The nation’s No. 4 RB Elijah Newman-Hall has had a verbal commitment to the Buckeyes since June 2025. Over this time, his commitment hasn’t wavered. However, there have been rumors about reclassification. The running back has now clarified his stance on that issue.

“Look, not many people know this, but I was actually supposed to reclass—like, I was supposed to graduate early, actually,” said Newman-Hall during an interview on Talking Stuff via 97.1 The Fan. “I was supposed to graduate early because of my grades in school. I didn’t really like to keep on doing school for four years, and I was just going to graduate early. And now I’ve seen comments about, like, ‘Oh, is he going to reclassify as 27?’ And yeah, we have thought about that. I’m not nowhere against that.”

“But I’m a true 28, and I want all my developmental years in high school, like I want to still be able to develop and enjoy my high school experience for what it is,” added the 4-star 2028 RB.

When Newman-Hall pledged to OSU, he hadn’t taken a snap as a sophomore in high school. After a stellar freshman season at Howard W. Blake, where he showcased two-way dominance, he attended an Ohio State camp last June. The 215-pounder’s physical performance impressed OSU RB coach Carlos Locklyn at camp, and he instantly extended an offer to the young RB.

Within a few days, Newman-Hall decided on his college destination, Ohio State. His incredibly early commitment didn’t slow down programs’ intent to lure him from Columbus. In-state teams like Florida and Miami showed interest. Notre Dame went a little extra. For now, the 4-star 2028 RB is ignoring all the noise, locking in his commitment with Ryan Day’s program.

But he won’t join the Buckeyes early. Newman-Hall’s clarification regarding reclassification just came after a former No. 1 overall 2028 prospect and dominant Florida athlete, A’mir Sears, who committed to Miami, reclassified to 2027.

For his junior season, Newman-Hall transferred to IMG Academy. There, he gained more exposure and a chance to play a national schedule and compete against 5-star and 4-star talent.

The 2028 RB chose Ohio State for a reason

Newman-Hall gained prominence in the recruitment circuit following his freshman season in high school. Over the campaign, the running back recorded 829 yards and eight touchdowns. But that wasn’t all. He was equally impressive on the other side of the ball. On defense, he amassed 28 tackles. In no time, 20 programs showed their interest in landing the high school prospect. But that camp changed everything for Newman-Hall.

Along with the lure of playing for a powerhouse like Ohio State, the 4-star player is also impressed with the personnel Ryan Day has at his disposal. In particular, Newman-Hall was impressed by running backs coach Carlos Locklyn and the ways he could aid his development.

Over the last few years, Locklyn’s reputation has been on a high. During the 2024 season, he coached two running backs (Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson) to a 1000-rushing-yard season. Not only did they help Ohio State win the national championship, but they also secured their future in the pros. For the 2026 campaign, the Ohio State RB room will feature players Bo Jackson, Isaiah West, and Legend Bey.

Newman-Hall’s reclassification could have helped Ohio State cope with the loss of the No. 2 running back in the 2027 class after Gabriel-Georges committed to the Vols over the Buckeyes. However, as he stated, Newman-Hall is not reclassifying.