2023 Ohio State Tight End Commit Ty Lockwood Flips To Alabama

The Buckeyes' longest-tenured commit becomes the second player to back off his pledge in the last four days.

Although he’s been committed to Ohio State for almost a year, Thompson’s Station (Tenn.) Independence four-star tight end Ty Lockwood flipped his pledge to Alabama on Tuesday afternoon.

Jeremiah 29:11 #RTR🐘 pic.twitter.com/EpSxe5UeAD

— Ty Lockwood (@TyLockwood7) August 2, 2022

“First of all, I’m grateful for Ohio State, the coaching staff and the Buckeye players and fans,” Lockwood said in a post on Twitter. “I have a lot of respect for the program and the team. I’ve been all in with Buckeye Nation, so this decision and announcement is hard for me.

“After much discussion and prayer, my family and I have decided that it would be best to decommit from (The) Ohio State University. I take commitment and loyalty very seriously, but it’s the right choice I needed to make for my future and my family.

“With that being said, I’m flipping my commitment to the University of Alabama. I look forward to what the future brings and how I can develop as a player and person under Coach (Nick) Saban and Coach (Joe) Cox. Roll Tide!”

The 6-foot-5 and 225-pound Lockwood, who is considered the ninth-best tight end and No. 141 prospect overall in the class of 2023, landed an offer from the Crimson Tide during a visit for the program’s annual Champions Cookout this past weekend.

The strength of Lockwood’s commitment was not in question when he attended a one-day camp in early June or took his official visit later that month, which gave him an opportunity to work out spent time with head coach Ryan Day and offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson.

“This is a great place to be in and you’ve got coaches out here who know what they’re doing and they’ve been in the business for a long time, so I truly do think this is probably the best spot to get developed into an NFL player,” Lockwood said on June 7.

He had even taken on a leadership role in Ohio State’s 2023 class, recruiting some of the nation’s top talent to join him. It apparently only took an offer and one trip to Alabama for him to change his mind, though.

Lockwood now becomes the second player to back off his commitment to the Buckeyes in the last four days, joining Tampa Wharton four-star cornerback Dijon Johnson, who did so after his visit to Florida on Saturday.

His decision leaves Ohio State with just one commitment at tight end in Fairburn (Ga.) Langston Hughes four-star Jelani Thurman. The staff is hoping to bring in two players at the position this cycle, so expect new offers to go out in the coming days and weeks.

Some in-state names to keep in mind include Miamisburg three-star Jackson McGohan and Washington Court House three-star Tanner Lemaster, though they’re currently committed to Cincinnati and Kentucky, respectively. 

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