Signed: Four-star Defensive End Omari Abor Gives Ohio State a Talented Pass Rusher off the Edge

Exactly one month after Omari Abor committed to Ohio State on Jan. 2, the four-star Texas defensive end put his pen to paper and officially signed his National Letter of Intent with the Buckeyes on Wednesday.

Welcome to the Brotherhood, @BigSmooth___

From fellow Rushmen @TheOfficial_80 #BOOM22 pic.twitter.com/lKPmEKEgUE

— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) February 2, 2022

This was far from a certainty a month ago. After committing to Ohio State at the Under Armour All-American Bowl, Abor told reporters he was still going to take visits to schools over the next month, and many in recruiting circles thought OSU would have to fight off late pushes from Texas and Texas A&M. 

But the last month was actually relatively drama-free. Abor stayed solid in his commitment to Ohio State and never ended up taking visits anywhere else.

Abor first made his way to Columbus for an official visit in June, then things went quiet for a few months on the Ohio State front. His interest in the Buckeyes picked back up during the fall, especially when he returned for a game visit on Oct. 30 against Penn State, during which he bonded with soon-to-be future teammate and fellow 2022 signee C.J. Hicks, who sent out various tweets after the trip trying to recruit Abor to OSU.

Now that Abor is officially signed and in the fold, Ohio State can focus on what a player of Abor’s caliber brings: a pass rusher with the talent of developing into a game-wrecker at the next level. 

Tenacity and pursuit skills are musts for a pass-rusher, and Abor is equipped with both. It’s unclear if he’ll be ready to see the field in meaningful snaps in his freshman year, but Johnson has proved in his tenure he will put true freshman defensive linemen on the field if they’re ready. 

According to 247Sports’ composite rankings, Abor is ranked as the 62nd-best prospect nationally and the sixth-best edge player. In his senior season, Abor led Duncanville High School (Duncanville, Texas) to a 13-2 record as the Panthers fell just short in the Texas 6A state championship game.

Abor is a major addition to Ohio State’s 2022 defensive line class, which also includes Hero Kanu, Kenyatta Jackson Jr. and Caden Curry. Pair that with the 2021 defensive line class of Jack Sawyer, J.T. Tuimoloau, Mike Hall and Tyleik Williams, and Larry Johnson has no shortage of young defensive linemen to work with.