Each time a recruit commits to Ohio State, you’ll see opinions on who he may compare to on the current roster. Last week, when offensive lineman Tucker Smith committed and I looked at his size, ranking, etc., guard Austin Siereveld came to mind immediately. But the name being mentioned when comparing OSU’s latest commitment, safety Blaine Bradford, to a current Buckeye is not one tossed around lightly. Caleb Downs.
Bradford, a five-star recruit from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is the nation’s top safety according to 247Sports’ Composite Rankings. If you’ve read any of my articles in the past, you know I have a ton of respect for Bucknuts’ recruiting expert Bill Kurelic.
He is not one given to hyperbole, but he thinks Bradford has the chance to be an impact player along the lines of Downs, who I think is the best player in the country regardless of position. Kurelic also believes Bradford is someone who can get meaningful playing time as a true freshman and could possibly push to be a starter like Downs was at Alabama.
Adding Bradford to their 2026 recruiting class is a win on so many levels for the Buckeyes and safeties coach Matt Guerrieri. They not only got a five-star player from an SEC area, but they also nabbed him directly under the nose of LSU.
Also, with Downs leaving after the 2025 season, the Buckeyes now have another high-impact safety coming into the program. Pair Bradford with Faheem Delane, a top-ten safety who was part of the latest OSU recruiting class, and the future of the back end of the Buckeyes’ defense appears in good shape for the next few seasons.
The battle now is to keep Bradford in the fold. Before he committed to the Buckeyes, many believed he would end up at his hometown school, LSU. Don’t think for a second the Tigers won’t come after Bradford with a high-pressure sales pitch that includes a sizable NIL package. The December early signing period is just over eight months away. Ryan Day and Guerrieri have their work cut out for them on this one.