NIL has changed the way the Ohio State football program recruits. They have to decide who they want to spend money on and who they want to pay the most. NIL has now allowed recruits to take the highest payday that they are offered, which might not actually be the best situation for them.
That's what happened with former Ohio State recruiting target Felix Ojo. Ojo is a five-star tackle recruit who was considering the Buckeyes at one point before ultimately signing with Texas Tech after they offered him a ton of money. The Ohio State Buckeyes are fine with that decision.
Ohio State was able to land a commitment from the top overall recruit in the 2027 recruiting class, defensive lineman DJ Jacobs. Jacobs showed that Ohio State isn't missing anything from Ojo and that they are getting a world-class player when he gets to campus.
Ohio State recruiting commitment DJ Jacobs runs through Felix Ojo in viral video
In a viral video from a Rivals camp, Jacobs absolutely trucked Ojo. Take a look at the video below.
DJ Jacobs- Felix Ojo https://t.co/zp8HViotJI pic.twitter.com/zUAlDUollu
— Greg Biggins (@GregBiggins2) January 12, 2026
Jacobs simply uses his power to overwhelm Ojo, and he gets flattened. That shows just how good a bull rusher Jacobs already is at his age. Ryan Day certainly can't wait to see him on the field for the Buckeyes next season. He looks like he can play significant snaps as a true freshman.
On the flip side, perhaps the Buckeyes dodged a bullet with Ojo. This is not the first video clip that has floated around of him getting beaten badly in a drill. Ohio State added a lot of offensive linemen in the 2026 recruiting class, although none of them were as highly rated as Ojo was.
It remains to be clear if Jacobs will still stay committed to Ohio State when the Early Signing Period ends next season. All eyes will be on Jacobs for the next year or so.