Ohio State football program projected to flip key four-star recruit

The Ohio State football team is trying to close out its 2025 recruiting class. It's something that is the top priority for them since they won't be playing in the Big Ten Championship Game. With just one day before Early Signing Day, the Buckeyes are doing everything they can to keep their class together.

Not only are they trying to keep their own recruits from flipping, but they are hoping to flip a few recruits of their own. It looks like their flipping efforts have worked for one defensive player out on the West Coast. Ohio State is now projected to flip a four-star defensive lineman.

Epi Sitanilei, a four-star recruit from Southern California, is now predicted to flip from UCLA to Ohio State. Sitanilei has been committed to the Bruins since the end of June. Adding him to the recruiting class would be a good addition for a team that has lost two defensive line recruits already.

Ohio State football team predicted to flip four-star edge player

Sitanilei is an edge rusher, something the Buckeyes need after the de-commitments of Zahir Mathis and London Merritt. Sitanilei stands at 6'5 and 220 pounds. If the Buckeyes want to put him at defensive end, they will likely need to put some weight on him. That shouldn't be hard to do with Mick Marotti.

If the Buckeyes were able to add him, he would be the 26th member of the recruiting class as of right now. It's unclear what that number will be when Early Signing Day is over on Wednesday. Right now, the Buckeyes need help on the defensive line after a few cycles of poor recruiting sapped their depth.

Adding Sitanilei would give them six defensive linemen/edge rushers in this class. That would certainly help replenish the lost depth that the gaps in the last few recruiting classes caused. We'll see if he ends up flipping on Wednesday.