With in-state defensive back Elbert Hill making his college commitment, the hope was that the Ohio State Buckeyes would keep the playmaker home and have him suit up for the Buckeyes moving forward. Unfortunately, that's not going to happen. He once was predicted to move to Columbus, but he's heading west instead.
On Friday, Hill shut down his recruitment and announced his commitment to the USC Trojans. This is a major get for Lincoln Riley, but it's surely disappointing news for Ryan Day. It's hard to complain about many things the Buckeyes have going on right now, but Hill is ranked the No. 1 player from Ohio.
The Buckeyes indeed wanted to make sure he didn't leave to play elsewhere, but Riley and the Trojans, who have been on a heater recruiting wise, were able to win this battle. Hill telling Hayes Fawcett that he's 'home' with USC makes things a bit worse too:
Elbert Hill committing to USC was a major disappointment for Ohio State
Thankfully last offseason, the Buckeyes were able to land the commitment of quarterback Tavien St. Clair, ranked the No. 1 prospect for 2025 from Ohio - he's also a 5-star playmaker. However, the Buckeyes did miss out on Trey McNutt and Justin Hill, who signed with Oregon and Alabama, respectively.
The hope was that Day and Co. would be able to turn Hill's head throughout his recruitment process, but it's no question a bummer that he's now California-bound. In addition to USC and Ohio State, Hill also had offers from 35 other programs, including Oregon, Boise State, Kentucky and many others.
As things stand, Day and the Buckeyes hold 11 known pledges for the 2026 class, highlighted of course by 5-star wideout Chris Henry Jr. There were concerns Henry might flip, but that's not going to happen. Him cancelling his visits calmed a lot of worried fans.
The Buckeyes' 2026 group is ranked No. 6 in the country according to 247Sports. Some more big-name commits are going to be on the way for Day and the fanbase will be quite excited about them. However, that won't take away from the fact that missing out on Hill feels like a sizable loss.