Ohio State’s No. 1 status in the 2027 recruiting class looks vulnerable, as reports suggest a major flip brewing. The father of Buckeyes’ five-star commit & nation’s top prospect reveals his son’s interest in an ACC school, keeping Ryan Day on the edge of his seat.
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According to On3 rivals’ Steve Wiltfong, OSU’s priority commit, five-star edge rusher David DJ Jacobs, hasn’t completely shut down his recruitment. DJ’s father and former Georgia DL, David Jacobs, told him that his son is interested in visiting Miami.
“Ohio State was obviously one of his [DJ Jacobs’s] frontrunners when he locked in his decision date,” Steve Wiltfong said on the February 24 episode of The Wiltfong Whiparound. “When he put in his decision date for December, it was under the impression that he was going to lock in with Miami and commit to the Hurricanes. Ohio State was able to change that narrative with some last-minute conversation. They have him in the fold. Miami is trying to hang around in this recruitment.”
DJ Jacobs’s father, David, revealed an itinerary that suggests his son’s recruitment isn’t completely locked in with the Buckeyes.
“First things first, trying to set a visit to Ohio State for the spring,” Jacobs’ father said, per Wiltfong. “Figuring out when most of the commits are going to be on campus and going up there and joining them. And from there, adding to the itinerary, I know he’s going to want to visit Miami.”
Based on the conversation, Wiltfong believes that Mario Cristobal’s Miami still has the pulse in Jacobs’ recruitment. However, he believes that it takes a lot for the Hurricanes to flip a commitment from the Buckeyes.
It’s no wonder Jacobs is one of the most coveted recruits of the 2027 class; his on-field production is staggering. After a junior season where he hauled in 102 tackles and 16 sacks, he brought his three-year high school total to nearly 300 tackles, drawing 38 offers from the nation’s top programs.
Ohio State landed a commitment from DJ Jacobs in late December after a tough competition with schools like Georgia, Miami, Texas A&M, Notre Dame, and Oregon. He was ranked the No. 5 defender in the class and the No. 10 overall prospect and was recently moved to the No. 2 ranking. The boost to his rankings came after back-to-back impressive performances at the Under Armour All-America Game and the Polynesian Bowl in January 2026.
At this stage, losing Jacobs to Miami will lower the Buckeyes’ 2027 roster rankings and could cause a major blow. However, the Hurricanes have always been in the mix for Jacobs’ recruitment; that would make Ryan Day prepared for situations like this.
DJ Jacobs’ recruiting isn’t completely closed
Ever since DJ Jacobs committed to Ohio State, he’s been hinting that the recruitment isn’t over yet. He announced that his Buckeyes commitment wouldn’t stop him from visiting other front-runners on his list.
“I will still take some official visits,” Jacobs said. “I committed to Ohio State over Miami and Texas A&M. Those schools, Georgia, and maybe one or two more will probably get official visits. Recruiting is never over, so we’ll see who really wants me and who will fight for me. Ohio State is a top program. Miami is a great school, and I feel very valued by them. You have Georgia and A&M, too.”
However, Ohio State has already had a significant impact on Jacobs through maintaining a solid culture. “It’s really about the culture at Ohio State. They valued me and made me feel wanted.”
As Jacobs maps out his visit schedule, Ryan Day and the Buckeyes can only hope their culture is enough to withstand a full-court press from Miami and other top contenders.
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