Ohio
Can Oregon be a long-term recruiting challenger to Ohio State football?
COLUMBUS, Ohio — In early August, five-star safety, and Shaker Heights product, Trey McNutt stood up and donned an Oregon hat and chain, opting to turn down his in-state Buckeyes to head thousands of miles westward to play for the Ducks.
From the outside, it looked a bit off — a five-star player from Ohio going somewhere other than Ohio State is a relatively uncommon occurrence.
But was that a one-off, or a sign of things to come? And could that be a problem for Ohio State moving forward?
“It just shows you that distance doesn’t mean anything,” McNutt told Cleveland.com at the time. “When you go to a place that makes you feel like home, and you have a good system there, and everybody’s genuine, it shows everyone that it’s OK to leave.”
Since Dan Lanning took over at Oregon, the Ducks’ recruiting has reached new heights — not even accomplished since they reached two national title games in a decade.
The Ducks, in the 2023 and 2024 classes, ranked 9th and 3rd in the 247Sports team composite rankings. And in 2025, while they currently rank 8th, they have the highest average player rating of any program in the country.
And some of those players that have made up, and make up, those classes have chosen Oregon over Ohio State.
“Really just the coaching staff,” five-star Archbishop Hoban 2026 cornerback Elbert Hill said in late September of Oregon’s impression on him. “They really go for guys that they think are some dudes. Me just knowing they’re coming after me, that just boosts my confidence even more. They’re coming after a dude.”
Notably, in the 2025 class, Ohio State was in on five-star receiver Dakorien Moore, McNutt, four-star cornerback Dorian Brew and four-star running back Jordon Davison. And in 2026, four-star quarterback Jonas Williams. All of them committed to Oregon.
So does that mean Oregon has supplanted Ohio State as the Big Ten’s preeminent program, or even recruiting operation? It does not.
But, it shows that the Ducks are always going to be in the hunt for top high school prospects — and that’s something the Buckeyes haven’t had to experience much in the Big Ten. In short, there’s a true adversary to Ohio State recruiting in the conference now.
“He has a relentless approach that is based on his success in the SEC, that goes a long way when he got here coming right off the national championship with Georgia,” said Scott Reed, who covers Oregon for Duck Sports Authority, as part of the Rivals network. “That goes a long way to selling kids on what the vision of the future looks like and that you can achieve it if we do it the right way.”
In the 2023 class, Ohio State placed fourth in the 247Sports team rankings, and the next closest Big Ten competitor was Penn State at 14th. In 2022, Ohio State also placed fourth, while Penn State and Michigan placed at sixth and ninth. In 2021, Ohio State was second, ahead of the next closest Big Ten Team, Michigan, at 13th.
The SEC, and occasionally, Clemson, Notre Dame and USC have presented some modicum of discomfort for Ohio State for individual recruits. But now with conference realignment, the threat of losing on a national recruit — for both Oregon, Ohio State, USC, Michigan and every other Big Ten school — and then seeing them on the field multiple times a season is now on the table.
“The relationship I have with their outside linebackers coach, and he’s telling me and pushing me that they don’t really recruit a lot of people,” 2026 five-star defensive end Zion Elee, from Baltimore, told Cleveland.com in August. “They keep the edges recruiting tight. If I go there, I’ll have a nice spot, is what they’re promising.”
Naturally, there’s the thought that Nike CEO Phil Knight has financed Oregon to a level where players only commit there for the money. Lanning took exception to that narrative back in July.
But even if Knight and the Ducks’ NIL collectives are handing out blank checks, that’s something Ohio State and other Big Ten schools have to combat either way.
“You think about the advertising, people are out there talking about Oregon,” Reed said. “Even if it’s untrue stuff, they’re out there talking about Oregon again. And I think that’s the kind of stuff that the staff and the administration like is, if you’re saying that, if Kirby Smart is saying that on national television, people are hearing about Oregon and they’re hearing about what they have out there and that makes other people get interested in the future.”
There are still issues that Oregon has to work through, though, even with the recent bump in recruiting.
Notably, Oregon is not a talent-rich football state for high school talent, meaning that the coaching staff has to convince players from historic Big Ten and SEC territories to come to the Pacific Northwest. Then, as Scott noted, there’s the issue of offensive and defensive linemen — for whatever reason — usually not opting to stray far from home. That, in part, has led to the narrative in the past that Pac-12 schools aren’t as tough or physical as Big Ten and SEC schools.
But in any case, there’s not much to debate about Oregon’s recruiting operation at the moment. The Ducks have dipped into Ohio, Florida and Texas to bring elite-level talent to Eugene. And they’re going to continue to work those relationships for as long as Lanning and his staff are at Oregon.
“Coach Dan Lanning, he’s different,” McNutt said. “He’s got a different vibe to him. He’s hungry. It’s just the whole team, they’re hungry. The energy there is different.”
Central Ohio 2026 summer weather forecast
Weather forecasts call for a hotter- and drier-than-normal summer in the region.
The Columbus Dispatch
Central Ohio is under an extreme heat warning starting at noon due to dangerously hot conditions.
