Over the past few seasons, Ryan Day has elevated himself as the National Championship helped him solidify his place at Ohio State. After a disappointing end to what looked like a dominant season for the Buckeyes, Ryan Day will look for revenge next season. While there's still a few months before he can exact that revenge on the field, for now Day will have to settle with tearing up the recruiting trail.
Every year, the Buckeyes get to flex their development muscles at the NFL Draft as they churn out several 1st round picks per season. The whole process starts with recruiting, and landing the elite 5-star recruits only helps speed up that process. As things currently stand, Ohio State holds the Nation's 7th ranked class with 2 5-star recruits, but the Buckeyes appear to be on the verge of adding to the haul.
5-star defensive lineman Marcus Fakatou could be Ohio State's next splash
As Ohio State looks to add to this recruiting haul, the biggest name to watch is California defensive lineman Marcus Fakatou. On May 4th, Fakatou cut down his list of schools in consideration down to 5 including Ohio State, Oregon, Texas, Notre Dame, and Georgia.
NEWS: Five-Star DL Marcus Fakatou is down to 5 Schools, he tells me for @Rivals
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) May 4, 2026
The 6’7 275 DL from Riverside, CA is ranked as the No. 2 DL in the 2027 Class (per Rivals Industry)
Where Should He Go? https://t.co/uJVAahVKK3 pic.twitter.com/QKnYWdGOUC
According to Rivals' Industry Recruiting Rankings, Marcus Fakatou is a 5-star recruit ranked as the 27th ranked player in the country, the 2nd ranked defensive lineman in the class, and the 3rd ranked player out of California.
This recruitment has been filled with twists and turns as several schools have felt like the leader, but heading into Official Visit season, this looks like Ohio State's battle to lose. During the week, Rivals' Steve Wiltfong and Adam Gorney each logged their predictions for the Buckeyes to win out.
The prediction for the Buckeyes comes just weeks after Ohio State defensive line coach Larry Johnson flew out to Sierra Canyon to watch Fakatou and 4-star defensive lineman Kasi Currie.
Ohio State defensive line coach Larry Johnson is at Chatsworth (Calif.) Sierra Canyon to see top targets Marcus Fakatou and Kasi Currie.
— Mick Walker (@mickdwalker) May 7, 2026
(📸 via @SchraderOn3)https://t.co/96a0Uri39c pic.twitter.com/j90VYYIsEv
If Marcus Fakatou isn't the next 5-star recruit to commit to the Buckeyes, it'll likely be because someone else beat him to commit. The Buckeyes have positioned themselves well with several 5-star recruits, all of whom could jump on board over the summer.
Elite 5-star running back recruit David Gabriel Georges is considered to be leaning heavily toward Ohio State which would mark a major win for the Buckeyes. The Buckeyes are also still looming in the recruitments of several other 5-stars like Eric McFarland, Monshun Sales, Xavier Sabb, and more which could lead to a surprise splash.
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