Ohio State football makes the Top 5 for nation's No. 2 QB but there's a catch

While the focus has been on the 2026 class and trying to stay competitive with the way NIL has changed everything, that doesn't mean Ohio State football hasn't lost focus on 2027. Ryan Day and Co. have been working overtime in sending out new offers.

One top target for '27 is no question signal-caller Teddy Jarrard, who is ranked the No. 2 quarterback in the country for his class. On Thursday, Jarrard revealed his Top 5 and the Buckeyes made the list. That's the good news. The bad news here, however, is that Notre Dame is considered the overwhelming favorite to eventually land him.

Ohio State is a finalist for 4-star QB Teddy Jarrard but Notre Dame is the favorite

Marcus Freeman is doing an unreal job recruiting wise right now, which is not good for the Buckeyes. However, as of this writing, the elite QB is yet to shut down his recruitment and nothing is set in stone. Could Ohio State catch up and pass ND here? It's possible.

In addition to Ohio State and Notre Dame, Jarrard also included Penn State, Georgia and Michigan among his finalists. While Jarrard is a top target for Ohio State, keep in mind that 2027 QB Brady Edmunds has been committed to Ohio State since December.

He gave the Buckeyes an incredibly early verbal, which can also be said about 5-star wideout Jamier Brown, who is on board as well for the 2027 group with Edmunds. Is Day looking at taking two QBs for next year's class? It sure looks that way.

Again, no decision has been made by Jarrard other than the fact that he's now down to five programs. Even though Notre Dame is the favorite, if Day wants him bad enough, he can take things to the next level in showing Jarrard he's a priority - getting him on campus this fall for a game is a no-brainer move. Will Jarrard end up playing his college ball in Columbus? It's hard to say, but everyone knows better than to count Day out.