The Ohio State football program has gone cold in terms of adding recruits to the 2027 recruiting class. They still have 13 commits and haven't added a new one in three weeks. Since that time, the Buckeyes have gotten several predictions to land recruits, but they haven't snagged another commitment.
One of the areas that they have been strong in adding depth to for the 2027 class has been the offensive line. Tyler Bowen has shown the ability to add offensive linemen, although he hasn't landed a blue-chip prospect yet. Of the 13 commits in the class so far, five of them are offensive linemen.
The Ohio State Buckeyes had the opportunity to add another one on Tuesday afternoon. Antonio Keefer, a four-star offensive lineman from Memphis, Tennessee, had Ohio State as one of his final schools. In the end, he decided to play in the SEC instead.
Ohio State football team loses out on four-star recruit Antonio Keefer
Keefer decided to commit to Ole Miss. The Buckeyes weren't the only school to lose out on Keefer. He also picked the Rebels over Ohio State, LSU, and Memphis. Had he committed, he would have become the sixth offensive lineman in the 2027 class for Ohio State.
Keefer isn't someone that Ohio State had a massive amount of interest in. Of course, the Buckeyes offered him and had Bowen keep in contact with him, but he wasn't a priority. In fact, he never even made a visit to Columbus to check out the campus.
Had Ohio State ended up getting a commitment from Keefer, that actually may have been an issue. The Buckeyes may have had to take a scholarship away from one of the other commits. IN fact, that's probably a big reason why the Buckeyes weren't trying too hard to get Keefer.
Ohio State is unlikely to take another offensive lineman in this class
The Buckeyes are unlikely to take another offensive lineman in the 2027 recruiting class. Five is already a lot to have in one class. Taking another one would only be necessary if they got a true blue-chip recruit up front, and that doesn't look like it's going to happen.
With that being the case, losing out on Keefer is actually not that big of a deal. They would much rather lose someone like Keefer than someone like, say, David Gabriel Georges. He's a recruit that Ohio State is putting a lot of time and effort into landing, and they really have no backup plan.
On the other hand, Keefer picking somewhere else was not only expected, but possibly welcomed. Ohio State needs help at other positions before they add more offensive linemen. Quite frankly, they could use a commitment anywhere on the defense before someone up front on the offensive line.
Ryan Day shouldn't feel bad about losing this recruit. He should be focused on the many recruits who are on campus this week for the camp that the university is hosting at the Woody.
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