If you were wondering, the answer is one. One former Ohio State Buckeyes star cracked Pro Football Focus’ top-25 under 25 rankings, and that player is Houston Texans’ standout quarterback C.J. Stroud.

Despite having a down season last year, partially due to things not in his control, Stroud is expected to bounce back, and he has the talent around him to do so, especially after the Texans used two of their top three selections to take wide receivers.

That said, there certainly could be some frustration here. The Buckeyes have numerous stars that have either broken onto the scene or are getting ready to that certainly could’ve been on this list. The list really focuses on players who are already developed stars, not those who are primed to make the jump.

For Buckeyes fans, think of a player like Marvin Harrison Jr., who could have cracked this list but didn’t have a sensational rookie season. Now, the real snub is Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the 23-year-old receiver who is about to be the top weapon for the Seattle Seahawks in 2025. JSN ended last season with 1,130 receiving yards, and he should easily build on that this upcoming season.

As for Stroud, he helped captain the Texans to the playoffs last season and even took down the Los Angeles Chargers in the playoffs. Nonetheless, he only came in at No. 12, the second quarterback on the list, only behind Washington Commanders’ Jayden Daniels.

Here’s an excerpt of what PFF said on Stroud.

“Due to that solid play, and the nature of the position, Stroud ranks behind only Jayden Daniels on this list in average PFF WAR generated over the past three seasons, and it’s worth noting that he did so on a larger sample size. Stroud will turn just 24 years old during the 2025 season, so it shouldn’t surprise anyone if Year 3 is his best season yet,” Jonathan Marci wrote.

The Buckeyes should be able to add more to the list next season as Emeka Egbuka is primed for a strong rookie season in Tampa Bay, and JSN is also a breakout candidate, potentially showing as one of the best receivers in the league. Expect Stroud to continue to outperform expectations on him as well with revamped offense in Houston.

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – Not a pretty pattern by May standards. Temperatures remain well below normal this week and rain chances begin later tomorrow with low pressure in the area.

We have a good deal of clouds around this morning with a north wind. Much of this is lake enhanced moisture. The clouds are expected to scatter this afternoon. We will keep it dry with high temperatures 57 to 62 degrees in most towns.

A partly cloudy sky in the forecast tonight with overnight temperatures slipping well into the 40s.

Low pressure approaches from the west tomorrow. The clouds quickly increase in the morning. Showers will track in from the west during the afternoon. High temperatures in the 60s.

Scattered showers forecast in the evening tomorrow.

Currently we have the highest chance of rain the first half of the day Wednesday.

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With 13 commits, Ohio State sits at No. 3 in 247Sports’ national recruiting rankings, but the Buckeyes still hope to add at many positions before National Signing Day in December. 

Dozens of recruits will soon flock to Columbus for their official visits, but before that happens, we take a look at where Ohio State has made additions so far in 2026 and what areas the Buckeyes can still add to. 

Quarterback

Commits: None

Potential targets: This summer should be interesting

Breakdown: It’s uncertain if even Ohio State knows what signal caller it wants to pursue yet for the 2026 class. But we’d bet that plenty of quarterbacks in the 2026 class will be at OSU’s recruiting camps this June, where Ryan Day and Billy Fessler will have ample opportunity to watch potential gunslingers in action. One name I’d keep an eye on if he ends up camping is Michigan State commit Kayd Coffman, who was the MVP of the Under Armour Next camp in Ohio this spring and has had brief dialogue with OSU.

Running back

Commits: None

Potential targets: Favour Akih, Savion Hiter, Jae Lamar, Derrek Cooper, Carsyn Baker

Breakdown: Of all the running back targets listed above, Akih might be the most likely to end up a Buckeye. The in-state product made four visits to Columbus in the spring and will be at OSU for an official visit with a June decision likely approaching. Beyond that, Hiter, Baker and Cooper have officials scheduled with the Buckeyes, so the second running back might come from that trio if indeed Akih ends up at OSU.

