Ohio State has plenty on its plate on Saturday. The Buckeyes host Oregon with a backup quarterback, sit outside the projected College Football Playoff field, and are dealing with growing questions about their offensive line. But another concern is developing behind the scenes, as Ole Miss continues to pursue Caden Moss, OSU’s No. 1 ranked offensive lineman commit from Mississippi. Despite his pledge to the Buckeyes, the SEC program has shown no signs of backing off.

The Rebels led his recruitment for months and missed in June. Moss committed to Ohio State on June 26, and the Rebels have been trying to get him back ever since. Rivals’ Chad Simmos reports they are still in contact with him, even though he has pledged to the Buckeyes and Ohio State is treating him as locked in. In a class where Ohio State’s top-ranked commits sit on the defensive line, Moss is the anchor of the offensive line group.

Ryan Stano of Scarlet and Game put the Ole Miss approach this way: the Rebels “sense some blood in the water, and now they are circling.”

Ole Miss was the clear favorite from last fall and held the lead after a quiet return trip to Oxford. Moss named six finalists on June 23: Kentucky, LSU, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Oregon and Tennessee. On the night of June 25, Rivals analysts Sam Spiegelman and Steve Wiltfong both flipped their predictions from Ole Miss to Ohio State at 60% confidence. Moss announced for the Buckeyes the next evening, while he visited Oxford again at the LSU game on September 19.

Moss isn’t just another tackle for Ohio State. ESPN has him as a five-star, No. 15 overall in its SC Next 300 and the No. 4 tackle in the class. 247Sports lists him 70th nationally, eighth at tackle and second in Mississippi. Rivals has him 43rd in its industry ranking, making him an irreplaceable piece of OSU’s future front line.

At Jackson Academy, he started at left tackle for an 11-1 team that won the MAIS 4A-Division I title, the school’s first since 2011. He is a MaxPreps Junior All-America, played in the Under Armour All-America Game and Polynesian Bowl, and threw the shot put 44 feet as a sophomore.

“You’re going to be around very talented players at Ohio State; players that are going to bring out the best in you,” Moss told ESPN in June. “That’s a program where you’re going to have first-round draft picks every year. The development end is there for sure.”

Rivals’ Simmons also noted that Ohio State may have sold him on playing tackle, while Ole Miss hadn’t named a primary position. Kentucky emerged late as a serious contender, according to ESPN.

Moss is a valuable addition to Ohio State’s recruiting class. He would be the program’s highest-ranked offensive line signee since Paris Johnson Jr. in the 2020 class. He joins a group of six offensive line pledges that includes tackles Kellen Wymer and Jimmy Kalis. The timing matters for Tyler Bowen too.

The Scarlet and Game says Bowen is under fire for his recruiting and development, and losing Moss would add to that. Moss is expected back in Columbus this weekend for the Oregon game. For Ohio State, it’s a chance to keep the commitment intact.

This weekend’s visit to Columbus is critical for offensive line coach and recruiter Tyler Bowen. Ohio State only has six offensive line pledges in this class, and losing Moss would leave a massive hole in a unit already thin on future tackle depth. A strong trip this weekend is Ohio State’s best shot to shut down the SEC push before the early signing window opens in December.

Ohio State faces more recruiting pressure as Ole Miss targets Caden Moss

Moss isn’t the only name in play. Ohio State’s own D.J. Jacobs, the No. 1 defensive end in the class, has stayed firm despite interest from Miami, and linebacker Quinten Cypher took a secret visit to the Hurricanes two weeks ago.

Ole Miss has been on both sides. The Rebels watched Ben’Jarvius Shumaker flip to Colorado and back in under 24 hours, and they’re chasing Oregon commit Tae Walden Jr. and Texas Tech commit Benny Easter Jr.

Shumaker, Antonio Berry, and Mitchell Turner have all reached out to Moss. Their pitch is simple: come “build something legendary,” as Shumaker put it, according to Rivals.

The early signing period opens December 2 and closes December 4. Ole Miss’ 2027 class ranks 12th nationally. Until Moss says otherwise, he’s an Ohio State commit, and both staffs will keep recruiting until a letter of intent is signed.