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Ohio State Buckeyes Make Offer to Top Defensive Recruit

The Ohio State Buckeyes have made an official offer to a top defensive recruit.

Matthew Schmidt

Oct 26, 2019; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes decals on the helmets before the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Maiorana-Imagn Images
Oct 26, 2019; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes decals on the helmets before the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Maiorana-Imagn Images / Joe Maiorana-Imagn Images
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The Ohio State Buckeyes boasted the top-ranked defense in college football this past season, and they rode it all the way to a national championship.

A big reason why Ohio State's defense was so prolific was because of its front seven, which consisted of an absolutely nasty defensive line that made the lives of opposing quarterbacks miserable all throughout the year.

Keeping with the tradition, the Buckeyes are already aiming to put together a dominant defensive front for 2026, as they have made an offer to four-star defensive end prospect Kevin Ford Jr.

The Duncanville, Tx. product is ranked as the 13th best edge rusher among 247 Sports' composite rankings and is the 105th-ranked player in his class overall.

Ford racked up 57 tackles, 16 tackles for loss and seven sacks this past year and has already picked up 38 Division I offers, so Ohio State will definitely have its hands full trying to land him.

In 2024, the Buckeyes' defensive line consisted of names like Jack Sawyer, JT Tuimoloau, Tyleik Williams and Ty Hamilton, all of whom entered the NFL Draft and will be making the jump to the professional level next month.

Those are definitely some big shoes to fill, but Ohio State has an outstanding 2025 recruiting class that should be able to step in and produce next fall.

Of course, Ford wouldn't be available until the following year, but as they always are, the Buckeyes are being proactive and ensuring that they land the very best talent for the foreseeable future.

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Matthew Schmidt
MATTHEW SCHMIDT

Matthew Schmidt is a sportswriter who covers NFL, MLB, NBA and college football and basketball. He has been writing professionally since 2011 and has also worked for Bleacher Report, FanRag Sports, ClutchPoints, NFLAnalysis.net and NBAAnalysis.net. He was born and raised in New Jersey and has a rather eclectic group of favorite teams: the Boston Celtics, New York Giants and Miami Marlins.

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