Ohio State is on a recruiting spree right now, adding seven freshmen since early June to its 2025 enrollment class. According to the 247Sports Composite rankings, the Buckeyes have 10 top-100 players so far this season, including six in the top 50 nationally. Ryan Day and his staff must be ecstatic with how far they’ve come, but they’re not done yet.
The tides seemed to turn for the better on Tuesday with another big target, resulting in a plethora of crystal ball predictions for a four-star defensive lineman favored by Ohio State. Maxwell RoyThese latest predictions come after Roy was expected to head to Michigan earlier this month.
Crystal ball alert!
Ohio State received six more crystal balls today in its bid to acquire Maxwell Roy.
Position: Defensive Lineman
Class: 2025
Current ranking: 4 stars – 0.9199
National rankings: 221st overall, 25th DL overall
Hometown: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Source: 2CB for ON3, 4CB for 24/7 pic.twitter.com/EbZ11Yk0IH— Ohio State Football Recruiting (@OhioStateFBChat) June 26, 2024
Roy, the No. 19 player on the DL and No. 152 player nationally according to 247Sports, took official visits to both Ohio State and Michigan this month, with the Wolverines hosting him in Ann Arbor this past weekend. Things seem to have changed dramatically since his TTUN visit, with the industry consensus swung completely in favor of the Buckeyes. Four different 247Sports Crystal Balls were recorded on Ohio State on Tuesday, including one from Michigan insider Sam Webb and two from On3 RPM.
A native of Pennsylvania, Roy played football at St. Joseph Prep High School, the same school that produced Marvin Harrison Jr. and Kyle McCord, current Ohio State running back commits. Isaiah WestThe 6-foot-3, 270-pound defensive lineman had received offers from about 20 schools but narrowed his list down to six in February, including the Buckeyes and Wolverines as well as Duke, Oregon, Rutgers and Wisconsin.
If Roy decides to attend Ohio State, which could be in the not-too-distant future, it would add to an already impressive haul for position coach Larry Johnson, who already includes a four-star recruit. Zahir Mathis and London Merit In addition to our latest 4-star commitment, Zion GradyThe Buckeyes also remain favorites to win. Justin Hill and Mariyondaiand currently has a good relationship with Auburn University. Malik Autryand is very good friends with Grady.
Looking to the other front, Ohio State received more good news about another prospect, also named Maxwell, this time in the 2026 class, who will be an offensive tackle. Maxwell Rileynamed the Buckeyes among its top seven schools on Tuesday.
God has blessed me beyond measure with these opportunities. After many discussions with my family, we have narrowed down my college football options to seven schools. I will now focus on my relationships with these schools. Thank you and God bless. pic.twitter.com/uborftpwlN
— Maxwell Riley✝️ (@bigmax2026) June 25, 2024
According to 247Sports, Riley is the No. 6 OT and No. 35 overall prospect in the 2026 class and is one of the best offensive linemen in the country coming into his junior cycle. The No. 1 player out of Ohio narrowed his offers down to just seven from nearly 30 schools, with Ohio State joining Alabama, Clemson, Florida State, Michigan State, Missouri and Oklahoma in his selection. The Buckeyes have crystal ball predictions for Riley on both 247Sports and Rivals, both of which were recorded last year.
The 6-foot-5, 263-pound tackle from Avon Lake, Ohio, has taken at least five unofficial visits to Ohio State in 2023 — one for the spring game in April, one during the summer, one during the Buckeyes’ wins over Youngstown State and Penn State during the season and one in preparation for the Cotton Bowl. Riley, who grew up rooting for Ohio State, received an official offer from Justin Frye last March.
Ohio State currently has one five-star wide receiver committed to the 2026 class. Chris Henry Jr.And he certainly wouldn’t be averse to Riley joining the team sooner rather than later to get a head start on getting in the trenches again.
Quick Hit
- Speaking of the trenches, Ohio State is still working hard to land the five-star offensive tackle. David Sanders Jr. The Buckeyes are battling Tennessee for the position. Clemson once held the lead, but with Georgia still in the mix, the battle seems to have narrowed down to those two programs. Sanders is the No. 1 OT and No. 2 player in the nation, according to the 247Sports Composite, and would obviously be a great addition to Ohio State’s already impressive 2025 class.
- As mentioned above Malik AutryThe four-star defensive lineman, currently committed to Auburn University, showed off his Ohio State gear at the Rivals Five Star event in Jacksonville, Fla. Buckeyes new commit Zion Grady He is close friends with Autry and has been actively recruiting the 6-foot-5, 320-pound DL to play with him in Columbus. Autry is a five-star prospect in the 247Sports rankings and is ranked as the No. 4 DL and No. 29 player nationally.
