Jordan Hancock Commits to Ohio State After Flipping from Clemson

Heralded cornerback in 2021 class chose Clemson back in March, but recently backed off that verbal commitment.

Jordan Hancock will be an Ohio State Buckeye.

One of the nation’s top cornerbacks in the 2021 class, Hancock (Suwanee, Ga./North Gwinnett) has officially flipped to Ohio State after recently decommitting from Clemson on Tuesday night. He had verballed to the Tigers back in March.

Ohio State was considered the leading destination for Hancock during his initial recruitment, especially after he visited Columbus for the first time. However, a trip to Clemson in early March quickly changed that dynamic as he committed to the Tigers just a few days later. OSU somehow went from the unquestioned leader to second fiddle.

That has now all changed with one more reversal. The top-10 defensive back has maintained solid contact with the OSU coaching staff since, notably assistants Al Washington and Kerry Coombs, in addition to longstanding relationships with many current Buckeye commits in the same class.

"Clemson is a great school and I wish them nothing but the best," Hancock said during an interview with Rivals. "But I knew where I wanted to go in my heart."

1000% COMMITTED 🌰⭕️
I AM A BUCKEYE FOR LIFE ❤️ pic.twitter.com/VKGkvXxDfu

— Jordan Hancock (@jordanhancock_) July 19, 2020

Hancock (6-1, 170) provides a nice boost following a dry month of June, where the Buckeyes missed out on a handful of prime prospects that included top cornerback Tony Grimes heading to North Carolina, corner Jaylin Davies staying out west with Oregon and in-state corner Devonta Smith flipping from OSU to Alabama.

See Hancock's SI All-American Player Page, which includes highlights and evaluations.

Ohio State’s last commit was defensive back/athlete Denzel Burke (Scottsdale, Ariz.) in late May. Hancock now joins a 2021 secondary group that also features heralded corner Jakailin Johnson along with safeties Andre Turrentine, Jaylen Johnson and Jantzen Dunn.

"Ohio State was the school for me because of their rich history of putting defensive backs in the league, my relationship with the coaches, and my love for Columbus in general," added Hancock, who said he will officially sign in December.

The Buckeyes’ top-ranked 2021 recruiting class, as a whole, now gets even stronger with multiple other prized targets still on the board.

Ohio State went 13-1 last season, securing all victories by double digits, before a wild loss to Clemson in the College Football Playoff semifinal. Hancock flipping now adds even more to the rivalry between OSU and Clemson, which are leading the board of favorites to win the next national championship.

The Buckeyes also acquired a pair of flipped recruits in the 2020 class in offensive lineman Grant Toutant (Penn State) and cornerback Ryan Watts (Oklahoma)

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