For the most part, Ohio State has finished with its 2027 recruiting class. They have still been hosting some recruits on visits, but most of their attention has turned to the 2028 class. However, last weekend against Maryland saw the Buckeyes host multiple recruits in the 2027 class.
One of them was three-star linebacker James Conrad. Conrad is from St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland. He had been committed to Buffalo since June and is not considered a high-ceiling prospect. James Laurinaitis must have seen something in him, because Conrad has now flipped his commitment to the Buckeyes.
Ohio State flips three-star linebacker recruit James Conrad
Conrad stands at 6'3 and 225 pounds, so he has good size for a linebacker. He's very strong, as evidenced by his discus and shot-put marks in high school. He now becomes the 20th member of the 2027 recruiting class for Ohio State, as well as the second linebacker in the class.
Laurinaitis has shown that he is an excellent recruiter and talent developer as the linebackers coach. If he sees something in Conrad, the fans should trust his evaluation. The linebacker room might be the deepest room that the Ohio State Buckeyes have on the roster right now.
Based on what I've seen, Conrad is more of a depth piece than anything. He doesn't have a track to playing time quickly with the talent that is ahead of him. However, he could surprise teams with what he does early on in his career. He will have to earn playing time through his play on special teams.
Adding depth is never a bad thing. Ohio State has several spots open in the 2027 class to continue to add guys who are developmental projects. Even though that's what Conrad projects as, Laurinaitis is good enough to get the best out of Conrad, whatever that might end up being.
Ohio State will end with a top-10 recruiting class
While the Buckeyes likely won't end up with a top-five recruiting class in 2027, they will still have a top-10 one. Ryan Day will likely supplement the other roster needs through the Transfer Portal, which has been an increased part of what he likes to do from a talent acquisition standpoint.
Ohio State has a great head start on its 2028 class, as it is rated as the top class in the country. However, the Buckeyes like what they have in the 2027 class, even if it isn't as highly rated as past classes. They will have a couple of five-star guys coming in next season.
Jamier Brown is yet another five-star receiver that Ohio State is bringing in. DJ Jacobs is the gem of the class. He is the top-rated recruit in the country. Every other program is trying to get him to flip, but he seems very locked in with the Ohio State football program.
Ohio State might add a couple of guys before Signing Day, but this class is mostly set. Conrad wants to stay in Ohio and play for his home-state school, and so do plenty of other players in Ohio State's class.
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