor that doesn’t quit. So yeah, Ohio State wanted him bad. Real bad. But here’s the issue—Michigan and Tennessee want him worse.

Josh Newberg put it simply: “This has been a major battle between the likes of Ohio State, Tennessee, Michigan—even Georgia in there.” So, who’s ahead in the race?

Steve Wiltfong said, “Well a lot of love for Ohio State. It starts with running backs coach Carlos Locklyn. That might be his best relationship right now of the process, running back pedigree from Ezekiel Elliot to guys this past year Quinshon Judkins to TreVeyon Henderson.” Ryan Day and RB coach Carlos Locklyn thought they might have done enough to seal the deal. Locklyn had a close bond with Hiter, and their pitch was strong: Look at what we did with TreVeyon and Judkins. But…

According to Steve Wiltfong on On3’s Recruiting Show, “Still think it’s Michigan and Tennessee when all’s said and done. Those are the programs I’m watching the most right now. I think they’re the programs that will take that recruitment up another level from an NIL standpoint—if they have to land one of the most coveted players on their board, respectively.” That news really stung. Buckeye fans had just seen Hiter visit Columbus on May 30, right after a trip to Tennessee.

But here’s what Wiltfong added that made Buckeye stomachs turn: “Ohio State’s running back room is loaded…But Tennessee and Michigan—they’re no slouches in that department as well. I think Savion Hiter is the number-one player overall on Michigan’s board. He was at Tennessee last weekend for 865 Live. The Vols get the last official visit on June 20th. Michigan gets the visit June 13th. Georgia’s gonna take their swing this weekend. Ohio State—great visit, I’m told—but the buzz for me is still more around Michigan and Tennessee for Savion Hiter.”

So yeah, Ohio State’s visit was lit. But when you don’t get a commitment after a visit weekend, red flags go up. Ryan Stano at Scarlet & Game even admitted, “I’m a bit surprised they didn’t get at least one.” That’s just not the energy Buckeyes fans want when talking about their top RB target.

But before you think Ryan Day’s down bad, think again. Because Ryan Day’s already flipping the script and lining up a power play that could change everything.

Ohio State favorite to land the No. 1 player in New Jersey

Enter: Luke Wafle. All 250 pounds of him. Four-star edge rusher. No. 1 player in Jersey. No. 55 overall in the nation. He doesn’t just rush the passer—he lives in the backfield. 18 tackles for loss. 8 sacks. And he’s got hands too. Straight-up menace.

Josh Newberg was quick to ask Steve Wiltfong, “Do you think, coming out of that, the Buckeyes could be the team to beat for Luke Wafle?” Wiltfong didn’t hesitate. “I do indeed,” he said. “Talking to Luke Wafle’s family, talking to sources that spent time with him during his visit to Ohio State—I think the Buckeyes do have the edge.”

Apparently, the weekend visit was so perfect that even Wafle’s pops couldn’t stop smiling. “Perfect”—that’s the word his dad used to describe the visit. But this wasn’t just another campus tour. It was the Matt Patricia effect. The former NFL DC sat down with Wafle and laid it all out. From how he’d be used in OSU’s scheme to how they’d develop him into an NFL machine.

Add in some time with Ryan Day and D-line legend Larry Johnson—and yeah, that visit cooked. Wafle’s folks were vibing with the culture, the plan, and the Columbus scene. NIL’s there. The pedigree’s there. And Wiltfong said, “I think Ohio State’s taken the lead in the recruitment of Luke Wafle. Penn State and Texas still very much right there. I’m not sleeping on either of those programs. USC and Florida are rounding out the Top 5.” But…

“If Ohio State were ranking their prospects in 2026 class, I think Luke Wafle might be their first pick,” he added. That’s how much they want this EDGE rusher. Per Steve Wiltfong.

Now let’s talk rankings. Despite the recent bad buzz with Hiter, the Buckeyes are sitting pretty at No. 3 in the national recruiting rankings, according to On3. 13 commits. Five-stars like Chris Henry Jr. and Blaine Bradford are already in the bag. Ohio State might’ve slipped to third in the Hiter race, but they’re top dogs in a whole lot of others.

What does this show? Ryan Day isn’t going out sad. Losing ground on one five-star isn’t the end of the world when you’re stacking blue-chip edge rushers and WRs. Ryan Day’s been cooking quietly and methodically. There’s still time to bring Savion Hiter back into the fold, especially if Locklyn keeps that relationship tight. But if not, landing Luke Wafle would be a massive dub. A 250-pound wrecking ball on the edge? That’s how you stay nasty on defense.