A standout tight end from the 2026 class relished his visit to Ohio State last weekend.
Four-star Iowa prospect Evan Jacobson returned to Columbus for the first time since June and attended his first Buckeyes gameday experience. This matchup was against his home state team, the Iowa Hawkeyes.
“It was a good visit and good to get back on campus for the second time,” Jacobson told Eleven Warriors. “It was good to be back around the whole staff and talk with them all again. Getting to see a gameday environment was sweet. Tight ends wise, I loved the way they were used and the amount of 12 personnel I saw. Wherever the tight end is at on the field, in-line, in the slot or in the backfield, the 12 personnel they used in that game was sweet and the fans really showed out.”
Jacobson said he enjoyed conversing with tight ends coach Keenan Bailey on the visit and estimates he speaks with him around once a week.
“He just told me he hopes I can see myself being a Buckeye,” Jacobson said of his conversation with Bailey. “He likes what I’ve been doing this season and he loves watching my film. We talk quite a bit and he’s always giving me pointers and stuff like that. We talk all the time and it was good to be back around the staff.”
The last time Jacobson was on campus, he worked out in front of Bailey at a recruiting camp and earned an offer from the Buckeyes.
“It was definitely big-time,” Jacobson said of earning the offer. “It was something I was super excited about. A program like Ohio State is obviously a super big-time program, so when that happened I was totally excited.”
Per 247Sports’ composite rankings, Jacobson is considered the No. 334 prospect and the No. 18 tight end in the 2026 class. He said he considers himself a versatile tight end capable of both blocking and pass-catching.
“I think I have a really good mixture of both,” Jacobson said. “I think if you watched my sophomore tape, it’s going to be a lot of blocking. But if you watch my junior tape, you’ll see a lot more receiving clips with still that blocking. I have a ton of versatility in my ability to be a tight end and I think I can do both.”
Jacobson said he’s unsure of when he’ll be back to Ohio State next, but that he’ll “definitely” be back in Columbus at some point. At the moment, Jacobson plans to commit to a school sometime shortly after he takes his official visits in June. In addition to Ohio State, Jacobson said he’s high on Texas A&M, Iowa State, Miami and Penn State are standing out to him.
“Ohio State is definitely a program I really like and they’re definitely somewhere I could see myself,” Jacobson said of the Buckeyes.
NCAA eliminates National Letters of Intent
Two months before National Signing Day, the NCAA Division I Council eliminated, well, the integral part of what has constituted NSD since 1964. The NCAA essentially eliminated what was formally called a National Letter of Intent, a signed agreement that an athlete will play for a school.
Under the new guidelines, written offers of athletics aid will replace the National Letter of Intent, which will still be submitted on National Signing Day in December and February. The new athletics aid document will also apply to transfers, who are eligible to sign an agreement with a school once they’ve officially entered the transfer portal. Per NCAA guidelines, after a prospect signs a written offer of athletics aid, other schools that offer athletically related financial aid will be prohibited from recruiting communications with that prospect.
Bo Jackson to miss rest of senior season
Some unfortunate news was announced Wednesday regarding 2025 Ohio State running back commit Bo Jackson. According to the News-Herald, Jackson will miss the remainder of the 2024 season with a knee injury he suffered earlier in the year.
One silver lining is Jackson is not expected to need surgery on his knee and will embark on a two-month rehab process. Jackson is considered the No. 82 prospect and No. 4 running back in the 2025 cycle per 247Sports’ composite rankings. The next time he suits up on a football field, he’ll don Ohio State’s scarlet and gray uniforms.
