Larry Johnson has made another impact addition for the 2025 class.
Four-star 2025 North Carolina defensive tackle Trajen Odom committed to Ohio State on Friday, giving the Buckeyes a much-needed interior defensive lineman for the current cycle.
The Odom File
- Class: 2025
- Size: 6-4/285
- Pos: DT
- School: Weddington (Matthews, North Carolina)
- Composite Rating: ★★★★
- Composite Rank: #283 (#31 DL)
Odom has long maintained the Buckeyes were one of his favorite college teams growing up, and now he'll have the chance to wear the scarlet and gray in college. He picked up his offer from Johnson in January after the OSU defensive line coach stopped at Odom's school. He made his first visit to Columbus in March.
“Being in Columbus, the visit was great,” Odom told Eleven Warriors shortly after the visit. “The atmosphere and the area were cool. I liked the relationships I built with coach Day, coach Johnson and the whole defensive staff was great. My main takeaways were that there’s a lot of intensity within the entire program and the system. A big thing is the developmental piece that coach Johnson has put into his players and everything. It’s really a brotherhood there and a great relationship between the players and staff.”
On that trip, Johnson and Ryan Day each told the 6-foot-4, 285-pound prospect he's a priority target for Ohio State.
“It was huge, coach Day said the same thing, that I’m a priority,” Odom said. “Coming from coach Johnson, arguably the best defensive line coach in college football, that’s a big thing for me that he really wants me on this team and wants to coach me and develop me. It means a lot to me.”
Odom visited OSU again in May, a few weeks before his official visit to campus. On his official visit, Odom saw enough from his experience to choose the Buckeyes over other contenders in his recruitment including USC, Oregon and UCLA. The Ducks were the main competition for Odom, but Johnson and OSU won out in the end.
With Odom now in the fold, OSU sits at 21 commitments for the 2025 class. He's the fourth defensive lineman, joining Zion Grady, Zahir Mathis and London Merritt. Odom is the first interior defensive lineman. The Buckeyes would still like to add another interior prospect such as Malik Autry or Maxwell Roy. If five-star 2026 defensive tackle Jahkeem Stewart reclassifies to 2025, he'll also be a priority target for Johnson this winter.
| Pos | Name | Rating | Rank | Size | School |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CB | DEVIN SANCHEZ | ★★★★★ | #5 NATL | #1 CB | 6-2 | 170 | North Shore (Houston, Texas) |
| CB | NA'EEM OFFORD | ★★★★★ | #6 NATL | #2 CB | 6-1 | 185 | Parker (Birmingham, Alabama) |
| QB | TAVIEN ST. CLAIR | ★★★★★ | #14 NATL | #3 QB | 6-4 | 210 | Bellefontaine (Bellefontaine, Ohio) |
| S | FAHEEM DELANE | ★★★★ | #34 NATL | #2 S | 6-2 | 195 | Good Counsel (Olney, Maryland) |
| LB | TARVOS ALFORD | ★★★★ | #47 NATL | #5 LB | 6-2 | 210 | Vero Beach (Vero Beach, Florida) |
| WR | QUINCY PORTER | ★★★★ | #49 NATL | #8 WR | 6-3 | 190 | Bergen Catholic (Oradell, New Jersey) |
| OT | CARTER LOWE | ★★★★ | #54 NATL | #7 OT | 6-5 | 290 | Whitmer (Toledo, Ohio) |
| DE | ZAHIR MATHIS | ★★★★ | #60 NATL | #5 Edge | 6-6 | 225 | Imhotep Institute (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) |
| DE | ZION GRADY | ★★★★ | #66 NATL | #6 Edge | 6-4 | 235 | Enterprise (Enterprise, Alabama) |
| RB | BO JACKSON | ★★★★ | #81 NATL | #5 RB | 6-0 | 205 | Villa Angela-St. Joseph (Cleveland, Ohio) |
| DE | LONDON MERRITT | ★★★★ | #116 NATL | #13 DL | 6-2 | 250 | IMG Academy (Bradenton, Florida) |
| TE | NATE ROBERTS | ★★★★ | #132 NATL | #6 TE | 6-4 | 235 | Washington (Washington, Oklahoma) |
| DT | TRAJEN ODOM | ★★★★ | #283 NATL | #31 DL | 6-4 | 285 | Weddington (Matthews, North Carolina) |
| S | DESHAWN STEWART | ★★★★ | #295 NATL | #26 S | 6-2 | 185 | DePaul Catholic (Wayne, New Jersey) |
| WR | DE'ZIE JONES | ★★★★ | #314 NATL | #42 WR | 6-0 | 180 | DePaul Catholic (Wayne, New Jersey) |
| S | CODY HADDAD | ★★★★ | #377 NATL | #19 ATH | 6-1 | 175 | St. Ignatius (Cleveland, Ohio) |
| LB | ELI LEE | ★★★★ | #381 NATL | #41 LB | 6-3 | 230 | Archbishop Hoban (Akron, Ohio) |
| RB | ISAIAH WEST | ★★★ | #533 NATL | #45 RB | 5-11 | 208 | St. Joseph's Prep School (Philadelphia, PA) |
| WR | BODPEGN MILLER | ★★★ | #579 NATL | #90 WR | 6-4 | 180 | Ontario (Mansfield, OH) |
| TE | BRODY LENNON | ★★★ | #608 NATL | #30 TE | 6-4 | 220 | Gates Mills (Gates Mills, OH) |
| OL | JAKE COOK | ★★★ | #623 NATL | #39 IOL | 6-5 | 295 | Westerville North (Westerville, OH) |
| Prospect Rating Data: 247Sports Composite | |||||
Odom a stout run-stopper, provides a steady interior presence
Per 247Sports' composite rankings, Odom is considered the No. 283 prospect and the No. 31 defensive lineman in the 2025 class.
In his junior season at Weddington (Matthews, North Carolina), Odom recorded 54 tackles, 22 tackles for loss, four sacks and one forced fumble. As a sophomore, he racked up 41 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and five sacks.
“I see myself as three-technique, but also I can wide out to a five-technique on third downs to get a mismatch,” Odom said. “It’s all about seeing if I can get the one-on-one and get to the quarterback.”
Odom can overwhelm interior offensive linemen with his sheer power, tossing aside guards and centers like rag dolls occasionally to bring down opposing ball carriers or quarterbacks. His instincts are superb and often uses quick block-shedding techniques to disrupt running lanes.
His 6-foot-4, 285-pound frame is a good starting point for Odom, but he'll likely need at least a year to put on additional weight before he's ready to see meaningful snaps. But Odom profiles as a potential regular contributor on the Buckeyes' defensive line rotation once he adapts to the college game.
