Five-Star Linebacker Tyler Atkinson, Four-Star Running Back Derrek Cooper Headline Star-Studded Spring Game Recruiting Weekend for Ohio State

By Garrick Hodge on April 10, 2025 at 11:35 am
Derrek Cooper
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Ohio State is preparing for its final recruiting weekend of the spring, and it’s a big one.

A handful of priority targets from the 2026 recruiting class will venture to Columbus this week. The Buckeyes will also entertain important targets from the 2027 and 2028 classes as well. 

James Laurinaitis’ highest priority this weekend will be five-star linebacker Tyler Atkinson, the No. 1 linebacker in the current cycle. Atkinson will be in Columbus throughout the weekend and has been recruited by the Buckeyes since he was an eighth-grader. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Georgia native has been courted by the Bulldogs as well, but Atkinson has showed consistent interest in Ohio State over the years. 

The other headline-grabbing target appearing on campus is four-star running back Derrek Cooper, a borderline five-star prospect. Cooper is the former high school teammate of Jeremiah Smith and is considered the No. 36 prospect in the nation. Ohio State is swinging for the fences in this running back cycle, trying to land two premier players in the class if possible. Cooper would certainly qualify as one of those.

Four-star Ohio running back Favour Akih would count as another, and the Delaware product is making his fourth visit to Columbus this spring, if that’s any indication on where the recruitment appears to be headed.

Ohio State is still in search of a quarterback for its 2026 class and doesn’t appear to be in a big rush to get one committed either. Nonetheless, five-star quarterback prospect Ryder Lyons will make an important visit this weekend, as it’s his first time on campus since being offered by the Buckeyes. Other schools have developed a strong relationship with Lyons, and the Buckeyes may be playing catch-up a little here, but this weekend is a good opportunity for Lyons to hear from Ryan Day, Billy Fessler and Brian Hartline about Ohio State’s tradition of quarterback development.

Four-star LSU wide receiver commit Jabari Mack is expected to be on campus for the Buckeyes’ spring practice on Friday, though it’s unclear whether or not he’ll stay for the spring game on Saturday. 

Ohio State has called in the big guns to help it peer recruit, as recent five-star safety commit Blaine Bradford will be in Ohio Stadium again this weekend, along with five-star wideout Chris Henry Jr. Other commits expected to be on campus include Maxwell Riley, Simeon Caldwell, Sam Greer, Jakob Weatherspoon and Corbyn Fordham. If you extend that to the 2027 cycle, five-star quarterback commit Brady Edmunds will also be at OSU for the weekend.

Speaking of 2027, Ohio State continues to sit in a good spot with five-star wide receiver Dakota Guerrant, and he’ll be among the weekend’s visitors on Saturday. Defensive end Anthony Sweeney and Penn State running back commit Kemon Spell are among the most interesting 2027 recruits expected to be on campus.

We’ve compiled a full estimated recruiting visitors below, though as always we should give the disclaimer that visits can always be fluid. (Commits are bolded).

Class of 2026

Class of 2027

Class of 2028

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