The Ohio State football program doesn't have very many players who de-commit. Usually, they are able to seal the deal once they announce their choice. Of course, that's not true for everyone, and some decide they don't want to be Buckeyes anymore for one reason or another.
London Merritt is one of those former recruits. Merritt committed to the Ohio State Buckeyes back in March of 2024. He is a defensive lineman who was a four-star recruit back when he was in high school. He would later de-commit from the Buckeyes before signing with Colorado.
After one season with the Buffaloes, Merritt decided to transfer to Clemson. He is learning about his new teammates and coaches, but he doesn't seem to have many good things to say about Colorado. In fact, he took a shot at Deion Sanders on his way out.
Former Ohio State football commit crushes Deion Sanders
Merritt asked why he chose Clemson instead of staying in Colorado. Merritt went ahead and took some shots at Sanders and the coaching staff as he was explaining his decision.
"I just felt like it was a sign. I'm back here twice, and definitely it was just a lot better than where I was. Facility-wise, coaching-wise, feel like it was just a better option for me and for me to get to that next step to that next level."
Merritt actually got a decent amount of playing time as a freshman at Colorado, recording 24 tackles and a sack. It's going to be harder for him to find that same level of playing time at Clemson. It doesn't seem like he had a glowing review of his time with Coach Prime.
Ohio State hasn't missed him since he decided to de-commit. The Buckeyes have done a good job of keeping the defensive talent high, and Kayden McDonald will likely be a first-round pick next month. That shows that they haven't had any issues replacing Merritt.
That's certainly one way to handle an exit, which is the exact opposite of how James Smith handled it. He made sure to maintain respect with both his previous program and his current one.