The No. 3 overall prospect in the 2026 recruiting class might be leaning toward making an in-season commitment.
Per On3, five-star defensive tackle Jahkeem Stewart’s commitment could come midseason instead of near National Signing Day, though that’s far from a certainty. Stewart also wanted to attend the Ohio State vs. Oregon game on Oct. 12 per the report, but won’t be able to make it because his high school has a game that day.
Stewart will be at the USC vs. LSU game at Tiger Stadium Week 1. He also hopes to attend Georgia vs. Texas in Austin on Oct. 19 and visit Ohio State for the Michigan game on Nov. 30. As it stands, LSU, Ohio State, Oregon and USC are the top contenders for the 6-foot-6, 270-pound product that will likely reclassify to the 2025 class sometime this fall.
Stewart has visited Ohio State multiple times in his recruitment, most recently in June for a recruiting camp.
“Coach Larry Johnson, he's a great coach,” Stewart told Eleven Warriors after the camp. “One of the best defensive line coaches in college football history. Just getting a chance to work with him, the drills he had me going through, it was my first time going through those drills. And he wanted me to mess up. He tried to push me to my limits. And he felt as though I did a great job doing what I needed to do and accepting his challenge. So it was all great.”
Stewart has built close relationships with both Johnson and graduate assistant defensive line coach LaAllan Clark, who is a Louisiana native like Stewart.
“Coach Clark, he makes me feel at home because he understands me,” Stewart said. “He understands how to communicate with me on everything. He's a big part of me coming up here. Because, like I said, he always makes me feel at home. He always makes me feel safe. He's a great coach. Great person. Great character. And that all matters for me.”
Devin Sanchez and Bo Jackson make 247Sports’ freaks list
As a play on Bruce Feldman’s annual Freaks List released in The Athletic before every college football season, 247Sports put together a top-50 ranking of athletes in the 2025 recruiting class that possess “freaky” athletic traits that make talent evaluators drool for one reason or another.
Two Ohio State commitments landed on the list, including five-star cornerback Devin Sanchez and four-star running back Bo Jackson.
Sanchez was the No. 7 player on the list. Here’s what 247Sports had to say about the standout Texas product.
“One of our favorite stories coming out of the summer months has to do with Devin Sanchez being mistaken for an NFL cornerback at the Flight Skillz DB retreat, which featured recent first-round picks like Christian Gonzalez and Jeff Okudah. After working out the first day, a few pros asked Sanchez which team he played for. Sanchez replied, "North Shore." The group was stunned.
Sanchez, who ranks as the No. 1 corner in the Top247, is a new-age perimeter defender with an exceptional blend of length (6-foot-2) and speed (21.73 seconds in the 200-meter dash). He's also got plenty of bounce, which was on full display at Overtimes' annual OT7 Championship. Sanchez made a trio of acrobatic interceptions over the course of the three-day tournament, oftentimes climbing what looked to be an imaginary ladder.
Sanchez is the son of two former UTEP athletes as his mother ran track for the Miners while dad was a member of the football team.
Jackson, meanwhile, came in at No. 32 on the list.
Not that Bo Jackson, although Bo Jackson of Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph is a multi-sport athlete just like the legendary athlete who won a Heisman Trophy at Auburn before being named both an NFL All-Pro and MLB All-Star.
The 2025 version of Bo Jackson is a 6-foot, 210-pound running back who is an absolute load to bring down in the open field.
He didn't run track or play baseball as a junior due to injury, but was a state qualifier in the 200-meter dash as a sophomore and hit .542 on the diamond.
Five-star safety Jonah Williams was the No. 1 freak on the list. Also of note, Ohio State wide receiver target Jerome Myles came in at No. 4.
Akylin Dear commits to Alabama
A running back with an Ohio State offer committed to Alabama on Tuesday, bolstering the Crimson Tide’s recruiting class for 2025.
BREAKING: Elite 2025 RB Akylin Dear has Committed to Alabama, he tells me for @on3recruits
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) August 20, 2024
The 60 210 RB from Quitman, MS chose the Crimson Tide over Ole Miss & Mississippi State
I mean who wouldnt RTR https://t.co/QVzLbPtTwM pic.twitter.com/lt2hzdVq7H
While four-star Mississippi prospect Akylin Dear was offered by Ohio State in late February, things never really went anywhere with the Buckeyes after that, so it’s not surprising whatsoever to see him end up elsewhere. One reason this could be notable, however, is the Buckeyes are pursuing four-star Alabama commit Anthony Rogers to be their third running back for the 2025 class. While it’s far from a guarantee they’ll succeed, Alabama adding Dear to the fold might make it a tad easier for Carlos Locklyn’s recruiting pitch.
