The Ohio State Buckeyes got a somewhat shocking commitment on Monday from 4-star Sierra Canyon DL commit Marcus Fakatou, who was thought to be a package deal with fellow 4-star DL teammate Kasi Currie. A few weeks ago, Currie committed to the Texas Longhorns. Instead of joining Curie, Fakatou is blazing his own trail on the Buckeyes.
Part of that blazed trail could be playing as a three-technique, a five-technique, or an edge rusher. As Cleveland.com's Andrew Gillis notes, nose tackle may be the only position that Fakatou won't play in Columbus.
"Fakatou reclassified up to the 2027 class and is one of the more physically imposing players in the cycle. He figures to be someone who can play all positions along the defensive line, sans nose tackle. In a four-down or three-down front, Fakatou brings not only an elite physical skillset, but a versatile one, too," Gillis wrote.
Fakatou credited Ohio State DL coach Larry Johnson and the relationship they built for his decision to play football in Central Ohio. The best part is that Fakatou claimed he may only be on the Buckeyes for the next three years, saying, "I will be taking my talents for the next three to four years to the Ohio State University."
Fakatou chose OSU over not only Texas, but also the Georgia Bulldogs, Oregon Ducks, and Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Pretty much every major spender in the country with a strong recent tradition was an option for Fakatou. In the end, the Buckeyes, Longhorns, and Dawgs seemed to be the final schools standing.
This all comes with the "for now" caveat, of course. Even with the five-years-of-eligibility-in-five-seasons rule, players are flipping left and right these days -- sometimes twice in the same day -- and no decision is final until signing day.
Texas is a flip threat for Marcus Fakatou until signing day
It seems very sudden that Fakatou and Currie aren't going to the same school. Perhaps by committing to different schools, the pair could decipher which one is the best fit behind the scenes. Programs act differently before someone commits than after. Fakatou and Currie could provide each other with intel and still collectively decide their next move in secrecy.
That probably favors the Ohio State University. Even if Arthur Smith and Matt Patricia return to the NFL next offseason, Ryan Day is running a stable organization that could easily find star coaching replacements. Steve Sarkisian, meanwhile, seems to be burdened by the weight of expectations in Austin. Politics tends to play a big role in the Texas head football coaching job, and usually not in a favorable way for the guy in the seat.
Perhaps Currie is still available to OSU if the season sputters in Central Texas. By that same token, though, Fakatou is a flight risk to join Currie wherever he is because of the nature of their early recruitment.
We'll see how it shakes out for the Sierra Canyon defensive linemen. It just feels like their recruitments are still intertwined, and this isn't over yet for Currie and Fakatou.
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