LOSS NEWS: Ohio State Buckeyes dealt tough loss on the recruiting trail that they didn’t want to happen at the hands of another Big Ten team, their only hope also chose the Trojans over Ohio State, Oregon, and Alabama. Ohio State now turns their focus to other targets to add to their class that has just one cornerback committed with Jakob Weatherspoon.

Ohio State has had a productive spring on the recruiting trail, especially for the 2026 class. The Buckeyes currently hold the No. 6-ranked class with 11 verbal commitments, gaining significant momentum in March and April.

However, they’ve suffered a major setback, losing the top in-state prospect to a Big Ten rival. Archbishop Hoban (OH) cornerback Elbert Hill has committed to USC, choosing the Trojans over Ohio State, Oregon, and Alabama.

Hill, rated as the No. 3 cornerback and No. 40 overall player nationally in the 2026 class per the 247Sports Composite, becomes the latest elite Ohio prospect to head elsewhere. With Hill off the board, Ohio State’s top in-state pledges are now offensive linemen Maxwell Riley (No. 5 in Ohio) and Sam Greer (No. 6), Hill’s high school teammate.

Hill had been visiting USC frequently in recent months and hadn’t made recent trips to Columbus, signaling his growing lean toward the Trojans. Although he still has an official visit to Ohio State scheduled for this summer, it’s uncertain whether it will take place.

This marks the second straight recruiting cycle in which Ohio State has lost elite in-state defensive backs, following Trey McNutt and Dorian Brew’s decisions to commit to Oregon in 2025. The Buckeyes now shift their attention to other targets, with only one cornerback, Jakob Weatherspoon, currently committed in the class.