Ohio State Gets Clear Message From Highly Touted Five-Star originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
It’s safe to say the Ohio State Buckeyes left an impression on one of the top prospects in the 2026 recruiting class.
Five-star offensive lineman Darius Gray told On3’s Steve Wiltfong on Friday that he had a great visit to the Buckeyes this past week.
“The big takeaways was definitely everybody is on the same page when it comes to goals,” Gray told Wiltfong on Friday. “That’s winning and being the best they can possibly be!”
After his first Ohio State visit this spring, the offensive lineman shared what he enjoyed most about Ohio State.
“The environment at practice was live! The chance to be around winners is what excited me most,” said Gray this spring.
“Just how the people in the building interact with one another!”
The Buckeyes are competing with their top rival, the Michigan Wolverines, for Gray’s services.
The LSU Tigers, South Carolina Gamecocks, Tennessee Volunteers, Virginia Cavaliers and Virginia Tech Hokies are also pushing to land the five-star lineman.
Five-star offensive lineman Darius Gray spent the afternoon watching 1-on-1s at camp during his Ohio State official visit ⭕️https://t.co/lPIZsxYIF3pic.twitter.com/IUw4p8Z0LT
— Mick Walker (@mickdwalker) June 10, 2025
According to the 247Sports Composite rankings, Gray is the No. 2 offensive lineman and second-ranked Virginia prospect in the 2026 recruiting class. The lineman is also rated the No. 28 overall player on the same rankings.
Standing at 6-foot-3 and 285 pounds, Gray will play his final high school season at St. Christopher’s School in Richmond, Virginia.
Based on the 247Sports ratings, the Buckeyes have the No. 2-rated recruiting class for 2026. Ohio State has received 15 verbal commitments, 13 of which are either four or five-star prospects.
The only program rated ahead of the Buckeyes in 2026 recruiting is the USC Trojans, who have landed 28 verbal commitments.
Related: Ohio State Lands Extremely Early Commitment From Playmaker
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 15, 2025, where it first appeared.