Tim Walton has pulled off his biggest recruiting win in his Ohio State tenure.
The Buckeyes landed one of the top cornerbacks in the 2025 class on Saturday with the commitment of five-star cornerback Devin Sanchez.
BIA IS BACK..IM HOME!! https://t.co/ZqHAjrIla2
— Devin Sanchez (@Devin2416) January 6, 2024
The Texas product announced his commitment during the All-American Bowl broadcast on NBC. He chose OSU over Alabama and Texas A&M.
DB Devin Sanchez declares to THE Ohio State University. pic.twitter.com/QeQUalRQEe
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) January 6, 2024
Ohio State offered Sanchez in January 2023 and was a clear frontrunner in his recruitment from the beginning, along with Alabama. The Buckeyes edged out the Crimson Tide for the 6-foot-2, 170-pound cornerback in the end.
The Sanchez File
- Class: 2025
- Size: 6-2/170
- Pos: Cornerback
- School: North Shore (Houston, Texas)
- Composite Rating: ★★★★★
- Composite Rank: #6 (#2 CB)
“It was a blessing,” Sanchez said in June of being offered by Ohio State. “Just learning about coach Walton and coach (Perry) Eliano and the guys they’ve put out and coached, that’s big-time. Ohio State, I wouldn’t say it’s one of my dream schools, but it’s a school I could see myself at.”
He’s excited to follow in the footsteps of the Ohio State cornerbacks who have come before him.
“An Ohio State cornerback, he’s good at everything,” Sanchez said. “You can press, play off, that’s what they like to do. If you can do all of that and be great at it, you’ve got a chance to be on that cornerback wall and you’ve got a chance to be DBU here. There’s not that many schools where you can call it DBU, but Ohio State’s probably the No. 1 school. Just look at the guys in the league. It speaks for itself.”
Sanchez visited OSU in June for a recruiting camp and the opportunity to work with Walton in drills, an experience he cherished. Sanchez also spoke with OSU offensive coordinator Brian Hartline on his visit. The opportunity to go against Ohio State’s wide receivers in practice is another reason why he wanted to be a Buckeye.
“His thing is, if you want to come here, you’re going to go against the top guys,” Sanchez said. “That’s what I talked about with coach Walton. Every receiver they’ve got is NFL-ready. You’re going to get that every day in practice, and then when you get to the league, it’s like you’re already here because you went against it every day in practice. You’re gonna go out and get reps against top guys like Marvin Harrison, the No. 1 wide receiver in college football. It speaks for itself.”
Sanchez returned to Ohio State in October when the Buckeyes played Penn State and fell in love with the defensive scheme and program even more. Though he did his due diligence on other programs until the end of his recruitment, OSU always stuck out to Sanchez as a clear frontrunner, despite heavy interest from his hometown schools.
“I tell my parents, coming out of Texas is best for me because I feel like that’s where the best DBs go,” Sanchez said in June. “No disrespect to all those Texas schools down there, I go down there, I see them all and have fun. But for me and the talent I have, coming to a school like Ohio State or Alabama, that’s where I’m going to get developed. My plan is to go (to college for) three years.”
With Sanchez in the fold, Ohio State already has the makings of an elite secondary class in the 2025 cycle with Sanchez and fellow cornerback commit Blake Woodby. The Buckeyes now have five total commits in the 2025 class.
| Pos | Name | Rating | Rank | Size | School |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CB | DEVIN SANCHEZ | ★★★★★ | #6 NATL | #2 CB | 6-2 | 170 | North Shore (Houston, Texas) |
| QB | TAVIEN ST. CLAIR | ★★★★ | #48 NATL | #3 QB | 6-4 | 210 | Bellefontaine (Bellefontaine, Ohio) |
| CB | BLAKE WOODBY | ★★★★ | #76 NATL | #10 CB | 5-11 | 180 | St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Maryland) |
| WR | JAYVAN BOGGS | ★★★ | #224 NATL | #27 WR | 6-0 | 188 | Cocoa (Cocoa, Florida) |
| LB | ELI LEE | ★★★ | #476 NATL | #50 LB | 6-3 | 215 | Archbishop Hoban (Akron, Ohio) |
| Prospect Rating Data: 247Sports Composite | |||||
Other secondary prospects OSU will continue to pursue in the class include Na'eem Offord, Dorian Brew, Faheem Delane, Mark Zackery, Jonah Williams, Messiah Delhomme, Anthony Sacca, Jadyn Hudson and Ethan Long.
Sanchez gives OSU elite cornerback prospect
Per 247Sports' composite rankings, Sanchez is considered the No. 6 overall player and the No. 2-rated cornerback in the 2025 class.
Sanchez primarily played as an outside cornerback for North Shore High School (Houston, Texas) in his junior season. With his 6-foot-2 frame, that's likely where he'll line up at the collegiate level. His length and frame are ideal for a top-tier cornerback and Sanchez adds to his prospect profile by displaying keen awareness in coverage and excellent closing speed.
The Texas prospect could thrive in any defensive scheme, but Sanchez has the physical traits necessary to play man successfully against any opposing wideout. He has exceptional anticipation when it comes to reading quarterbacks' eyes and wide receivers' routes, which led to several interceptions in his junior season.
While he'll need to add a bit of weight, Sanchez is the rare type of prospect who truly profiles as a plug-and-play player from day one. He has the ceiling to be an All-American at OSU.
