Larry Johnson has done it again.
The Grady File
- Class: 2025
- Size: 6-4/235
- Pos: DE
- School: Enterprise (Enterprise, Alabama)
- Composite Rating: ★★★★
- Composite Rank: #66 (#6 EDGE)
After a successful official visit over the weekend, four-star Alabama 2025 defensive end Zion Grady pulled the trigger and committed to Ohio State on Monday.
Johnson offered Grady in February, shortly after the 6-foot-4, 235-pound product decommitted from Alabama following Nick Saban's retirement. Grady took two visits to OSU, one in May and the other this weekend where he was sold on the Buckeyes' developmental plan for him. OSU faced fierce competition from Auburn, Florida State, Tennessee and Miami for Grady's commitment, but the Buckeyes won out in the end.
Lets go Bucks #R2Xfamily #Rushmen #Brotherhood @R2X_Rushmen1 @R2X_Rushmen1 @Hayesfawcett3 pic.twitter.com/KQIOUzpNLG
— Zion (Ziggy) Grady (@GradyZion) June 24, 2024
On both of those visits, Grady was joined by fellow Alabama resident Malik Autry, arguably OSU's top remaining interior defensive line target for the 2025 class. Autry, who is close friends with Grady, was always likely going to be a tougher pull from Alabama than his defensive end counterpart considering his Auburn commitment. But with Grady now in the fold and five-star Alabama cornerback Na'eem Offord also committed to the Buckeyes, the pursuit seems more manageable now, though it will still be difficult.
Congratulations brotha https://t.co/ca4ILxVsoc
— Malik Autry (@MalikAutry) June 24, 2024
Grady is the third defensive end commit for OSU in 2025, joining Zahir Mathis and London Merritt. He's the 19th commit overall. Other top defensive line targets who the Buckeyes will continue to pursue include Trajen Odom, Damien Shanklin, Isaiah Gibson, Jarquez Carter and Mariyon Dye.
| 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) |
| S | DESHAWN STEWART | ★★★★ | #295 NATL | #26 S | 6-2 | 185 | DePaul Catholic (Wayne, New Jersey) |
| WR | DE'ZIE JONES | ★★★★ | #313 NATL | #42 WR | 6-0 | 180 | DePaul Catholic (Wayne, New Jersey) |
| S | CODY HADDAD | ★★★★ | #376 NATL | #18 ATH | 6-1 | 175 | St. Ignatius (Cleveland, Ohio) |
| LB | ELI LEE | ★★★★ | #380 NATL | #41 LB | 6-3 | 230 | Archbishop Hoban (Akron, Ohio) |
| RB | ISAIAH WEST | ★★★ | #526 NATL | #45 RB | 5-11 | 208 | St. Joseph's Prep School (Philadelphia, PA) |
| OL | JAKE COOK | ★★★ | #617 NATL | #39 IOL OL | 6-5 | 295 | Westerville North (Westerville, OH) |
| WR | BODPEGN MILLER | ★★★ | NA | 6-4 | 180 | Ontario (Mansfield, OH) |
| Prospect Rating Data: 247Sports Composite | |||||
Grady gives OSU premier pass rusher off the edge
Per 247Sports' composite rankings, Grady is considered the No. 66 prospect and No. 6 edge prospect in the 2025 class.
There's no doubt about Grady's pass-rushing capabilities and his ability to create chaos for opposing offenses. In his junior season, Grady recorded 87 tackles, 24 tackles for loss, 22 quarterback hits, 11 sacks and an interception. As as sophomore, he racked up 108 tackles, 27 quarterback hits, 22 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and three blocked field goals.
Grady has a quick first step and the power to complement his speed, making him a mismatch for the majority of offensive tackles he’s faced in the Alabama prep circuit. He's lined up both as a standing edge and in the traditional three-point stance with his hand in the ground. There are no shortage of pass-rush moves in Grady's arsenal, as he consistently sends offensive linemen scrambling following his spin moves.
His instincts at the line of scrimmage are above average and he can often find himself in opposing backfields before the play has fully developed on offense. He's also been a proven disruptor on special teams, blocking multiple field goals across his three high school seasons.
