Just when Ryan Day thought he was gaining momentum with his 2027 class, Mario Cristobal is creating chaos. Holding the No. 1 national rank and with nine commits, Ohio State pulled off an impressive early class. But it turns out their five-star edge rusher is still on Miami’s list.

“David DJ Jacobs is another prospect committed to Ohio State, a five-star number two edge in the land,” recruiting analyst Steve Wiltfong said on Rivals. “They’re not going to stop pushing for him as well.”

Ohio State secured Blessed Trinity Catholic’s DJ Jacobs commitment ahead of their playoff quarterfinals against the Miami Hurricanes. The fight was tough with top teams like Georgia, Miami, Texas A&M, Notre Dame, and the Oregon Ducks. What makes his commitment more important for Ohio State is that if Jacobs signs with them, he will be their highest-rated defensive commit since Jack Sawyer joined the program in 2021. So, keeping him close is their priority. With that, he also brings in production.

He recorded 102 tackles and 16 sacks in his junior year. His talent might allow him to start early and develop like the Buck’s top defensive ends, J.T. Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer. On the other hand, Miami continues to pursue Jacobs, taking advantage of the long window before he can officially sign with Ohio State. It’s alarming news for Day, as Mario Cristobal’s interest makes sense: they only have four verbal commits in the 2027 class, with an edge yet to join.

Jacobs shares strong ties with the team. He is the son of former Georgia defensive tackle David Jones, making him a blue-chip prospect with a strong football pedigree. But his godfather, Mark Richt, is a former Bulldog and Miami coach. That family connection could give Mario Cristobal’s staff an edge.

News served to you like never before!

Prefer us on Google, To get latest news on feed

Prefer Us on Google

On top of that, even Miami has a strong pipeline of defensive talent. They have standout pass rushers like Jaelan Phillips and Greg Rousseau, who were selected in the first round of the NFL draft back in 2021. Last year, too, Rueben Bain dominated the defensive line, earning major honors like the Ted Hendricks Award.

Apart from that, their national championship berth can impress Jacobs, too. Miami’s performance last season, where they defeated Ohio State, could also impress Jacobs. Their defense shone throughout the game, preventing the Bucks from scoring for two consecutive quarters.

Let’s wait and see if Mario Cristobal can flip his top defensive target from Ohio State or not. It’s because Ryan Day is already facing a chaotic and pressure-filled offseason.

Ryan Day faces challenging news ahead of the season

Ryan Day’s Ohio State held the No. 1 position for most of the season last year until Indiana came in, knocking them out of the race. The Bucks enter this season without at least four first-round NFL Draft picks, losing a massive amount of talent. With that, their tough schedule also raises concerns over their championship dreams this year.

The team will play Texas, Indiana, and Iowa on the road and host USC, Oregon, and TTUN, making for a tough stretch of games. All these teams are strong, and losing against one of them will just push them out of contention. Even Ohio State legend Bobby Carpenter recognizes the difficulty of this stretch, contrasting it with the typical misery associated with an SEC slate.

“I think Ohio State, with their schedule next year, could be the first 9-3 team that could get in should they do that with how difficult their schedule is,” Carpenter said. “But the SEC also lost some of that grace with the scheduling because the Big Ten has won the last three titles. That’s the other thing, they can’t champion, ‘Our 9-3 is better than yours.”

A troubling schedule awaits them next season. It will be interesting to see how things turn out for Ryan Day’s team.