When Ohio State is in on a top wide receiver prospect, everyone takes note. That's one of the perks of being the undisputed "WRU" over the past decade-plus. Now the Buckeyes are zeroing in on another blue-chip potential star in Miguel Whitley.
The four-star prospect from New Orleans has the Buckeyes in a final group that includes LSU, Tennessee, Ole Miss and Houston. He is a standout at a loaded St. Augustine program — one of the top high school programs in Louisiana.
🚨NEWS🚨 Elite WR Miguel Whitley is down to Ohio State, LSU, Tennessee, Ole Miss and Houston, he tells Rivals‼️
— Rivals (@Rivals) January 26, 2026
Whitley ranks No. 46 NATL. (No. 7 WR) in the 2027 Rivals300.
Read: https://t.co/wpdCKHIGa5 pic.twitter.com/LvUVEikHpo
Buckeyes appear in the final group for elite WR prospect
Whitley had a strong junior season at St. Augustine, leading the Purple Knights to the LHSAA state finals where they lost to another Louisiana powerhouse, Edna Karr. For the season, Whitley had 46 catches for 869 yards with 14 touchdowns. He has already made a mark for himself with strong performances at various showcase events. Obviously, Whitley is right in LSU's backyard, but the Buckeyes have landed top players out of Louisiana before and are trying again.
Any concerns that the Buckeyes were going to struggle to attract top wide receivers now that Brian Hartline has left for South Florida should be placed in the past after Ohio State signed the top wide receiver in the 2026 class (Chris Henry Jr.) and they are in the top group for players like Whitley. The recent addition of former NFL head coach Arthur Smith as the next offensive coordinator should alleviate any concerns from top players about the standards of coaching at development in Columbus.
Ohio State has gotten off to a fast start with their recruiting in the 2027 class. The Buckeyes already have nine commitments and are ranked third overall according to 247Sports. Some of the notable early pledges are five-star edge rusher D.J. Jacobs, four-star athlete Jamier Brown and four-star quarterback Brady Edmunds.
With the Smith hiring announced and the staff complete, Ryan Day will have his group fully focused on recruiting and Junior Day events leading into the spring football season.