In today’s transfer portal era, many players leave if they don’t get playing time within a year or two. It’s become very common across college football. Because of that, keeping a player and developing him over time has become rare. Especially at positions that take longer to grow. The best and only logical insurance against this is bagging a hometown player, the closer they are to home, the more loyal they ought to be. The head coach Ryan Day and the Ohio State Buckeyes finally bagged four-star Davis Seaman after going toe to toe with Big 10 rivals all spring and more.

On April 27th, Allen Trieu of 247Sports and Hayes Fawcett shared the news on their X handles: “BREAKING: 4-star IOL Davis Seaman has committed to Ohio State.”

This Bishop Watterson standout’s ranked as the No. 13 overall prospect in the state of Ohio and is the No. 20 interior offensive lineman in the country for the 2027 class.

For Coach Day, this was a must-win battle from the very get-go, and for good reason. Davis apparently lives just about 10 or 7 minutes away from the stadium. Letting a homegrown 4-star talent slip away would’ve been a heartbreaker for the fans and a bad look for OSU’s rep.

The race for his signature was actually a tad bit of a nail-biter. For a hot minute there, it felt like Penn State might actually swoop in and steal him. The Nittany Lions’ offensive line coach Ryan Clanton and head coach Matt Campbell had been keeping tabs and building a relationship with Seaman for a long time now. They had originally recruited him while they were at Iowa State.

Shortly after arriving at State College, Clanton made Seaman a top target and extended a scholarship offer in his very first month. The OL coach even flew out to Columbus on January 15 to visit him in person and push him to take an unofficial visit.

Seaman visited State College for a Junior Day on January 31. At the same time, Seaman is close friends with incoming Penn State true freshman offensive lineman Pete Eglitis that point, it felt it’s already written in the books, but in the end, the hometown card outweighed it.

He was named to the MaxPreps Junior All-American Second-Team and is already selected to participate in the 2026 Navy All-American Bowl in San Antonio. He allowed zero sacks during the entire 2025–26 junior season. However, the popular consensus is, his frame and lateral quickness make him a perfect fit for Guard or Center at the next level. They might not be playing as primary tackles, or at least for another 3 years.

This commitment catapults Ohio State’s 2027 recruiting class even higher in the national rankings. Seaman is the 11th player to join the class and, more importantly, he is the 5th offensive lineman to jump on board.

A quick look at Ohio State’s other four OL of the 2027 class

Only a handful of programs have locked in more than five at this point. Coach Tyler Bowen has basically secured the future of the pocket.

Kelly Wymer (Liberty Center, Ohio)

The 6’5 lineman from Liberty Center. He’s a 4-star recruit who actually grew up a Michigan fan, but the Buckeyes managed to flip him to the good side! This kid can squat 405 lb, and he’s versatile enough to play almost any spot on the line.

He committed back in November 2025 after the Buckeyes beat Penn State in person.

Jimmy Kalis (Pittsburgh, PA)

Jimmy Kalis has be to the biggest man of this bunch. He stands about 6-foot-7 and 290 pounds. The Central Catholic, he is ranked as a Top 200 prospect and a premier offensive tackle. His father, Todd Kalis, played eight seasons in the NFL. Jimmy chose Ohio State on April 17.

Brody McNeel (Richmond, VA)

Ryan Day pulled this one from Virigina. He’s a 4-star recruit who ranks as the No. 3 overall prospect in his state. McNeel is an aggressive left tackle and can stick to it. He shut down his recruitment in November 2025 after being blown away by the atmosphere during the Buckeyes’ win over UCLA.

Mason Wilt (St. Clairsville, OH)

One of the first Buckeye hometown recruits. While some sites have him as a 3-star, his raw strength and production on the Ohio high school scene have made him a priority for O-line coach Tyler Bowen.

End of the day, maybe one more 5-star and a couple of four-star, the Buckeyes’ o-line will finish at the top.