He is the No. 5 defensive end in the country and the first to choose Ohio State in this recruiting cycle.
Mathis told 247Sports he chose Ohio State over the likes of Florida State, Tennessee, Texas and South Carolina because he wants to play for Larry Johnson, the veteran defensive line coach of the Buckeyes.
“It’s just the coaching from coach Larry Johnson and how he models and adjusts and adapts to players who come in from all over the world,” Mathis said.
Ohio State has six verbal commitments for 2025, including four-star quarterback Tavien St. Clair of Bellefontaine.
Also committed to Ohio State already from the junior class is five-star cornerback Devin Sanchez (Houston, Texas), four-star cornerback Blake Woodby (Baltimore, Md.), three-star receiver Jayvan Boggs (Cocoa, Fla.) and three-star linebacker Eli Lee (Akron).
Getting an early commitment from Mathis is a big plus for head coach Ryan Day and Johnson after the Buckeyes struck out late in the 2024 cycle for some of their top pass rushing targets.
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