Ohio State’s staff got a brief reprieve from the recruiting trail the past few weeks, but that all came to a halt on Monday.
Over the next month, dozens of prospects will flock to Columbus to watch the Buckeyes participate in spring practice and interact with their potential position coaches, setting up a crucial four-week stretch before official visits begin in late May.
The recruiting grind began on Monday, with several key visitors in attendance, including priority 2026 offensive line targets Sam Greer and Micah “Champ” Smith. Shortly after practice ended, two recruits in the 2026 cycle left campus with an Ohio State offer in hand. We’ll break down each of those two prospects below.
Favour Akih
Akih getting his offer Monday was a long time coming for the talented Ohio running back. The 6-foot, 190-pound tailback has been in contact with running backs coach Carlos Locklyn for months and has already visited campus a few times, but finally got the offer he’s been coveting from Ryan Day Monday. You could even say, Akih earned Day’s Favour… (I accept any tomatoes thrown my way).
WOW TO GOD BE THE GLORY! After a great conversation with @ryandaytime , I am truly
— Favour Akih 4 (@FavourAkih) March 17, 2025
blessed and highly favored to have earned an offer from THEE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY! GO BUCKS @Montgomery_DHHS @AllenTrieu @adamgorney @RivalsFriedman @SWiltfong_ @ChadSimmons_ pic.twitter.com/XSajcqhLcb
Per 247Sports’ composite rankings, Akih is a four-star player and is considered the No. 205 prospect and No. 15 running back in the 2026 class. The Delaware resident has earned 22 Division I offers, including Miami, Pittsburgh, USC, Iowa State, Michigan State, Penn State, Cincinnati, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisville, Miami (OH), Mizzou, NC State, Purdue, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
In 11 games last season, Akih ran for 1,653 yards and 15 touchdowns while catching nine passes for 142 yards and three touchdowns.
Gordon Sellars
Brian Hartline continues to expand his wide receiver board for 2026. Hartline offered North Carolina wideout Gordon Sellars Monday following his campus visit, entering the Buckeyes into the recruitment of a wide receiver that has seen his recruiting stock soar over the past few months.
Blessed to receive an offer from THE Ohio State University @brianhartline @CoachJordan82 @ryandaytime @OhioStateFB @RivalsFriedman @On3Recruits @247recruiting @NCHSBlueSheet pic.twitter.com/yWxf3KaG6f
— Gordon Sellars (@GordonSellars2) March 17, 2025
Sellars is considered the No. 203 prospect and No. 33 wide receiver in 2026 and has earned 25 Division I offers. So far, he’s set up official visits to four schools: Clemson, Georgia, Michigan and South Carolina.
In his junior year, the 6-foot-2, 180-pound Sellars caught 50 passes for 975 yards and 10 receiving touchdowns.
Jonathan Hatton Jr. committing on Saturday
An Ohio State running back target is ready to make his college choice. Four-star Texas tailback Jonathan Hatton Jr. announced he’ll be committing Saturday, with his college choice still a bit of a mystery a few days away from the decision. Hatton is a former Oklahoma commit and has scheduled official visits with both the Sooners and Buckeyes for this summer. Texas A&M and Alabama have also been in hot pursuit of the top-75 prospect.
#AGTG @ChadSimmons_ @247Sports pic.twitter.com/8V5Qi8IXXh
— Jonathan Hatton Jr (@JHattonJr28) March 16, 2025
At this point, we’d lean toward the field over OSU for Hatton at the moment, but we’ll find out for sure on Saturday.
Ryder Lyons visiting OSU in two weeks
A five-star quarterback target will be on Ohio State’s campus soon. Per On3, California prospect Ryder Lyons is expected to visit Columbus within the next two weeks, in addition to trips to Michigan, Oregon, USC, Ole Miss and BYU. Of those six, BYU, Oregon and USC are at the forefront of his recruitment, but things can change quickly in recruiting.
Lyons won’t be on campus next season for whichever team he chooses, though, as he plans to take an LDS mission after he graduates high school and enroll on campus in the spring of 2027.
Considering Brady Edmunds is committed to Ohio State in the 2027 class, it’s probably a longshot he ends up in Columbus, but you never know.
