The final recruiting rankings are in, and the Buckeyes had another stellar class.
These rankings, which combine totals from the high school recruiting class and the transfer portal class, leave Ohio State at No. 2 overall.
Ohio State now holds the No. 2 overall spot in the 2026 team rankings (recruits + transfers) following the latest player updates from Rivals and ESPN. pic.twitter.com/0e5by8juHK
— The Buckeye Nut (@TheBuckeyeNut) January 31, 2026
Even though the tweet says that it's a combined total from Rivals and ESPN, the graphic is actually the composite total of rankings from 247Sports, which includes all three site rankings and adds the high school rankings score with the transfer portal rankings score.
Ohio State achieves balance in recruiting for the No. 2 class
It appears that the Buckeyes' haul for the 2026 season offered a lot of balance. Ohio State had the 5th-rated high school class in the country with 29 commits, led by No. 1 wide receiver Chris Henry Jr. and blue-chip defensive players Cincere Johnson and Jay Timmons. The Buckeyes also had the 5th-rated transfer class with multiple defenders that were given a four-star rating — defensive back Earl Little Jr. (Florida State), defensive lineman James Smith (Alabama) and pass rusher Qua Russell (Alabama).
Finding the balance between high school recruiting and transfer players is becoming more and more difficult. The programs serious about winning championships still need foundational talent. You need top-end high school talent that can grow and star in the program like Jeremiah Smith and Arvell Reese. And being located in a football-rich state like Ohio means that keeping top local talent is also a priority.
There's also a trend of getting an older roster because that's what has won the past few years. Ohio State was a veteran team in 2024 and won the CFP championship. Last season, the Buckeyes were talented, but younger, and they lost to the two teams that eventually made the CFP championship game (Indiana and Ohio State). The majority of the players Ohio State acquired from the portal have at least three years of college ball under their belt.
The recruiting game is forever changing in this world of NIL and transfer portal, but Ryan Day continues to play the best possible hand for the Buckeyes to have success.