BOOM! Ohio State gets commitment from four-star edge rusher Khary Wilder
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Khary Wilder | @WilderKhary
The California native becomes the first defensive lineman in the Buckeyes’ 2026 class.
It took a little longer than many likely would have liked, but
Ohio State defensive line coach Larry Johnson got his first BOOM of the 2026 cycle on Tuesday as four-star edge rusher Khary Wilder pledged to play his college football for the Buckeyes.
The 6-foot-4, 260-pound d-lineman from Junipero Serra High School in California visited Columbus over the last weekend in May, and following a trip to UCLA this past weekend, committed to the Buckeyes when Johnson and new defensive coordinator Matt Patricia visited his home while on a recruiting trip in California.
Wilder had previously planned to visit
Notre Dame and Washington during the second half of June, but has canceled those visits since committing to Ohio State.
Currently, Wilder is rated as the No. 242 prospect in the 2026 class and the 23rd highest rated edge rusher,
according to 247Sports Composite Rankings.
Wilder selected the Buckeyes from over two dozen other offers, including schools like Alabama, Georgia, Notre Dame, USC, Utah, and Washington. Earlier this year, 247Sports’ national recruiting analyst Greg Biggins noted that Wilder has continued to improve throughout his high school career, but projects to be a three-tech or traditional tackle at the collegiate level, although Bucknuts’ Bill Kurelic notes that Ohio State has him slotted in at his current edge rusher slot.
“He shows off natural pass rush skill and can beat an opposing guard or tackle with quickness and power,” Biggins said. “He plays with grown man strength and can toss an opposing lineman aside and gets a solid push even against a double team. He has a relentless motor as well and one of those players that just keeps coming.”
Wilder becomes the 15th member of OSU’s 2026 class, joining defensive players, safeties
Blaine Bradford and
Simeon Caldwell, cornerbacks
Jordan Thomas and
Jakob Weatherspoon, and linebacker
CJ Sanna.
Ohio State currently has the second-rated class in the cycle behind only USC. However, the Trojans have amassed a sizeable lead thanks to the fact that they have collected 28 total commitments to OSU’s 15. Ryan Day and company have moved up the rankings this past week with the commitment of Wilder and
four-star running back Favour Akih over the weekend. As of today, the Buckeyes are the only program in the country with multiple five-star prospects in their class.
Hopefully, the fireworks continue to light up Columbus and the recruiting world throughout the summer as the Buckeyes bring more and more high-impact prospects to town.
Check out some highlights from Wilder’s junior season:
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