Ryan Day and the Ohio State Buckeyes are once again at the top of the food chain in the 2027 recruiting class, bagging two five-stars and a couple of four-stars. They took the crown off the USC Trojans just a few days ago. According to Bucknuts, Ryan Day is planning to double the lead as the Buckeyes are said to be the favorites to land Indiana tight end Mason Oglesby after he visits Columbus. At this point, he only has to say it out loud.
Before the visit, the Hoosiers had massive momentum to keep the in-state star home. Indiana seemed perfectly positioned, selling Oglesby on being the hometown face of their program. But Ohio State’s late push and undeniable culture have completely shattered the Hoosiers’ perceived lead.
The word around Columbus is that the New Palestine native athlete left the Woody Hayes Athletic Center feeling like he had found a second home, explicitly labeling the Buckeyes as a top-three school in his recruitment. When BuckeyeNut confirmed it on their X handle that the Buckeyes are not favorites to land him, Mason reposted it on X with an unofficial pledge: “Always liked the Buckeyes growing up. A top team without a doubt.”
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He doubled down on how his visit went: “It was great, I loved everything about it,” Oglesby said of his surprise visit. “It’s a different culture when you go to Ohio State. From the fans to the alumni, Ohio State football is a really closely knit family feel. I really enjoyed it and loved seeing the guys get after it and compete every rep.”
Which Prospects should OSU target next?
Let Tony do the scouting, you just make the pick.
#OhioState is in a great position for Indiana tight end @Mason_Oglesby11 following his weekend visit.
✍️ @Garrick_Hodge https://t.co/P9ua3fY7rd pic.twitter.com/C8dwbnYXm0
— Bucknuts (@Bucknuts247) April 6, 2026
Mind you, nobody’s making a surprise visit right after they get a scholarship (mid-February) offer unless they are willing to commit to the program. The secret sauce here seems to be tight ends coach Keenan Bailey. Oglesby praised him as a ‘player’s coach’ after he sat down with him to talk about where and how he fits in Arthur Smith’s offense as a hybrid threat.
“He’s a great coach,” he said. “He’s coached the best of the best. You can tell he has a good attitude towards the players, and he’s a player’s coach. I know he’s made a big impact on a lot of players’ lives.”
Plus, Keenan Bailey’s reputation precedes him. The man has been developing and sending stars to the NFL for years. Under Bailey’s direct tutelage in 2023, Cade Stover produced one of the best receiving seasons for a Buckeyes tight end with 41 receptions for 576 yards and 5 touchdowns. He has a similar plan cooked up for Oglesby.
Not to mention, he also worked alongside Brian Hartline from 2017 to 2019, where he helped develop the likes of record-holding NFL stars like Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. That ‘New Pal’ connection also played a huge role here. Oglesby spent most of his visit with current Buckeye offensive tackle Ian Moore, a fellow alumnus of New Palestine High School.
Even though he might have been ranked between the 10th-best tight end and the top-18, Oglesby is as good as any tight end from the 2027 class. Oglesby is a two-time state champion. In his 2025 junior season, he caught 34 receptions for 513 yards (averaging over 15 yards per catch) and six touchdowns. He even racked up a 520-pound squat and a 32.5-inch vertical jump, according to MaxPreps.
While everything is going the Buckeyes’ way, they still have to finish the job against a competitive field of finalists.
The commitment date for Mason Oglesby?
Oglesby had previously narrowed his list to a “Final Six” that included Indiana, Purdue, USC, Kansas, North Carolina, and Missouri. He has a very busy April ahead of him. He has already scheduled official visits to the Boilermakers, the Tar Heels, and his home-state Hoosiers. All of them are fighting to keep the top-five Indiana prospect from crossing the border to their biggest rival.
The ultimate “tell” in this recruitment is that Oglesby has saved his final official visit to Ohio State for May 29–30, 2026. In the recruiting world, getting the last visit is usually the best seat in the house.
He has already stated that he doesn’t want his recruitment to drag into June and expects to make a final commitment shortly after that trip to Columbus once it wraps up. If the Buckeyes can replicate the ‘family feel’ of this past weekend one more time, they appear to be in the pole position to land one of the Midwest’s most dynamic athletes, who most probably would go on to become the next great Buckeye.
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Edited by
Himanga Mahanta