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LGHL Ohio State trending for elite 2026 edge rusher, 2025 QB commit shines in pre-season scrimmage

Caleb Houser

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Ohio State trending for elite 2026 edge rusher, 2025 QB commit shines in pre-season scrimmage
Caleb Houser
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
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The Buckeyes look to be in a good spot for a top 2026 edge rusher.

The season is getting closer, and on Thursday the Buckeyes took a major step by naming Will Howard the starting quarterback for the 2024 campaign. A sign that the times are changing for the good, Ohio State looks to be learning from last year’s model and doing what they can to make sure this season ends differently.

With just a couple of Saturdays to go, this staff and roster are full-steam ahead planning for the first kickoff of the year. Though that’s certainly priority No. 1, recruiting is still on the agenda.

Major decisions coming as soon as tomorrow, Ohio State’s 2025 class is still sitting at the top-ranked spot via 247Sports, but upwards of four or five spots are still left up for grabs. This weekend will shed plenty of light in where this class can finish overall, but regardless of what happens, Signing Day is still months away and the Buckeyes will continue to pursue guys even currently committed elsewhere.

Buckeyes gaining steam for 2026 defensive target


The Buckeyes hold commitments from six defensive linemen in the 2025 class. A welcomed changed from the last couple of years, it seems that Larry Johnson took it to heart that Ohio State and his position group needed to not only land quality, but quantity as well. With a haul of this size already, it allows the staff to focus more attention on the 2026 cycle, and the top targets they would like to add next.

Plenty of guys already offered by the Buckeyes and at multiple positions, Ohio State only has one commitment in the future class, but that could be changing soon as there’s some real steam starting to pick up with a big-time edge rusher in this next cycle.

Four-star Zavion Griffin-Haynes is the No. 130 player nationally and 11th-best edge rusher in the 2026 class per the 247Sports Composite. Another North Carolina native the Buckeyes are in on, which has been a theme the last few years, Ohio State on Thursday got some positive momentum towards landing his services when an FutureCast pick via Rivals was submitted in Ohio State’s favor.

Not the end all be all, it’s still something when a national recruiting analyst thinks highly enough of a school to peg them as the likely landing spot. Doing so this early on, it really does look like Ohio State and Johnson are the duo to beat, and that’s continued great news for a position group that is incredinly important to the overall success of the team as a whole.

A commitment may not be scheduled right now, but if the momentum for the Buckeyes continues, look for Ohio State to be the pick in the end for another high-profile defensive end.

St. Clair dazzles in pre-season scrimmage


The Buckeyes struck gold with in-state signal caller Tavien St. Clair, and since his commitment to Ohio State it’s been one accolade after another, further proving Ryan Day and staff evaluated about as well as possible.

Poised to have a big senior season, St. Clair took the field on Thursday in a preseason scrimmage and showed another example of why he is currently the No. 6 player nationally and second-best quarterback in the 2025 class per the 247Sports Composite.

Covered by Jeremy Birmingham of The Podcast, St. Claire was about as efficient as it gets, throwing just four times, completing each pass and throwing three touchdowns in total. A showing that saw him end his night early, this is the expectation for the season, and that’s pretty fair considering he competed all summer at a national level in a way that saw his stock continue to rise.

The Buckeyes are getting another elite player under center, and having him so close to arriving on campus, the excitement is only growing — especially when you see clips like the one below.


TD No. 4 for Tavien St. Clair. He’ll be done for the night and younger brother Reign will take the … reins … of the offense. pic.twitter.com/UijArLOYu1

— Jeremy Birmingham (@Birm) August 15, 2024

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