In the high-stakes world of college recruiting, sometimes the biggest miss is the one in your own backyard, which is a lesson Ohio State might be learning the hard way after an MVP performance from an Indiana commit they once overlooked. The word around recruiting circles is that the Buckeyes passed on Indiana commit Monsanna Torbet. The four-star is now winning hearts and MVP honors at the national level at The Opening Finals, and has Buckeyes Nation calling for a re-evaluation of his recruitment offer.

While the pro world is busy with the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, some of the best high school football players in the country competed nearby at an event called The Opening Regional. In hindsight, the prospect Ryan Day overlooked looks like a future NFL Combine participant.

Monsanna Torbert of Cincinnati, Princeton High, just went out to The Opening Finals and absolutely balled out. He walked away with the MVP trophy and made a lot of scouts look pretty silly, especially the scouts from Columbus.

After his Opening Day trials performance, everybody’s saying, “What were they thinking?” Ohio State and Ryan Day.

He won the “fastest man” competition by running an impressive 4.38-second 40-yard dash. You can bet that by the time his college career is over, he’ll be running in the 4.2s. The 4-star was impressive with his quick feet and strong coverage skills. As per Buckeye insiders, he stayed close to the receivers during drills. He showed great ball skills, high-pointing the football and breaking up several passes during one-on-one drills. Torbert also recently played safety in a national high school all-star game and looked fluid in coverage, staying attached to receivers’ hips.

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What’s fascinating is that he’s not only a DB, but he also brings a quarterback’s perspective to the position. In his junior year, he was playing quarterback and throwing for nearly 1,800 yards and 27 touchdowns. Torbert’s offensive background isn’t just a fun piece of trivia; it’s the secret to his elite coverage.

In an era obsessed with versatile athletes, Torbert’s QB instincts make his ceiling as a defensive back exceptionally high. Right now, he’s ranked as the 20th-best cornerback in the 2027 recruiting class. After not getting the offer from Buckeye, he committed to Indiana back in January during the Navy All-American Bowl.

The big question now is whether Ryan Day is going to swallow his pride and dive back into this recruitment. The “reevaluation buzz” is getting louder by the day because you don’t just let an MVP-caliber DB from Cincinnati walk away without a fight. If Ohio State officially jumps in, it’s going to be an absolute war between them and Indiana.

Flipping a prospect from Indiana isn’t as easy as it used to be. Under Curt Cignetti, the Hoosiers are off a National Championship game appearance, with Torbert committing to a proven, winning culture, which means that OSU can’t just rely on its brand name to sway him away from Bloomington.

Truth be told, this is actually a classic Ohio State move, especially with local Ohio kids.

Ohio State’s ‘wait and see’ recruiting pull breakdown

What the Buckeyes often do is take a “wait and see” approach with players they aren’t 100% sure about early in the process. Let’s say, if a guy they passed on goes out and has an absolute monster senior season, like maybe winning awards or even leading his team to a state title, the coaches have no choice but to re-evaluate their tape.

Most of the time, they realize they might have missed out on a gem and will try their best to lure them in with their hometown hero promise. Funny enough, it works almost 8 out of 10 times or so.

A perfect recent example has to be Kaden Gebhardt in the class of 2026. He was an Ohio safety who had been committed to Clemson for a long time. But after he dominated during his senior year, Ohio State offered him in late November. They flipped him just days before National Signing Day.

They did the same thing with Landry Brede from the class of 2026, an offensive lineman from Mentor, Ohio, who was originally headed to NC State before the Buckeyes decided they needed him late in the cycle.

The golden standard has to be Chris Olave. Although he wasn’t committed anywhere, he was an unranked, late-bloomer in California whom Ohio State discovered late in his senior year. He went from having almost no major offers to becoming a first-round pick and one of the best receivers in school history.

The “flip” usually happens because for most kids growing up in Ohio, that Buckeyes’ offer is the “dream”. Even if they’ve been loyal to another school for months, once Ohio State finally calls, it’s hard for them to say no. It’s a calculated game the coaches play. They let other schools do the early work, wait for the player to prove whether he’s elite or not on the field, and then use that “hometown hero” status to close the deal right at the finish line.