Ohio State picked up a major recruiting win days before facing Miami in the Cotton Bowl as DJ Jacobs, the No. 8 player in the country and No. 1 edge rusher in the 2027 class according to 247 Sports, committed to Ohio State.
The Georgia native chose Ohio State over Miami, Texas A&M and Georgia, bolstering an already talented 2027 class, ranked third nationally, which includes fellow five-star receiver Jamier Brown.
The Buckeyes will have to keep Jacobs on board until signing day, and if they do, they will have their first five-star edge rushing talent since the 2021 class featured the duo of Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau. Ohio State signed five-star Eddrick Houston in the 2024 class, but he has played interior defensive line.
This is a major win for Ohio State, regardless of position, but also for defensive line coach Larry Johnson, who has endured some losses in recent years, including to Miami. The Buckeyes once had five-star Justin Scott committed, only to see him flip to Miami, as well as losing out to four-star edge Marquise Lightfoot in 2024.
While Jacobs won’t be on campus for another year, it gives Johnson a plan for the future. He lost four starters from last year’s team and is likely to lose three this year if Kenyatta Jackson Jr., Kayden McDonald and Caden Curry all declare for the NFL Draft. Curry is out of eligibility after this season.
While that attrition can hurt a roster, it helps Johnson’s already stellar track record as a defensive line coach and developer. If Jackson, McDonald and Curry are drafted this year, that will make seven defensive linemen drafted in two years. That’s something Johnson can sell to prospects, and that momentum seems to have worked with Jacobs’ commitment.
Ohio State will now turn its focus to the Cotton Bowl and adding a few more defensive linemen to the 2027 class to complement Jacobs.