The National Weather Service in Wilmington issued the extreme heat warning from noon June 30 to 8 p.m. July 2 in central and south central Ohio as well as parts of Kentucky. The heat index will rise to about 105 degrees, the weather service said.
On June 30, there will be sunny skies and a high near 95 degrees in Columbus, according to a forecast by the weather service. The heat index will reach about 106 degrees.
Columbus will see a high of 98 both July 1 and July 2, with a heat index as high as 106 on July 2, the weather service said.
People should drink plenty of fluids, stay in air conditioned rooms and out of the sun and check on their relatives and neighbors.
People should not leave young children and pets in unattended vehicles because car interiors will reach lethal temperatures in minutes, the weather service said.
Cooling centers will open June 30, and the city has waived bus fares and public pool entry fees during the heat wave.
Public safety and breaking news reporter Bailey Gallion can be reached at bagallion@dispatch.com
Two people were found dead in a vehicle at a park in North Canton, Ohio, authorities said.
The North Canton Police Department said in a news release on Facebook that officers were called to Eastwoods Park around 11 a.m. on Sunday for reports of a suspicious vehicle. When officers arrived, they found a Honda with its engine running and two unresponsive people inside.
The two people, a 24-year-old man and a 22-year-old woman, were pronounced dead at the scene. They have not been identified as of Monday night.
Police said the preliminary findings show carbon monoxide levels in the vehicle were at levels exceeding what is considered safe. The North Canton Fire Department responded to the scene to help confirm the findings.
“At this time, there are no signs of foul play and no indication of violence or struggle associated with this incident,” North Canton police said in the news release.
The Stark County Coroner’s Office will determine the cause and manner of death for the two people. No other information was released by law enforcement.
“This remains an active investigation, and no further information is available at this time,” the news release said.
The NCAA’s new five-year, age-based eligibility model could make a big impact on Ohio State’s 2027 football roster.
This year’s roster is unaffected by the change; all players who were out of eligibility after the 2025 season are still out of eligibility, and all players who were eligible for 2026 under the previous rules – including seventh-year seniors Ja’Kobi Jackson and Hunter Welcing – remain eligible. Looking forward to 2027, however, fourth-year seniors who would have exhausted their eligibility this season will have the opportunity to play another year of college football should they want to do so.
Players who already took a redshirt year – which will no longer exist under the new model – still have the same number of years of eligibility remaining as they did before last week’s rule change. Players who hadn’t taken a redshirt, however, now have a fifth year of eligibility at their disposal, while teams will no longer have to worry about limiting the number of games their freshmen play to preserve their fifth year of eligibility.
With that in mind, we’re taking a look at how much eligibility all of Ohio State’s 90 scholarship players have remaining under the newly simplified model and how that could impact Ohio State beyond this season. (Note: Players in bold now have an additional year of eligibility than they did under the NCAA’s previous five years to play four seasons model.)
Fifth (or Seventh) Year Seniors in Final Year of Eligibility (13)
QB Justyn Martin
RB Ja’Kobi Jackson
WR David Adolph
TE Bennett Christian
TE Hunter Welcing
C Carson Hinzman
OT Vasean Washington
DE Beau Atkinson
DE Kenyatta Jackson Jr.
S Earl Little Jr.
S Terry Moore
S Brenten “Inky” Jones
LS Dalton Riggs
All of these players have already taken redshirt years and are already in at least their fifth year out of high school, so all of them will exhaust their eligibility after the 2026 season.
One possible exception to the rule is Martin, who told Eleven Warriors in January that he expected to receive a sixth year of eligibility from the NCAA after missing the entire 2025 season with an injury. While hardship waivers for injuries will no longer be granted under the new model, Martin remains eligible to apply for a waiver until July 31 because his injury occurred before the new model was implemented.
Fourth-Year Seniors with Two Years of Eligibility (17)
WR Brandon Inniss
WR Devin McCuin
WR Kyle Parker
TE Mason Williams
OT Phillip Daniels
OT/G Austin Siereveld
G Luke Montgomery
G/C Joshua Padilla
DE Qua Russaw
DT Jason Moore
DT James Smith
DT Will Smith Jr.
DT John Walker
LB Christian Alliegro
CB Cam Calhoun
CB Jermaine Mathews Jr.
P Joe McGuire
Until last week’s rule change, seven players in this group had not redshirted and were in line to exhaust their eligibility in 2026: Inniss, McCuin, Williams, Montgomery, James Smith, Alliegro and Mathews. Now, each of those Buckeyes has the option to play another year of college football in 2027 if they want to.
Whether they actually will is another question. Montgomery and Mathews already weighed entering the NFL draft after last season before returning for another year, and all seven of them have the potential to be selected in next year’s draft if they perform well this fall. Siereveld, who already knew he still had two more years of eligibility because he redshirted his true freshman year at Ohio State in 2023, is another strong candidate to enter the 2027 NFL draft even though he’ll still have another year of eligibility, as he’s been projected as a potential early-round pick next spring.
Although McGuire is now older than the NCAA’s new age limit, having graduated from high school in 2018, he remains eligible to play two more years of college football because athletes who had already started their careers are able to use either the previous eligibility model or the new age-based model – whichever is more beneficial to them. McGuire is in his fourth year with the Buckeyes and redshirted his first year at Ohio State in 2023 before becoming the Buckeyes’ starting punter in 2024.
