Projected Ohio State recruit looks like he will turn his back on the Buckeyes

The Ohio State football team has done a good job of cleaning up on the recruiting trail so far this Spring. Right now, their class is ranked as the third-best in the country. They have 11 commitments for the class so far, with a lot of time left to recruit for the 2026 class.

One player in the 2026 class whom they thought they had locked up was cornerback Elbert Hill. Hill is a corner from Archbishop Hoban High School in Akron. Hill has been predicted to join the Buckeyes for quite a while, getting that prediction almost a year ago from 247Sports.

It looks like things have changed for Hill. Even though the Buckeyes have started building a dynamic secondary in the 2026 class, it seems that Hill wants to go somewhere else to play college football instead, if the latest rumors are to be believed.

Elbert Hill might turn his back on the Ohio State Buckeyes

Instead of choosing the Ohio State Buckeyes, Steve Wiltfong of On3 has Hill deciding to head to Big ten rival USC.

Hill is an Ohio kid, so there are a few reasons why he might want to go to Southern California instead of staying home to play for Ryan Day. NIL is the first thing that comes to mind. Perhaps the Trojans are offering more money than Ohio State, which is certainly possible.

As of right now, the Ohio State Buckeyes have just one corner for this class. They will certainly keep looking for help, especially if they end up losing out on Hill. Hill is listed as the third-best corner in the country and the top corner in the state of Ohio. Not landing him would hurt.

Right now, USC already has 23 commits for its 2026 recruiting class. They have the top class in the country. That class would only get better if they added Hill. Meanwhile, Ohio State still has plenty of time to add top talent, including some five-star recruits they have been chasing.