Nicholas Rome

Every recruiting cycle produces hundreds of blue-chip recruits and 32 5-star recruits, but only one player earns the distinction of being the Nation's top overall recruit. While being a 5-star recruit carries a ton of expectations, the pressure on the top player in the class is immense, and with a major target on their back, it's hard to live up to the hype.

Ryan Day has the Ohio State football program firing on all cylinders coming off an undefeated regular season with another run to the College Football Playoff. Under Urban Meyer and through the Ryan Dat era, the Buckeyes have built the foundation of the program through traditional recruiting. While the Transfer Portal can fill holes with star players, when you can land elite blue-chip recruits like Ohio State, it's far more attractive to attack recruiting.

Jeremiah Smith, Malachi Toney, and Cam Coleman look to lead loaded offenses to a National Championship. Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Brandon Inniss (1) celebrates a touchdown by wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) during the Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas for the College Football Playoff quarterfinal game against the Miami Hurricanes on Dec. 31, 2025. Ohio State lost 24-14.