The Buckeyes continue to stay busy on the recruiting trail with a jam-packed Wednesday.

On the eve of the College Football Playoff semifinals for Ohio State, the Cotton Bowl is the first priority for this program as it looks to keep the season alive. While the coaches are focusing their efforts towards the on-field results, the rest of the staff has been on all over the recruiting trail this week, and Wednesday was no different.

Dishing out new offers aplenty, the Buckeye brand is everywhere currently, and that’s exactly what you want to see to keep the machine going.

Buckeyes dish out new offers in the 2026 & 2027 classes

Ohio State showed no signs of slowing down on the recruiting trail on Wednesday with another offer fest going down. Multiple players in the upcoming cycles hearing from the Buckeye staff, these latest offers show the desire to get in early on these prospects as they tend to do in every recruiting year.

Making a strong and heavy presence known in North Carolina, one of the few to earn an Ohio State offer includes edge rusher Elijah Littlejohn. A 6-foot-2, 205 pound athlete out of Charlotte, North Carolina, Littlejohn is currently the No. 366 player nationally and the 28th best at his position for the 2026 class per the 247Sports Composite.

Holding offers from the likes of Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Michigan, Tennessee, Texas A&M, and others, it’s not hard to see why Ohio State too wanted to join the mix. Having faired well in the Tar Heel state over the last few cycles, the Buckeyes are keeping their lines in the water hoping to continue their pipeline of success.

Ohio State stayed right in Charlotte for another defensive side of the all target by offering class of 2027 safety, Davion Jones. A 6-foot, 175 pound athlete, Jones is just a high school sophomore, but has early interest from NC State, Troy, Virginia Tech, and now of course the Buckeyes.

Jones’ patience likely won’t be tested too long, as other programs get in the mix sooner rather than later, but this latest offer from Ohio State can be a big help to increase the attention towards his recruitment. Being in the 2027 class, the staff offering this early and being the biggest program to do so has to stand out to Jones — though there’s plenty of time to go before he’s serious about any future destination.

The timing of the offer and the on-field product Ohio State is showing with their safeties has to speak volumes to young players at the position. From here, the Buckeyes just need to continue their success and keep preaching the safety driven defense to the guys they want not only to fill the spots of the future, but keep the standard of play.

Third times the charm apparently, as the Queen City of Charlotte, North Carolina produced a third offer on Wednesday by Ohio State’s staff. Coming by way of another defensive line prospect, the Buckeyes really got in early when they offered class of 2028 athlete, Cory Cunningham.

Only a high school freshman, Cunningham is already an impressive 6-foot-4, 265 pounds with a ton of potential to be seen the next three years of his prep career. Not wanting to waste anytime, it’s easy to see why Ohio State felt the need to offer this early on in his recruitment considering how highly touted he could be in the coming future.

Just three offers to his name including the Buckeyes, Ohio State joins East Carolina and South Carolina as the early entrees to his sweepstakes. More sure to follow and soon, what the staff can brag on is when they offered and how well they have done recruiting his home state the last few years with real playmakers currently contributing at the same position group thanks to the examples of guys such as Tyliek Williams.

Unranked right now solely because of his class, it’s just a matter of time before his Cunningham’s stock really increases. Ohio State will look to stay in the mix for the long haul now.

In-state 2026 target drops top five

Ohio’s 2026 class has a ton of in-state talent the Buckeyes have to land. Much like the 2024 class, the defensive backs right inside the state lines might be all this staff needs to look at, and that’s a major plus considering how good of position this program is in for those players already.

Of the multiple top targets, on Wednesday Toledo, Ohio native Victor Singleton released his latest recruiting update by trimming his considerations down to just five final schools. The No. 65 player nationally and the sixth best cornerback in the 2026 class per the 247Sports Composite, Singleton included Illinois, Michigan, Oregon, Texas A&M, and Ohio State in his mind, with the Buckeyes likely the favorite right now.

A player Tim Walton will look to get on campus often over the next year, the Buckeyes have been in the mix for Singleton for sometime now and have hosted him several times already, but keeping him close to home has to remain a top priority. The other finalists have a chance, but this is one you would like to think Ohio State has locked up, and hopefully they can do just that sooner than expected.

Quick Hits

• Ohio State has already landed multiple offensive linemen via the transfer portal for the 2025 campaign, and with how many guys they’ve lost too, Justin Frye needs to continue scouring the portal for additional guys to provide immediate depth.

Seen earlier this week, Montana State offensive tackle Conner Moore entered the portal. An Ohio native, Moore visited Cincinnati on Wednesday and has near future trips to both Michigan State and Ohio State in the works.

One of the top players in now in the portal, the Buckeyes would love to bring Moore home for two more years of eligibility, and a visit definitely helps. Keep a close eye on this one as the Buckeyes continue looking for help to reload their trenches.