The Ohio State Buckeyes stayed at the No. 2 position in ESPN’s latest 2026 recruiting rankings, still trailing behind USC for that top spot.
Of course, the Buckeyes added four-star DB Jordan Thomas this week, boosting an already-strong class early in the cycle. The class is headlined by Chris Henry, Jr., who ESPN referred to as “one of the most coveted players in the country.” It’s kind of crazy to think about how stacked the Ohio State receivers room will in 2026, with Henry coming in and able to play for a season alongside Jeremiah Smith.
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Only USC, Ohio State, and Notre Dame have ten or more recruits in ESPN’s Top 300, with the Trojans nabbing 13 such players while the Buckeyes and Fighting Irish each have ten.
It’s still very early in the cycle, though. USC is at No. 1 because their class is basically full, with 28 total commits. The Buckeyes, on the other hand, have just 13.
And some schools aren’t where you’d expect in the Top 25, mostly because they are chasing the top players in the country, who still haven’t made commitments yet (likely as they’re waiting for NIL deals to come through). Georgia currently sits at No. 15 in the rankings. And Alabama, with only five total commits so far, didn’t even make the Top 25.
This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Ohio State stays put in ESPN’s newest 2026 recruiting rankings
