One of Ohio State’s top safety targets in the 2026 class enjoyed his first gameday visit of the season to Columbus on Oct. 7, and he won’t wait long to take his next trip either.
Four-star Maryland safety Jireh Edwards made his third unofficial visit to Ohio State earlier this month for the Maryland game, after already visiting campus previously in July and April. He’s planning on being in attendance this weekend for the Penn State game as well.
“The visit was a great experience, I loved everything about it,” Edwards told Eleven Warriors of the Maryland trip. “It was a great atmosphere. I would say it’s the best visit I’ve been on since I started going on visits. The atmosphere was crazy and everything a player would want to play in.”
While on his visit, Edwards saw Josh Proctor and Lathan Ransom each record an interception, with Proctor returning his for a touchdown. He came away impressed with Jim Knowles’ three-safety scheme.
“The safeties played great,” Proctor said. “They knew what they were doing. Coach Perry Eliano is teaching them right and telling them everything they need to know.”
Eliano and Ryan Day both spoke with the St. Frances Academy senior on his trip.
“They told me I’m a good fit for the team,” Edwards said. “They also told me to keep grinding, keep my head down and stay the course.”
Edwards said he talks to Eliano as often as he can, though communication between the two is somewhat restricted because coaches are not allowed to directly contact recruits until the fall of their junior year. As far as Ohio State goes, Edwards said Ohio State is “somewhere at the top” of his recruitment.
A week after Edwards’ visit, the Buckeyes landed a commitment from one of his high school teammates, four-star 2025 cornerback Blake Woodby. It was the first commit OSU has ever landed from Maryland powerhouse St. Frances Academy, but the Buckeyes are hoping it won’t be the last. Edwards said he would enjoy the idea of teaming up with Woodby at the next level.
BOB HEEM https://t.co/glHd5ZyXun
— Jireh Edwards (@jaygolive1k) October 15, 2023
“That would be a great feeling,” Edwards said. “I’d love to play with a teammate of mine in college, it would be a blessing.”
In his sophomore season, Edwards has moved around all over the field at different safety spots and has also defended receivers in the slot, recording a couple of interceptions and a forced fumble this year.
Edwards said he’ll start to narrow down his recruitment at the start of his junior year and plans on committing sometime in the middle of his junior year. He already has another OSU visit on his docket, as Edwards plans to be among the many recruits in attendance at the Penn State game on Saturday.
“That’ll be a great game,” Edwards said. “I grew up watching both of these teams. It’ll be a great game to watch.”
Early Penn State visitor preview
As you might expect given OSU’s home slate and the hype that comes with two undefeated teams meeting each other at the season’s midpoint, this weekend is likely to be Ohio State’s largest recruiting weekend of the fall, with more than 70 visitors expected. We’ll have a full comprehensive preview on Friday about the storylines surrounding the recruiting weekend, but for now, a potential visitor list for Saturday’s game against Penn State is listed below. Within the next couple of days, some surprise visitors will probably be added, and some currently listed will probably not be able to make it for a variety of reasons, the noon kickoff being one.
2024 (commits bolded)
- Five-star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith
- Five-star wide receiver Mylan Graham
- Five-star defensive end Eddrick Houston
- Five-star quarterback Air Noland
- Four-star defensive end Amaris Williams (official visit)
- Four-star running back James Peoples
- Four-star running back Jordan Lyle
- Four-star tight end Damarion Witten
- Four-star cornerback Bryce West
- Four-star cornerback Aaron Scott
- Four-star cornerback Miles Lockhart
- Four-star linebacker Payton Pierce
- Four-star linebacker Garrett Stover
- Four-star tight end Max LeBlanc
- Four-star wide receiver Jeremiah McClellan
- Four-star offensive lineman Ian Moore
- Four-star offensive lineman Deontae Armstrong
- Three-star offensive lineman Devontae Armstrong
- Three-star running back Sam Williams-Dixon
2025 (commits bolded)
- Five-star wide receiver Jaime Ffrench
- Five-star cornerback Devin Sanchez
- Five-star safety Jonah Williams
- Five-star defensive back Dorian Brew
- Five-star linebacker Nasir Wyatt
- Four-star quarterback Tavien St. Clair
- Four-star cornerback Blake Woodby
- Four-star wide receiver Jayvan Boggs
- Four-star tight end Brock Schott
- Four-star quarterback Ryan Montgomery
- Four-star cornerback Devin Williams
- Four-star cornerback Mark Zackery
- Four-star safety Faheem Delane
- Four-star linebacker Madden Faraimo
- Four-star defensive back Trey McNutt
- Four-star defensive back Jai'mier Scott
- Four-star running back Waltez Clark
- Four-star offensive lineman Carter Lowe
- Four-star running back Byron Louis
- Four-star running back Marquise Davis
- Four-star linebacker Anthony Sacca
- Four-star wide receiver Naeshaun Montgomery
- Four-star tight end Emaree Winston
- Four-star tight end Luka Gilbert
- Four-star linebacker Justin Hill
- Four-star linebacker Elijah Melendez
- Four-star linebacker DJ McClary
- Four-star linebacker Noah Mikhail
- Four-star defensive end London Merritt
- Three-star linebacker Eli Lee
- Three-star defensive lineman Darrion Smith
- Three-star wide receiver Elijah Dotson
2026 (commits bolded)
- Five-star wide receiver Chris Henry Jr.
- Five-star wide receiver Jabari Brady
- Four-star safety Jireh Edwards
- Four-star offensive tackle Maxwell Riley
- Four-star offensive lineman Micah Smith
- Quarterback Dia Bell
- Wide receiver Brody Keefe
- Cornerback Wayne Henry
- Cornerback Elbert Hill
Willor Jr. in contact with OSU
With three defensive linemen committed in the 2024 cycle, Ohio State would still like to take at least one and possibly two more players at that position before it gets to National Signing Day. Defensive line coach Larry Johnson has continued to do his due diligence with several uncommitted prospects, one of them being four-star Maryland defensive lineman Ernest Willor Jr.
Willor Jr. told 247Sports this week that he and Johnson speak regularly and that he is considering OSU along with Virginia Tech, Miami, Maryland and Penn State. He said he'll likely take visits to school in November and December, sometime after his senior season ends.
"Coach Johnson is an old soul type of guy," Willor told 247Sports. "Like my coaches ever since I've been younger; old souls, don't cuss, they get guys rolling without having to yell, scream or other stuff. He doesn't just say he develops defensive linemen, he shows you. Even at the next level, you can see it."
