The most recent is the one to get fans most excited, and Zion Grady was able to do so for more than one reason.
Of course, the higher the ranking the better, and Grady checks that box coming in at No. 66 among all players in the 247Sports Composite rankings.
The Enterprise, Ala., native is also in line to be Ohio State’s first high school signee from his home state in recent memory and a rare pull from the Deep South (excluding Florida or Texas).
Perhaps most noteworthy, though, is his position.
The 6-foot-4, 235-pound Grady is the sixth-ranked defensive end prospect in his class, a position in need of some fortification for the future after some recent recruiting misses.
Although legendary line coach Larry Johnson has seen some major prospects slip through his grasp over the last couple of years, Grady told 247Sports that Johnson played a big role in securing his commitment.
“The coaching staff is A-1,” Grady told the recruiting site. The facility is great and people in Ohio are great. I was very impressed with how detailed coach Johnson is with his recruitment approach.”
Grady became the 19th member of Ohio State’s 2025 class, which was already ranked No. 1 in the nation heading into the last week of June.
He is the third defensive lineman and second edge rusher to join the class, which also includes Zahir Mathis of Philadelphia and London Merritt of Bradenton, Fla. While Mathis is fifth-ranked end prospect in the country, Merritt is the No. 13 interior line prospect.
Also committing over the weekend were Bodpegn Miller of Ontario High School in north-central Ohio and Jake Cook of Westerville North in the Columbus suburbs.
The 6-5, 295-pound cook is a three-star prospect in 247Sports Composite rankings, but Rivals is much higher on him. The latter site considers him a four-star prospect and ranked him 11th in Ohio, more than 20 spots higher than 247 or On3, the other major recruiting sites.
Cook initially committed to Louisville but flipped to the Buckeyes after working out for Ohio State twice during June camp season and receiving an offer from coach Justin Frye.
He is considered an interior line prospect and joins a class that only includes one other offensive lineman — Toledo tackle Carter Lowe — so far.
The 6-4, 180-pound Miller is Ohio’s 18th-ranked prospect and the No. 90 receiver in the nation in the 247Sports Composite, indicating receivers coach Brian Hartline may think he has unearthed the type of diamond in the rough Ohio State rarely signs anymore.
Credit: DaytonDailyNews
Miller’s other offers include Boston College, Iowa State, Northwestern, Kent State, Miami (Ohio), Ashland, Harvard and Howard.
Cook and Miller give Ohio State seven verbal commitments from Ohio, one less than last year but slightly higher than the average (6.6) to sign with the Buckeyes since Ryan Day became head coach in 2019.
Ohio State has signed 114 players from the Deep South since 2000, but most of them have come from the hotbeds of Florida, Georgia and Texas. More than a handful of future Buckeyes have also come from Tennessee in the last 25 years, but none have come from Alabama.
Notable exceptions include receiver K.J. Hill of North Little Rock, Ark., defensive tackle Michael Hill of Pendleton, S.C., fullback Aram Olson of Columbia, S.C., and defensive tackle Nader Abdallah of Metairie, La.
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