In late September, Ohio State offered a highly touted safety in the 2026 class.
Safeties coach Matt Guerrieri extended an offer to four-star Nevada prospect Jett Washington, making him the ninth safety the Buckeyes have offered in the 2026 cycle.
“I think it was huge because that was a school I had visited in the spring of my freshman year and have been interested in since,” Washington told Eleven Warriors. “Now that they’ve expressed interest in me and offered me, it was huge for me. (Coach Guerrieri) said they’ve been watching me closely this year and they’ve liked what they see. They’re excited to build a relationship with me.”
Five games into his junior season, Washington has recorded 25 tackles, two interceptions, two pass deflections, a forced fumble and a quarterback hurry for Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nevada) High School. In his sophomore year, Washington recorded 37 tackles and two interceptions defensively. Per 247Sports’ composite rankings, Washington is considered the 65th-best prospect in the 2026 cycle.
“Probably just being around the ball and making plays on the ball,” Washington said of his best on-field attributes. “I think I can come down, tackle, play free and roam around, I think I can go down, cover and make plays all around the field with my versatility. I’ve really played free safety (for my high school) and a little bit of strong but I’d say I can play either one.”
Washington is the nephew of the late great NBA legend Kobe Bryant, as Washington’s mother is Bryant’s sister.
“It’s kind of similar to what a lot of people heard, I’ve just heard stories about his competitiveness and always wanting to be the best no matter what it is,” Washington said of the stories he’s heard about his uncle. “It’s really just about having that mentality, that nothing is going to stop me from being the best.”
The 6-foot-5, 200-pound prospect has earned more than 20 Division I offers, including Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ole Miss, Oregon, Penn State, San Diego State, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, UNLV and Washington.
“They’re probably around my top five,” Washington said of Ohio State. “I don’t have a set list yet, but probably in my top five. I’ll probably start narrowing things down right after the season and commit maybe a little after that, or after my official visits or in the spring. Sometime before my senior year.”
Washington has visited OSU twice, each visit occurring in the spring in consecutive years.
“I saw they were always a winning program in the spring, they were going at a really high tempo,” Washington said. “I got to see how competitive they are and sit in a couple of meetings and got to see how quickly they process information.”
He says he’s unsure of when he’ll visit OSU again but hopes to make it to Columbus for a gameday visit or another spring trip.
“I think the players that they’ve had in the program,” Washington said about the most appealing thing about potentially playing for Ohio State. “And the culture they’ve put together over the past couple of years.”
Ohio State “coming hard” after OT Damola Ajidahun
It’s no secret Ohio State still has a glaring need at offensive tackle for its 2025 recruiting class. The Buckeyes have identified a flip target late in the cycle and are heavily pursuing four-star Georgia prospect Damola Ajidahun.
Ajidahun has been committed to Georgia Tech since Aug. 3 and is considered the No. 205 prospect and the No. 23 offensive tackle in the 2025 class per 247Sports’ composite rankings. He picked up an offer from OSU offensive line coach Justin Frye in mid-September and plans on visiting Columbus on Oct. 26 for the Nebraska game.
“Ohio State is coming hard,” Ajidahun told On3 this week. “We talk a lot and it is a top program I can’t wait to see. Their name and their brand — it is Ohio State. I have heard a lot about them and now I want to see it so I know what they are about.”
The Buckeyes aren’t the only program trying to flip Ajidahun from Georgia Tech. South Carolina, Georgia and Florida are also pursuing the 6-foot-6, 280-pound tackle. A final decision from Ajidahun is expected sometime this December.
Malik Autry possibly visiting OSU two more times
It’s been well-documented that four-star 2025 defensive tackle target Malik Autry is expected to return to Columbus on Nov. 30 for the Ohio State vs. Michigan game. But per 247Sports, Autry may attend another OSU contest before that, though he’s undecided about which one. The Buckeyes’ remaining home games excluding Michigan include Nebraska at the end of the month and Purdue and Indiana in November.
Autry has been committed to Auburn since Feb. 1 of 2023, but he took an official visit to OSU in June and has a close friend, defensive end Zion Grady, committed to the Buckeyes already. It’ll be tough to flip Autry from his hometown team, but OSU has at least a puncher’s chance here.