Wide receiver

Commits: Chris Henry Jr., Jaeden Ricketts, Brock Boyd, Kayden Dixon-Wyatt

Potential targets: Jalen Lott

Breakdown: With four wide receivers committed to Ohio State already, Brian Hartline can call this class a wrap if he so chooses. Still, if a top-tier talent like Lott or someone similar wanted in to the Buckeyes’ 2026 class, you’d have to think they’d find some room.

Tight end

Commits: Corbyn Fordham

Potential targets: Mack Sutter, Mark Bowman

Breakdown: Keenan Bailey already has a highly touted tight end committed for 2026 with Fordham in the fold. But the Buckeyes will take another tight end if it’s a player the caliber of Sutter or Bowman, both of whom could be game-changers at the collegiate level. Sutter has an official visit scheduled with OSU and Bowman recently put the Buckeyes in his top seven schools, so we’ll see what developments occur over the next few weeks.

Offensive line

Commits: Maxwell Riley, Sam Greer, Tucker Smith

Potential targets: Micah Champ Smith, Felix Ojo, Aaron Thomas, Darius Gray, Drew Evers, Chancellor Campbell, J.B. Shabazz, Samuel Roseborough, Da’Ron Parks, Ekene Ogboko

Breakdown: Tyler Bowen got off on the right foot with Ohio State fans by landing two key Ohio offensive linemen and adding a third intriguing developmental piece. Now, he’ll try to pull off what OSU has struggled to accomplish in past recruiting cycles: Land a big out-of-state fish. Smith, Ojo, Gray, Evers and Roseborough would all apply to that category, and each could take an official visit to Columbus this summer. Landing Ojo would be a major win for the Buckeyes, but they’ll have staunch competition from Texas for the No. 2 offensive tackle in the country.

Defensive line

Commits: None

Potential targets: Jake Kreul, Luke Wafle, Landon Barnes, Aiden Harris, Andrew Harris, Deuce Geralds, Carter Luckie, Preston Carey, Kevin Ford Jr., Jamir Perez, Keysaun Eleazer, Carter Meadows, Lamar Brown, PJ Dean, Tyson Bacon, Jackson Ford, Damari Simeon

Breakdown: Defensive line is arguably one of the biggest needs for Ohio State this class, but the good news is Larry Johnson should have no shortage of options to choose from. Wafle, Geralds, Perez and Dean all seem to have some momentum with OSU at the moment, and the Buckeyes are still firmly in the running for others mentioned above. Like Bowen, Johnson should be busy this summer as he’ll have quite a bit of official visitors on campus. Of note, OSu offered Lamar Brown on Friday, the No. 1 defensive tackle in the 2026 class. He has a commitment date set for July 4, so things would have to move pretty quickly there, but the Buckeyes are still trying to go big game hunting at this position.

Linebacker

Commits: CJ Sanna

Potential targets: Cincere Johnson, Tyler Atkinson, Xavier Griffin

Breakdown: Between Atkinson and Griffin, James Laurinaitis is taking a swing at landing the No. 1 and No. 2 linebackers in the 2026 class this summer. Atkinson has been on the Buckeyes’ radar since he was an eighth grader, while Griffin just came back on the market following his decommitment from USC. Of course, Johnson is a huge priority to keep in state as well and is one of the best linebackers in the class.

Cornerback

Commits: Jakob Weatherspoon, Jordan Thomas

Potential targets: Justice Fitzpatrick, Nascar McCoy, Danny Odem

Breakdown: Tim Walton added another premier cornerback to his 2026 class with the commitment of Thomas, but the Buckeyes could still add one more player here. Fitzpatrick seems to be the preferred corner of choice. McCoy could play either safety or corner at OSU. Odem was just offered by Walton this week, so we’ll see where the relationship goes from here.

Safety

Commits: Blaine Bradford, Simeon Caldwell

Potential Targets: Bralan Womack, Donovan Webb

Breakdown: By far and away the biggest remaining priority at safety is landing Womack, the top-rated safety in the 2026 class. If OSU can land Bradford, Caldwell and Womack, Walton and Matt Guerrieri should take a bow. There’s still some crucial visits coming up in his recruitment, but the Buckeyes appear to be in the driver’s seat for him at the moment. If they can’t land Womack, someone like Webb makes a lot of sense as a third piece for the class.