Ohio State has added an in-state tight end to its 2026 recruiting class.
Nick Lautar, a three-star prospect from Lebanon, Ohio, announced his commitment to the Buckeyes on Sunday.
Home !! https://t.co/lWQELxnq1h
— Nick Lautar TE (@nicklautar8) November 16, 2025
Ranked as the No. 52 tight end and No. 924 overall prospect in the 2026 class, Lautar had been committed to Louisville since June. He quickly flipped to Ohio State, however, after receiving an offer from OSU while visiting OSU for its 48-10 win over UCLA on Saturday.
Truly blessed to receive an offer from @OhioStateFB !!!@CoachKee @ryandaytime @brianhartline @Hayesfawcett3 @CoachMicahFaler @Coach_Pflug @JuckOnBucks @LebanonAthDept pic.twitter.com/Cn4KsLanUa
— Nick Lautar TE (@nicklautar8) November 16, 2025
While Ohio State waited until two-and-a-half weeks before early signing day to offer Lautar, the Buckeyes had been evaluating and building a relationship with Lautar for months. The 6-foot-5, 235-pound tight end also visited Ohio State for its September win over Ohio.
Baylor, Cincinnati, Kentucky, Northwestern, Pittsburgh, Rutgers and Wisconsin were among the other schools that offered Lautar before his initial commitment to Louisville.
A fluid pass-catcher who shows good route-running ability for a high school tight end and the receiving skill to make tough catches in traffic, Lautar caught 38 passes for 511 yards and eight touchdowns in his senior season at Lebanon. He’s also a strong blocker who’s often seen knocking defenders into the dirt when the ball isn’t coming his way.
Lautar will likely still need some time to bulk up and develop his technical skill before he’ll be ready to play a significant role at Ohio State, as most tight ends do, but the Buckeyes shouldn’t need him to play much right away. Will Kacmarek is the only tight end on this year’s roster who’s set to exhaust his eligibility, so the Buckeyes project to have a deep tight end room in 2026 with Max Klare, Bennett Christian, Nate Roberts, Jelani Thurman, Brody Lennon and Max LeBlanc all potentially returning.
As such, Lautar is likely to be the only tight end in Ohio State’s 2026 recruiting class. He replaces Corbyn Fordham, who decommitted from OSU and flipped to Florida State in October. While Ohio State made an effort this fall to flip Alabama tight end commit Mack Sutter, the four-star Illinois tight end appears set to sign with the Crimson Tide.
Ohio State could look to add two tight ends in the 2027 class. Four-star Illinois prospect Brock Williams, who was on campus alongside Lautar for the UCLA game, is a top target for the Buckeyes in that class.
Lautar becomes Ohio State’s sixth commitment of November in the 2026 class, joining five other prospects who were also previously committed to other schools: cornerback Jay Timmons (Florida State), defensive tackle Emanuel Ruffin (Colorado), offensive weapon Legend Bey (Tennessee), defensive end Dre Quinn (Clemson) and offensive lineman Mason Wilhelm (North Carolina).
Class of 2026 Commits
Pos
Name
Rating
Rank
Size
School
WR
#20 NATL | #2 WR
6-5 | 205
Mater Dei (Santa Ana, California)
S
#41 NATL | #6 S
6-1 | 207
Catholic (Baton Rouge, Louisiana)
OT
#55 NATL | #5 OT
6-6 | 310
Archbishop Hoban (Akron, Ohio)
LB
#67 NATL | #10 ED
6-3 | 225
Glenville (Cleveland, Ohio)
DE
#79 NATL | #9 DL
6-4 | 260
Junipero Serra (Gardena, California)
CB
#98 NATL | #11 CB
6-1 | 185
Bergen Catholic (Oradell, New Jersey)
S
#109 NATL | #7 LB
6-3 | 185
The Bolles School (Jacksonville, Florida)
CB
#136 NATL | #17 CB
5-11 | 185
Pine-Richland (Gibsonia, Pennsylvania)
WR
#142 NATL | #20 WR
6-2 | 180
Mater Dei (Santa Ana, California)
OT
#143 NATL | #11 OT
6-5 | 280
Avon Lake (Avon Lake, Ohio)
DT
#197 NATL | #26 DL
6-4 | 290
Bessemer City (Bessemer, Alabama)
RB
#210 NATL | #15 RB
6-0 | 190
Rutherford B Hayes (Delaware, Ohio)
DT
#211 NATL | #29 DL
6-3 | 275
St. Augustine Prep (Richland, New Jersey)
LB
#295 NATL| #20 LB
6-3| 225
Olentangy (Lewis Center, Ohio)
WR
#301 NATL | #46 WR
6-2 | 190
Northrop (Fort Wayne, Indiana)
WR
#334 NATL | #52 WR
6-0 | 187
Watkins Memorial (Pataskala, Ohio)
ATH
#361 NATL | #24 ATH
5-11 | 175
North Forney (Forney, Texas)
DE
#391 NATL | #36 EDGE
6-4 | 228
Buford (Buford, Georgia)
WR
#504 NATL | #75 WR
6-2 | 183
Southlake Carroll (Southlake, Texas)
DT
#532 NATL | #63 DL
6-2 | 305
IMG Academy (Bradenton, Florida)
OL
#532 NATL | #40 IOL
6-5 | 280
Sandra Day O’Connor (Phoenix, Arizona)
QB
#580 NATL | #34 QB
6-1 | 185
Mission Viejo (Mission Viejo, California)
DT
#724 NATL | #89 DL
6-4 | 330
Glenville (Cleveland, Ohio)
S
#923 NATL | #78 CB
6-0 | 190
St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Maryland)
TE
#924 NATL | #52 TE
6-5 | 230
Lebanon (Lebanon, Ohio)
OT
#1119 NATL | #92 OT
6-5 | 280
Mentor (Mentor, Ohio)
OL
#1276 NATL | #101 IOL
6-4 | 285
St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio)
Prospect Rating Data: 247Sports Composite
Lautar is the third prospect to commit to Ohio State this weekend, joining Quinn and 2027 four-star safety Eli Johnson. Lautar is the 27th overall member of Ohio State’s 2026 recruiting class, and the 10th in-state prospect in the class.