It’s the long game for Ryan Day regarding Ohio State’s 2027 recruiting class. The Buckeyes are deliberately playing it slow to build real relationships before securing commitments. That way, they won’t have to worry about commits flipping later. But some targets aren’t as patient, as in just 48 hours, four players pledged elsewhere.

The latest setback came when 4-star CB Bryce Woods announced his commitment to Virginia Tech, according to Rivals’ Hayes Fawcett. The 6’2”, 175-pound Georgia native announced his commitment to Virginia Tech over Ohio State, North Carolina, and Auburn with a simple message reading, “GA to VA.” 

This certainly hurts Ryan Day and his staff because Bryce Woods was scheduled to make an official visit to Ohio State next weekend. But after arriving from Penn State, James Franklin is already bringing success to Virginia Tech on the recruiting trail. The Hokies got him first on campus this weekend and pitched hard enough to land his commitment. 

Ohio State now remains without a single CB commitment in the 2027 class. And unfortunately for Ryan Day, that wasn’t even the first recruiting loss. Just one day earlier, 4-star DL Jamar Thompson committed to Georgia Tech over both Ohio State and Texas. That’s a huge recruiting win for the Yellow Jackets, who weren’t even included when the recruit released a top-four list back in March. 

The Delray Beach, Florida, native is ranked among the nation’s top DLs and had over 40 scholarship offers before making his decision. At 6’3 and 305 pounds, Jamar Thompson is already producing at a high level, posting 42 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, five sacks, three pass breakups, and a forced fumble during his junior season. Georgia Tech continued pushing, got him on campus for an official visit, and walked away with the commitment.

Then came another loss. 3-star DB Samari Howard announced his commitment to Colorado following an official visit to Boulder. Ohio State was among the schools, like Oklahoma, Oregon, Indiana, and others, that extended offers. His pledge marked the fifth commitment of the weekend for Deion Sanders and the Buffs. The recruiting losses didn’t stop even with that. 

Texas inflicted another blow to Ohio State by landing WR Briceson Thrower. The 6’4 receiver chose the Longhorns over Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Illinois, and Ohio State. This one stings for the Buckeyes because of what he said about the program when he first received the offer late in January. 

“It felt great, that was a big-time offer for me,” he said. “I play with Ohio State on the new college football video game, now I have an offer from them, and possibly will be on the team. It’s a real blessing.”

Yet when decision time arrived, Texas won. And that’s four targets who committed elsewhere in just two days. But as far as momentum goes, Ohio State still has the upper hand. 

Ryan Day still has a chance to win big in recruitment

Over the last two weekends, Ohio State has been busy hosting elite talent on campus. Early signs show that those visits may finally be paying off. The biggest name bringing optimism right now is 4-star CB Jaden Carey. Given the Buckeyes’ current lack of CB commitments, he has become one of the most important targets remaining on the board. The 6’0 and 175-pounder recently visited Miami before heading to Columbus this weekend, setting up what many viewed as an Ohio State vs Miami battle.

Jaden Carey isn’t the only reason Ohio State feels encouraged. The Buckeyes also hosted several blue-chip prospects during their recent visit weekends, including 5-star RB David Gabriel-Georges (DGG) and highly coveted DL Marcus Fakatou. DGG, in particular, generated a big buzz. He’s a top-15 player nationally, one of the top RBs in America, and the No. 1 prospect in Tennessee. It’s not hard to see why Josh Heupel and the Vols are doing everything in their power to land him. 

Those four recruiting losses shouldn’t worry Buckeye fans. Of course, it’s a loss, but Ohio State still owns a top-12 recruiting class with 13 commitments, per 247Sports. Besides, Ryan Day can still make it up this month with official visits still happening.