Jermaine Mathews Jr. now has a fifth year of eligibility, but he’ll have a decision to make after this season on whether to use it.
Juniors with Three Years of Eligibility (13)
QB Julian Sayin
WR Jeremiah Smith
TE Max LeBlanc
OT Devontae Armstrong
OT Ian Moore
G Gabe VanSickle
DT Eddrick Houston
LB Payton Pierce
LB Garrett Stover
CB Miles Lockhart
S Jaylen McClain
S Leroy Roker III
K Connor Hawkins
Three more years of Jeremiah Smith at Ohio State? It’s technically now a possibility, though even two more years of Smith in scarlet and gray is realistically a pipe dream for Buckeye fans, as Smith is projected to be the first non-quarterback selected in the 2027 NFL draft.
Other third-year Buckeyes who now have three more years of eligibility instead of two include Houston, Pierce and McClain, who didn’t redshirt as freshmen and are now in line to be three of Ohio State’s defensive stars as juniors. Any one of them could potentially go to the NFL after just one more year at Ohio State, let alone two, so the Buckeyes shouldn’t bank on having them on their 2028 roster, but they now at least know they won’t be punished for playing backup roles as freshmen should they desire to play five years of college football.
Sayin is another Buckeye on this list who will have an NFL decision to make after the upcoming season even though he already had three more years of eligibility, so it’s highly unlikely he’ll still be Ohio State’s starting quarterback in 2028. The rest of the Buckeye juniors are potential candidates to play three more years of college football, though Moore could emerge as an NFL draft prospect within the next two years if he wins one of Ohio State’s starting tackle jobs.
Sophomores with Four Years of Eligibility (19)
QB Tavien St. Clair
RB Bo Jackson
RB Anthony “Turbo” Rogers
RB Isaiah West
WR Phillip Bell
WR De’zie Jones
TE Brody Lennon
TE Nate Roberts
OT Carter Lowe
G/C Jake Cook
DE Zion Grady
DE Epi Sitanilei
LB TJ Alford
LB Eli Lee
LB Riley Pettijohn
CB Dominick Kelly
CB Devin Sanchez
CB Jordyn Woods
S DeShawn Stewart
Despite playing too many games to redshirt last season, Jackson, West, Roberts, Grady, Alford, Pettijohn, Kelly and Sanchez all now have four more years of eligibility along with the freshmen who did redshirt last year. Ohio State isn’t going to count on still having any of them on their 2029 roster – each of them has already flashed the potential to be an NFL draft prospect after just three or four years – but that option is now on the table for all of them.
Freshmen with Five Years of Eligibility (28)
QB Luke Fahey
RB Favour Akih
RB Legend Bey
WR Brock Boyd
WR Jerquaden Guilford
WR Chris Henry Jr.
WR Jaeden Ricketts
TE Nick Lautar
OT Sam Greer
OT/G Landry Brede
G Maxwell Riley
C/G Tucker Smith
C/G Mason Wilhelm
DE Darryus McKinley
DE Dre Quinn
DE Khary Wilder
DT Jamir Perez
DT Emanuel Ruffin
DT Damari Simeon
LB Cincere Johnson
LB Braxton Rembert
LB C.J. Sanna
CB Jordan Thomas
CB Jay Timmons
S Khmari Bing
S Blaine Bradford
S Simeon Caldwell
S Kaden Gebhardt
Calculating eligibility for Ohio State’s newest freshman class over the course of its career will be simpler than it’s ever been before. All 28 members of the Buckeyes’ 2026 class will now begin their careers with five years of eligibility instead of four, and all of them will still have four more years of eligibility next season no matter how much they play this season.
That allows the Buckeyes to play every freshman who earns a spot on the depth chart this season as much as they want without having to worry about redshirt implications. For players like Henry, Bey, Boyd and Timmons who already made a big push for playing time this spring, Ohio State wasn’t likely to worry about preserving redshirts anyway. But it could be a big benefit for freshmen who aren’t quite ready to play major roles yet but are good enough to earn backup jobs or special teams duty, as Ohio State will now be able to play those players in an unlimited number of games without having to worry about long-term eligibility implications.
-
Washington6 minutes agoConcert News: The Washington Chorus Celebrates 65th Anniversary During 2026-2027 Season
-
Wisconsin9 minutes agoWisconsin Unveils Culver’s Uniform Patch in New Video Ahead of 2026 CFB Season
-
West Virginia14 minutes agoPutnam County man identified as victim in homicide investigation – WV MetroNews
-
Wyoming21 minutes agoFree Crow Culture Program at Fort Phil Kearny
-
Crypto24 minutes agoUK investors sue Binance in London for £150 million
-
Finance29 minutes agoWhat the Supreme Court’s campaign finance ruling means for the 2026 election
-
Fitness36 minutes agoI pushed myself too hard at the gym – and ended up in the hospital
-
Movie Reviews44 minutes agoYoung Washington (Christian Movie Review) – The Collision
