In the summer of 2023, Ohio State was enamored with in-state 2026 cornerback Elbert Hill and offered him after being impressed by his performance at one of the Buckeyes’ recruiting camps.
Just over a year later, Hill has blown up as a recruit. He’s considered a composite five-star prospect and ranked as the No. 17 player and No. 1 cornerback in the country. He’s turned into one of the Buckeyes’ top in-state priorities for the 2026 class, and has been on campus consistently over the past year. He visited OSU on Thursday along with fellow in-state 2026 cornerback Jakob Weatherspoon, and also got to work with Tim Walton and Matt Guerrieri in June at another OSU camp.
“I got out there and competed with some guys from all over the country,” Hill said of his performance in an interview after the camp in June. “I just learned some new things and picked up some new tools from coach Walton and coach Guerrieri. I was out there having fun today.”
Hill has been pursued by both Walton and Guerrieri, and he’s impressed by what both OSU secondary coaches have to offer.
“My relationship with them is great,” Hill said of Walton and Guerrieri. “Every time I see them, it’s something new. (The relationship) just goes higher and higher every time I talk to those guys.
“One thing that makes coach Walton special is that if he wants you, he’s going to consistently keep coming after you. He’s not going to give up, he’s not going to back off you. He’s going to keep coming after you and talking and just having fun with it.”
Hill said he’s competed at seven-on-seven tournaments with OSU 2025 commits Devin Sanchez and DeShawn Stewart and has started to build a bond with those players. He’s also noticed that Walton has secured both Sanchez and Na’eem Offord, the top two cornerbacks in the 2025 class, and is intrigued by being in a loaded secondary room.
“The class that’s coming in is great,” Hill said. “Them wanting me is just me having an opportunity to learn off those guys and also compete.”
Hill says he’ll likely narrow things down in his recruitment as his junior season unfolds. He added he’ll probably commit sometime before the start of his senior year. Teams in consideration include Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, Texas A&M and Miami, among others.
“The culture,” Hill said of what entices him the most about OSU. “The people around Ohio State and Columbus, it’s just great out here. It’s a college community and it’s just wonderful.”
Grady says he’s locked in with OSU
Despite committing to Ohio State just over a month ago, four-star defensive end Zion Grady took an unofficial visit to Auburn over the weekend.
Following his visit, Grady spoke with Rivals, which put out a piece saying Grady said the Tigers have “a good chance” of flipping him from the Buckeyes. Grady responded on social media that the quote was a “misunderstanding” and that he’s “1000 percent lock in” with the Buckeyes.
Misunderstanding Im 1000% lock-in https://t.co/nmAvLEc9jh
— Zion (Ziggy) Grady (@GradyZion) July 27, 2024
Grady, an Alabama resident, may make more visits to Auburn throughout the season, per Rivals. The Buckeyes have also worked tirelessly this summer to flip Auburn defensive tackle commit Malik Autry, a fellow Alabama resident who is close with Grady.
While it’s a situation worth monitoring, the visit seems more like due diligence for Grady more than anything else for now.
Former OSU commit Woodby commits to Auburn
Auburn did successfully flip one former Ohio State commit over the weekend as four-star 2025 cornerback Blake Woodby committed to Auburn on Saturday. Woodby originally committed to OSU in October of 2023, then decommitted in May.
BREAKING: Four-Star CB Blake Woodby has Committed to Auburn, he tells me for @on3recruits
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) July 27, 2024
The 511 180 CB from Baltimore, MD chose the Tigers over Maryland & Oregon
Was formerly Committed to Ohio State
War Damn Eagle! Longlivezay Longliveree.https://t.co/6yvdotPn0O pic.twitter.com/sZHfwtJeH4
Ohio State has the nation’s top two cornerbacks committed in the 2025 class in Devin Sanchez and Na’eem Offord, as Tim Walton continues to have the makings of another terrific secondary recruiting haul for the current class. The Buckeyes could still add a third cornerback to the 2025 class to replace Woodby; there’s no clear-cut target to fill that spot after Dorian Brew committed to Oregon, though Ohio State could still look to flip Brew.
