Ohio State football misses out on 4-star defensive end for the 2026 class
Ohio State football misses out on 4-star defensive end for the 2026 class
It was a mixed bag for Ohio State football recruiting on Thursday. The Buckeyes landed 4-star linebacker Cincere Johnson out of Cleveland Glenville, but then got some sour news with losing out on 4-star defensive end Luke Wafle to the USC Trojans.
It was a bit of an about-turn for Wafle. As early as Wednesday evening, it looked as though the Buckeyes were favored to land the priority edge rusher, but USC reportedly made a late push after an official visit and upped the ante with increased NIL money. If you believe the reports from Steve Wiltfong of On3 (subscription required), OSU then came to the table with more money, but the Trojans again came to the table with the money to land his services.
Out of Princeton, New Jersey, Wafle is ranked as the No. 6 edge rusher and 55th overall prospect in the 2026 class according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings. He was one of Ohio State's priority targets to cap off the 2026 class, but the Buckeyes will now have to turn their attention elsewhere. After the news, USC holds onto its firm grip on the No. 1 ranked class in the country according to the 247Sports Team Composite Rankings, thanks in large part to a whopping 30 guys who have given their verbal pledge. The Buckeyes remain ranked as the No. 3 class in the 2026 cycle with their 16 total commitments to date.
This is just another example of how NIL has changed how difficult it is to predict big-time college football recruiting these days. All indications point to Wafle wanting to be a Buckeye, but the money seemed to change things.
Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on X.
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