Login to view embedded media
In the final 2026 Rivals ranking, Notre Dame ended with five five-star recruits in their top 32 players. That is the most among any team, meaning that the Irish signed more five-star players than any other program, outdoing the likes of Ohio State (4), Michigan (3), LSU (3), USC (2), Texas (2), Alabama (2), and Oregon (2).

The quiet addition with loud upside: Why Dominick Kelly may be Ohio State’s most underrated transfer​

Why Ohio State’s quiet addition from Georgia could become a cornerstone of the Buckeyes’ secondary in the years ahead

When Ohio State’s transfer class was taking shape this offseason, most of the attention gravitated toward proven production, veteran experience, and immediate fixes. Bigger names, clearer roles, instant impact. Lost in that noise was a move that may not pay off loudly in 2026, but could end up reshaping the Buckeyes’ secondary in the long term, and that is the addition of former Georgia cornerback Dominick Kelly.
Kelly does not arrive in Columbus with the hype of an All-Conference resume or the expectations of an instant starter. Instead, he arrives with something Ohio State has again quietly prioritized this cycle. High-level developmental talent from an elite program, molded in a system that demands technical precision and physicality. That combination makes Kelly one of the most intriguing and underrated additions on the entire roster.

Why Georgia didn’t want to lose him​

Kelly’s departure from Georgia was not met with indifference. Inside the Georgia program and fanbase, his transfer raised eyebrows for a reason. As a true freshman, Kelly cracked the rotation in one of the deepest and most competitive secondaries in college football. That alone is telling.
Georgia does not hand out snaps to freshmen at cornerback unless they trust them. Kelly appeared in multiple games, gaining exposure to elite competition and absorbing one of the most demanding defensive structures in the sport. While his statistical output was limited, his value came from something less visible but arguably more important: reps in real games against NFL-caliber receivers.

At 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds, Kelly already carries the prototype frame Ohio State covets on the outside. More importantly, his foundation is strong. Georgia’s coaching staff trusted his technique, alignment, and understanding of coverage rules enough to put him on the field early, and that trust from Kirby Smart is rarely misplaced. When Georgia coaches are unhappy to see a young defensive back leave the building, it usually means the player was viewed as a key part of the future.

Short-term role, long-term vision​

Kelly is unlikely to be asked to carry the room in 2026, but that is not the point. Ohio State’s cornerback group is clearly top-heavy, with established starters ahead of him and younger players fighting for rotational snaps. That context actually benefits Kelly. Early on, his role projects as a third or fourth corner, a depth piece capable of handling meaningful snaps without being truly exposed. That role fits his profile perfectly. He can be brought along deliberately, learning Tim Walton’s style and Matt Patricia’s system without the pressure of weekly matchup assignments against WR1s.

This is where Kelly’s value becomes clear. Ohio State is not asking him to be great immediately; they are asking him to develop correctly. With Walton’s track record of development at the position, Kelly’s blend of length and technical base gives him real upside. He already understands how to survive in a press-heavy, matchup-driven system. The next step is refinement, not reinvention.
.
.
.
continued

Login to view embedded media
Side note; I used the search function to try to find this thread by typing in “Titanic” and about a dozen of the top results were for the Cleveland Browns thread in the pro football forum.

Currently the Buckeyes are 8th place in the B1G. It used to be that 8th place in the B1G was really bad, but now you look at the standings and there are 10 teams worse off.

Login to view embedded media This kid is a giant lol

Tomateaux Quinoa Gumbeaux said:

Login to view embedded media

Click to expand...

Beck couldn’t bring home the title but his girlfriend did.

Login to view embedded media

According to KenPom, right now OSU is the 39th-best team, with the 26th-best offense and 67th-ranked defense. They had the 50th ranked D, 30th-best O and finished #37 last season.

On the bright side, it sounds like Tilly won't be out for long. Cupps, while not as important as Tilly, also is not expected out for long. So hopefully the Buckeyes will be close to full strength at Wisconsin.

On the flip side, the fact that they're not even mentioning Brandon Noel in interviews now is probably a bad sign - at this point, it kind of feels like he might not play at all again this season.

buckeyemania11 said:

With 11 games left I think if they can win 5 of them they probably get in

The pitfalls are @ Maryland and @ Ped State, they pretty much have to win those 2 games. Maryland is 159th in NET and Ped State is 129th

Win those 2 and you gotta win 3 between @ Wisconsin, Michigan, USC, Virginia, Wisconsin, @ Sparty, @ Iowa, Purdue and Indiana

Click to expand...

Yeah, you can't necessarily say any game is going to be an easy W for this team, as they have to bring their "A" effort even to win at "lowly" Maryland and PSU. When you're capable of being had in the paint and not particularly blessed with many physical specimens who can play lock down D, you've got to play like your hair is on fire as some would say. Defense travels, and that's been the weaker area for this team, so it's only natural that getting road wins is going to be a dicey proposition.

Thad Matta, while he struggled recruiting at the end, clearly knew what types of players he needed to win at the OSU level, and on literally every team he always had one starter who was a defensive ace that would help get big stops. When he recruited bigs, he went for the long and athletic big who provided rim protection & was adept at securing rebounds (things we don't really have right now). Additionally, his "defend without fouling" philosophy generally led to opponents getting fewer points the easy way. I don't think it's a coincidence that a good part of the struggles that OSU has had in recent years have been on defense, and the team has just not had the type of talent and emphasis that there was in the vintage Matta years.

I have two tickets on the 50 yard line. Make me an offer!

buckeyemania11 said:

With 11 games left I think if they can win 5 of them they probably get in

The pitfalls are @ Maryland and @ Ped State, they pretty much have to win those 2 games. Maryland is 159th in NET and Ped State is 129th

Win those 2 and you gotta win 3 between @ Wisconsin, Michigan, USC, Virginia, Wisconsin, @ Sparty, @ Iowa, Purdue and Indiana

Click to expand...

@Penn State is always a pitfall for OSU.

Amazing how such a great offensive mind has literally always been saddled with garbage parts.

buckeyebri said:

Yeah all they did was promote Brady their OC. The HC sucks but one of his lieutenants is the guy to lead you to the SB….

Click to expand...

I remember sometime in the last few years a time fired the Oline coach and hired the assistant worked out about like expected