Ohio State to host 2027 Flip Targets and some of the nation’s top prospects for 2028 and 2029 for the Oregon game

By /

Ohio State’s visiting recruiting list for this weekend’s game against Oregon is absolutely loaded.

In what will be the biggest recruiting weekend of the season for the Buckeyes thus far – and one of the two biggest of the entire season with their regular season finale against Michigan – Ohio State is expected to welcome back some of the nation’s best players in the 2028 and 2029 recruiting classes. The Buckeyes will also welcome three seniors currently committed to other schools as they look to fill the remaining holes in their 2027 class with less than a month to go on the day of signing.

As some of the nation’s most talented high school players head to Columbus to watch a highly anticipated clash of Big Ten powers at Ohio Stadium, here’s a look at 11 of the standout prospects expected to be inside the shoe on Saturday, starting with a trio of crucial visits for potential turnarounds and continuing with the highest-rated expected visitors in the 2028 and 2029 classes.

Reversed targets for 2027

RB Daylon Gordon

Ohio State’s struggles to land a running back in the 2027 recruiting class, centered on its ill-fated pursuit of David Gabriel Georges this summer, have been well documented. But the Buckeyes hope to finally fill that vacancy by welcoming an emerging talent at the position for an official visit this weekend.

Gordon is currently committed to Texas State, but his offer list includes numerous Power 4 schools, including Baylor, Cal, Florida State, Houston, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, SMU, Texas Tech and Utah.

Ranked as the No. 22 running back and No. 347 overall prospect by 247Sports for the 2027 class, Gordon is a dynamic playmaker as a runner and receiver out of the backfield. Over the past three seasons, Gordon has totaled 3,314 yards and 53 touchdowns while adding 76 catches for 1,385 yards and 10 touchdowns for Wylie (Texas) High School.

If Gordon turns to Ohio State, he will join fellow Texan Legend Bey as another big threat in Carlos Locklyn’s unit with high potential as a runner, receiver and kick returner, with more finishing as a running back since he actually played the position in high school.

BY Damion King

A local prospect out of Westerville North High School just northeast of Columbus, King will be under scrutiny when he visits Ohio State this weekend.

King has been committed to Appalachian State since June, but earned an offer from his hometown team thanks to a dominant senior season in which he recorded 78 tackles, including 41 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks.

Ohio State is the only Power 4 school to offer King, but it’s never a bad idea for the Buckeyes to take a chance on a local prospect who has been as productive at the high school level as King. With four elite defensive linemen already in the 2027 class, DJ Jacobs, Marcus Fakatou, Wyatt Smith and Karlos May – all of whom will also be on campus this weekend – the addition of King would be the icing on the cake of one of Larry Johnson’s best recruiting classes.

S Tristin Hughes

Another in-state senior who earned an offer last month thanks to a strong senior season, Hughes is a star on both sides of the ball at Rocky River High School. During the Pirates’ 10-0 regular season, Hughes recorded 77 tackles, six tackles for loss, four interceptions, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and nine passes defensed safeties while also gaining 1,333 yards from scrimmage and 17 touchdowns on just 87 offensive touches.

A four-star prospect ranked as the No. 270 overall prospect in the 2027 class, Hughes has been committed to Kentucky since April. It may not be an easy commitment to walk away from, considering the Wildcats are 7-1 this season and in the thick of the College Football Playoff race. But Hughes wouldn’t visit Ohio State if he didn’t at least have fun, and the lure of playing for the public school could be strong if the Buckeyes impress him this weekend.

Ohio State was looking for a third safety to pair with Eli Johnson and Angelo Smith in the 2027 class, and Hughes emerged as the top target to fill that spot.

Best hopes 2028

S Casey Barner

There may be no better player at any position in the 2028 class than Barner, who is ranked No. 2 overall by 247Sports for his class.

A do-it-all safety from Georgia who has drawn comparisons to Caleb Downs, Barner is attracting plenty of attention from all the top programs in the country, but Ohio State has become a favorite in his recruitment, and this weekend will be another chance for the Buckeyes to impress him.

LB Tahj Gray

Ohio State will also have the No. 1 linebacker in the 2028 class on campus as Gray, who was originally scheduled to travel for the Illinois game, makes his postponed visit to Columbus this week.

The Buckeyes, who have had great success recruiting New Jersey State in recent years, are an early favorite to land Gray, but this weekend’s visit is an important step in keeping them there. A 6-foot-4, 233-pound linebacker who has the skill set to be the devastating playmaker that Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles were for Ohio State last season, Gray will receive plenty of attention from James Laurinaitis before and after the game as the Buckeyes make Gray their top priority at his position in his class.

