The Ohio State Buckeyes are on the board with commitment No. 19 for the class of 2027. Ohio State beat out multiple major programs to add another key piece to the future of its defense.
There’s good reason to smile on Saturday afternoon as a fan of the Ohio State Buckeyes because they just picked up a nice win on the recruiting trail.
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Ohio State recruiting added a needed piece on Saturday when 4-star defensive tackle Karlos May committed to the program over Georgia, Auburn, and Florida State. May fills a crucial need as the first true interior defensive lineman in the Buckeyes’ 2027 class, giving defensive line coach Larry Johnson another building block for what is shaping up to be a special group up front.
May brings size from SEC territory
May is a 6-foot-3.5, 305-pound recruit from Birmingham, Alabama, who checks in as the No. 15 defensive lineman and No. 135 player nationally per the 247Sports composite rankings. He is the No. 5 player in the state of Alabama.
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Landing a top-150 recruit out of SEC territory is a big recruiting win for the Buckeyes. Going into the backyard of Georgia and Auburn to pull a player of May’s caliber speaks to Ohio State’s reach on the recruiting trail and the pull Johnson continues to have with defensive linemen nationwide.
Why May matters for this class
Ohio State’s 2027 defensive line haul already included defensive end recruits DJ Jacobs, Wyatt Smith, and Marcus Fakatou, but the Buckeyes lacked a true defensive tackle to play in the middle. Getting that interior presence was a point of emphasis for Johnson’s group, and May answers that need directly.
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The timing matters as well. Ohio State missed out on Kasi Currie earlier this summer when he committed to Texas, so it made sense for the Buckeyes to turn up the heat on May. The result is a class that now stands at 19 commitments with strong positioning along both the offensive and defensive lines.
What’s next for Ohio State recruiting
The Buckeyes’ weekend wasn’t without a miss. Ohio State was in the mix for 5-star 2027 wide receiver Monshun Sales on Friday, but he committed to home-state Indiana. Still, the program has its sights set on 5-star wide receiver David Gabriel Georges, who is expected to announce his decision on July 22.
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Gabriel Georges could become player No. 20 in the class. Ohio State has wanted him as the featured pass-catcher in this recruiting cycle for well over 18 months, and a loss there would sting. Tennessee is the primary competition in the battle.
Between now and then, Saturday’s commitment from May keeps the momentum rolling for a Buckeyes class that is well positioned on both sides of the line heading into a critical stretch of the recruiting calendar.
This article was originally published on A to Z Sports. Read the full story here: Ohio State picks up major recruiting win with latest 2027 addition from right in the heart of SEC land
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