Recruiting in college football never stops. While programs prepare for the upcoming season, some have turned their attention to recruiting a formidable weapon from the 2027 class. Bad news for the competition, Ryan Day’s Ohio State has now entered the race and extended an offer to a four-star defensive lineman.

For the 6’4″, 280 lbs David Folorunsho, receiving an offer from Ohio State is great news. His growing list of offers already looks impressive, with Michigan, Indiana, Missouri, and Notre Dame among the programs pursuing him. Now, the Buckeyes have joined that group. With Matt Patricia retained and Larry Johnson leading the defensive line, the idea of playing in Columbus could be very enticing for Folorunsho.

Folorunsho moved to the United States after spending ten years in Nigeria. From there, he worked his way up and developed into one of the top prospects in his class. He is now ranked as the No. 2 defensive lineman in the class and the No. 13 overall player. Adding a player of his quality would strengthen the Buckeyes’ defensive depth.

However, the biggest competition Ohio State faces is Marcus Freeman’s Notre Dame, which currently stands as the overwhelming favorite according to On3. As a result, Ryan Day and the Buckeyes could face a tough battle to secure Folorunsho’s commitment. B1G rival Indiana has also extended an offer to the prospect. But it seems like an SEC program may have made a breakthrough in Folorunsho’s case.

The Crimson Tide has become the latest program to join the long list of offers. What may concern Ryan Day is that Folorunsho has spoken extensively about Alabama’s program and defensive line coach Freddie Roach in an interview with BamaOnLine.

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“Coach Roach was the one who gave me the offer,” Folorunsho said. “It was honestly kind of surreal from Alabama. It’s Alabama; it’s one of the best college football teams historically. Hearing about it and actually hearing him say he was going to give me the offer, it was crazy, and I am blessed to be in this position.”

Roach has already made the first move in the recruiting battle. Although David Folorunsho is heavily linked to Notre Dame, a flip could still happen. At this stage, prospects often keep their options open while evaluating different programs. If Ryan Day wants to change the momentum, getting Larry Johnson involved could be a key factor. Johnson has built a strong reputation as one of the best defensive line coaches in college football due to his coaching tenures at Penn State and Ohio State.

Under him, he has developed NFL first-round pick players like Chase Young, Tamba Hali, Courtney Brown, Nick Bosa, Joey Bosa, and Jared Odrick. He also played an important role in why Matt Patricia’s defense was considered the best unit in the country last season. If Ohio State advances talks with Folorunsho using Johnson, then Ohio State has a chance of swaying him to Columbus.

Until that happens, Ryan Day will have to be wary of the recruiting advances that Alabama makes with the young defensive lineman.

David Folorunsho is big on Freddie Roach, worrying news for Ryan Day

Freddie Roach’s initiative in contacting Folorunsho appears to have paid off. Not only did Folorunsho speak highly of Alabama and say he felt honored by the offer, but he also praised Roach’s efforts. That development could be a concern for Ryan Day as the recruiting battle continues.

“That was the first time I’d heard from him, which makes it more special for me,” Folorunsho said. “We’ve had some conversations since. I feel like he was letting me know he’d like to have at Alabama. That was huge for me to know that it’s not just another offer, but he’s trying to build a real relationship with me. That’s really big for me.”

While Larry Johnson carries a legendary reputation, recruiting ultimately comes down to the relationship between the player and the coach. Freddie Roach understands that and knows he must build a strong connection to sway Folorunsho away from other programs. Because of that, other programs are likely to follow the same approach to avoid losing such a talented prospect to the SEC program.