Ohio State makes the cut for nation’s No. 1 LB, sends out flurry of new offers

The snow is finally melting during a lovely stretch of a March false spring, and the only thing that could make things better is some Buckeyes football. Luckily, Ohio State will return to the practice field on Tuesday for the beginning of spring camp.

While the coaches are preparing to get this new-look roster ready for the upcoming 2026 campaign, Ryan Day and his staff have wasted little time on the recruiting trail. Another active weekend for the Buckeyes, the good weather has brought with it some good news.

Over the weekend, Ohio State learned it has made the cut for five-star linebacker Kaden Henderson. Trimming his list of more than 40 offers down to only five, the Buckeyes are among Henderson’s finalists alongside Alabama, Miami, Notre Dame and Texas A&M.

The No. 1 LB in the country in the 2027 class, Henderson also checks in as the No. 24 player overall in this cycle and the No. 3 prospect out of his home state of Florida. The 6-foot-2, 218-pound linebacker has already made a name for himself across the national circuit, competing in both the Under Armour All-America Game and Polynesian Bowl as an underclassman.

Henderson is coming off a terrific junior campaign at Jesuit High School, racking up 49 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, nine sacks and two forced fumbles despite missing five games with an injury. That followed up a dominant season in 2024, totaling 85 tackles with 10 tackles for loss and an interception as a sophomore.

The Buckeyes have to feel good about where they stand for any linebacker prospect right now after the success of both Sonny Styles and Arvell Reese, who are both projected to be early first round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft. James Laurinaitis has done an outstanding job as Ohio State’s linebackers coach, and that likely plays a big factor into why Henderson has kept the Buckeyes at the front of his mind.

As of right now, Ohio State is the only one of his finalists with an official visit scheduled, with Henderson penciled in to take a trip to Columbus on June 12.

New names, new offers

Ohio State’s staff was clearly in evaluation mode this past weekend, sending out a handful of new offers to prospects in the 2027 class. Here are of few of those on the receiving end of the Buckeyes’ hunt for top talents:

Hall is the No. 23 WR and No. 173 player nationally per 247Sports’ rankings. The 6-foot-5 Alabama native already holds more than two dozen offers to his name, and has official visits scheduled with Auburn (June 12), Penn State (June 5) and Tennessee (June 19).

A two-sport athlete, Hall also reportedly holds basketball offers from Cincinnati, UCF and others.

Smith is one of the top defensive linemen in the cycle, checking in as the No. 10 EDGE and No. 75 overall player per the 247Sports Composite. A MaxPreps Junior All-American, the 6-foot-6, 235-pound defender led Florida’s 5A champions in both tackles and sacks as he totaled a whopping 155 tackles with 13 sacks and 24 tackles for loss.

Somewhat surprisingly, despite holding around two dozen offers, Ohio State is one of the few marquee programs on his sheet, joining Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Missouri, Notre Dame and others.

New Ohio State wide receivers coach Cortez Hankton is looking to find additional receivers to join five-star commit Jamier Brown in this 2027 class. The Buckeyes have had a bunch of success with Texas wideouts, and are dipping back into the Lone Star State by offering Yancey.

The 5-foot-10 track athlete is the No. 18 WR and No. 150 player nationally per 247Sports’ rankings. Yancey holds nearly 40 offers, including all the big names among the likes Alabama, Michigan, Oregon, Texas and many more.

Sticking in Texas, Lacey is the No. 29 RB and a top-60 player in the state in this cycle per 247Sports’ rankings. The 5-foot-11, 190-pound ball-carrier tallied 537 yards and eight touchdowns on 9.1 yards per carry over nine games in his junior season.

Ohio State is among the first handful of offers for the tailback, who is beginning to see his recruitment take off with both the Buckeyes and Notre Dame offering over the last few days.

Quick Hits

Ohio State will look to keep a premier in-state prospect at home with 2027 offensive tackle Dominic Black. The No. 13 OT, No. 123 player nationally and No. 5 prospect in Ohio in this cycle, Black will be in Columbus later this week as the Buckeyes kick off their spring practice period.

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