WRs Braylon Clark and Lorenzo McMullen Jr.

With a commitment already in hand from Jett Harrison, the No. 1 receiver in the class, Cortez Hankton will host two more of the top five players in the 2028 class this weekend.

Clark sits just behind Harrison on Ohio State’s wide receiver board in the 2028 class, and Ohio State has been the favorite to land his commitment since this spring. If those projections ultimately come to fruition, Clark would give Ohio State two top-10 overall prospects at the wide receiver position in his class, as he’s ranked as the No. 3 WR and No. 8 overall prospect in 2028. Oregon is also recruiting Clark heavily, however, so a win against the Ducks on Saturday would certainly help the Buckeyes’ cause.

McMullen, the No. 5 receiver in the class, will also be on campus after receiving an offer from Ohio State this summer. The Buckeyes were relatively late in the race for McMullen, the top-ranked Ohioan in the 2028 class, but immediately became one of his top schools after offering him in June.

Pairing one or both with Harrison would give Ohio State the kind of star class at the wide receiver position that Buckeye fans have become accustomed to in the Brian Hartline era.

Best hopes 2029

QB Ty Snell

With five-star quarterback Christopher Vargas already committed to the 2028 class, Ohio State’s quarterback recruiting focus has shifted to 2029, where Snell is the Buckeyes’ top target in his class.

Ranked the No. 2 QB in the 2029 class by 247Sports and On3, Snell was offered by Ohio State before his freshman year last summer, and the Buckeyes have been at the forefront of his recruitment ever since. This weekend will mark his first game visit to Ohio State, giving the Buckeyes a chance to solidify their position as a top school for Snell, who they would like to commit early.

CB James Allen

Allen, who is ranked No. 1 overall in the 2029 class by On3 and No. 3 by 247Sports, is also making his first game visit to Ohio State this weekend after receiving an offer from the Buckeyes during camp this summer. Already 6-foot-3, 175 pounds with a 4.4-second 40-yard dash time, Allen has the elite cornerback potential that already makes him a top priority for Tim Walton and Ohio State, even though his signing day is still more than two years away.

WR Maddox Porter and Sukora Cooper Jr.

In addition to welcoming two of the top receivers in the 2028 class this week, Cortez Hankton and Ohio State will also have the top two receivers in the 2029 class on campus.

Maddox Porter is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 1 receiver and No. 4 overall prospect in the 2029 class, while Sukora “Sip” Cooper Jr. is ranked right behind him as the No. 2 receiver and No. 15 overall prospect in the class.

Ohio State appears to be among the early suitors for Porter, and Saturday’s visit will give the Buckeyes a chance to build momentum on his recruitment. Cooper committed to SMU in June, but he continued to go elsewhere all fall, keeping his recruitment far from over.

With a commitment already in hand from Austin Miller, the ninth-ranked receiver in 2029, this weekend is an opportunity for Ohio State to impress two of its top targets to join Miller in the class.

Other notable visitors expected

  • QB: Christopher Vargas (2028 commitment), Hunter McLaughlin (2029)
  • RB: Elijah Newman-Hall (2028 commitment)
  • WR: Jamier Brown (2027 commitment), Jordan Donahoo (2027 commitment), Austin Miller (2029 commitment), Malachi Lee (2028 four-star), Joseph “Jet” Gibbs (2028 four-star), Brandon Jefferson (2028 four-star), Pierce Washington (2028 four-star), John Matthews (2028 three-star), Tenaris Kearse (2029 four-star)
  • TE: Luke Sohyda (2028 commitment), Landon Dawson (2028 four-star), Caiden Snow (2029 four-star)
  • OL: Caden Moss (2027 commitment), Mason Wilt (2027 commitment), Davis Seaman (2027 commitment)
  • OF : DJ Jacobs (2027 commitment), Marcus Fakatou (2027 commitment), Wyatt Smith (2027 commitment), Dawson Jacobs (2028 four-star)
  • DT: Karlos May (2027 commitment), Jameer Whyce (2028 commitment), Antonio Flowers (2028 four-star)
  • kg: Quinton Cypher (2027 commitment)
  • CB: Deontay Malone (2027 commitment), Jaden Carey (2027 commitment), Domonic Williams Jr. (2028 four-star), Taddrick Gibson Jr. (2028 three-star), Za’khari Greene (2028 three-star)
  • S: Angelo Smith (2027 commitment), Brandon Murphy (2028 four-star), Zion Green (2028 four-star)

Gn sports

Related Posts

Scroll to Top