How about bagging another formidable defensive playmaker like Jack Sawyer? Ohio State is already thriving on both offense and defense. 28-14 in the Cotton Bowl against Texas and a trip to the CFP National Championship game against Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame. But that’s not the only reason they’re attracting prospective defensive players. We’ve seen how formidable the Buckeyes defense is particularly with that Quinn Ewers‘ early sack. Now the good news is that there could be somebody coming to Columbus who is expected to make explosive plays like we saw in the Cotton Bowl! 

This season’s success is highly likely to be emulated in the coming years, per Steve Wiltfong’s views on On3 Recruits on January 15. OSU’s future looks promising, starting with “the No. 1 corner in the country, the No. 1 player in the state, Elbert Hill. Ohio State’s got their hands full keeping Elbert Hill home.” The Archbishop Hoban HS standout is a highly touted 2026 CB with offers from 33 different programs.

Several high-profile teams are in contest for Elbert Hill, the 5’10, 175-pound Akron native. These programs include SEC powerhouses like Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee, and top B1G teams like Oregon and OSU. The Ducks are a close competitor with the Buckeyes and have managed to get him on campus multiple times. But Ryan Day still sits atop this race. 

As of now, On3 predicts that Elbert Hill has an 81.5% chance of committing to Ohio State. And the reason for that inclination? Listen to what Wiltfong has to say about this: “Ohio State, what they’ve done in the past with defensive backs, the development that excites this family.” And then he added that CFP semifinal incident that highlighted the power of the Buckeyes’ defense. He added, “And then watching Ohio State get the big win against Texas.” Perhaps this is one of the primary reasons Hill is drawn towards OSU. 

Ohio State defense 

It’s for a big reason that Ohio State’s Jack Sawyer won the Defensive Most Outstanding Player award in the Cotton Bowl. He delivered a game-changing play by sacking Quinn Ewers’ for a forced fumble, which he recovered. He then made an explosive 83-yard run for the final score to win the game with a double touchdown lead over the Longhorns. 

But if you see the history of defenders under Ryan Day, he developed some of the top defensive prospects in the NFL. Perhaps the most outstanding would be the 2020 NFL draft, where the Buckeyes produced two top-3 overall players—No. 2 overall DE Chase Young and No.3 overall CB Jeff Okudah. So, if defensive development is what Hill’s family is seeking, there’s no place like home. 

As of now, all signs point to Elbert Hill going to Columbus. But there’s still one whole season to ponder over that decision. A natty win might shoot that prediction closer to 100%. But we’ll see if Ohio State can maintain consistency over the next season.