Ohio State’s 2026 recruiting class has shrunk by one.
In a move seemingly out of nowhere, four-star Ohio State cornerback commit Jakob Weatherspoon flipped his commitment from the Buckeyes to Bill Belichick’s North Carolina Tar Heels on Wednesday. Perhaps he’s the player to be named later for North Carolina following Beau Atkinson’s transfer from Chapel Hill to Columbus?
BREAKING: Four-Star Safety Jakob Weatherspoon has Flipped his Commitment from Ohio State to North Carolina, he tells me for @rivals
The 60 180 S from Avon, OH had been Committed to the Buckeyes since January
SCO Tar Heelshttps://t.co/ithgf5qBjl pic.twitter.com/wyYgg0t5n6
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) July 16, 2025
Though the move was out of left field, it makes sense when you factor in context that Weatherspoon was seen by many in the recruiting industry as primarily a safety, and OSU has two elite safety commits in Blaine Bradford and Simeon Caldwell and potentially another one on the way in Bralan Womack, who’s set to commit on Aug. 22.
Weatherspoon originally committed to OSU on Jan. 2 and is considered the be the No. 178 prospect and No. 14 safety in the 2026 class per 247Sports’ composite rankings. With the Avon product now out of the class, OSU’s 2026 recruiting cycle sits at 20 commits total.
Regardless of whether Weatherspoon was considered a safety or cornerback by the recruiting industry, with his absence, Jordan Thomas is the lone cornerback committed to the Buckeyes in the current cycle, though Thomas has long been thought to be at the top of Tim Walton’s recruiting board for this class.
It’s possible they could still add another before signing day if they find an intriguing senior standout this fall or are able to flip someone like Danny Odem. If neither of those options pan out, the Buckeyes could be in the market for a cornerback in the transfer portal this offseason.
Class of 2026 Commits
Pos
Name
Rating
Rank
Size
School
WR
#15 NATL | #3 WR
6-5 | 205
Mater Dei (Santa Ana, California)
S
#26 NATL | #3 S
6-1 | 207
Catholic (Baton Rouge, Louisiana)
LB
#71 NATL | #8 ED
6-3 | 225
Glenville (Cleveland, Ohio)
S
#106 NATL | #6 LB
6-3 | 185
The Bolles School (Jacksonville, Florida)
WR
#108 NATL | #13 WR
6-2 | 180
Mater Dei (Santa Ana, California)
OT
#109 NATL | #7 OT
6-6 | 310
Archbishop Hoban (Akron, Ohio)
OT
#127 NATL | #8 OT
6-5 | 280
Avon Lake (Avon Lake, Ohio)
RB
#167 NATL | #14 RB
6-0 | 190
Rutherford B Hayes (Delaware, Ohio)
CB
#176 NATL | #16 CB
6-1 | 185
Bergen Catholic (Oradell, New Jersey)
DT
#201 NATL | #26 DL
6-3 | 275
St. Augustine Prep (Richland, New Jersey)
DE
#241 NATL | #23 ED
6-4 | 260
Junipero Serra (Gardena, California)
WR
#269 NATL | #45 WR
6-0 | 187
Watkins Memorial (Pataskala, Ohio)
LB
#296 NATL| #19 LB
6-3| 225
Olentangy (Lewis Center, Ohio)
QB
#357 NATL | #24 QB
6-1 | 185
Mission Viejo (Mission Viejo, California)
WR
#381 NATL | #58 WR
6-2 | 183
Southlake Carroll (Southlake, Texas)
OT
#440 NATL | #36 OT
6-7 | 300
Mountain Pointe (Phoenix, Arizona)
TE
#482 NATL | #24 TE
6-3 | 215
The Bolles School (Jacksonville, Florida)
DT
#538 NATL | #62 DT
6-2 | 305
IMG Academy (Bradenton, Florida)
OL
#665 NATL | #57 IOL
6-5 | 280
Sandra Day O’Connor (Phoenix, Arizona)
DT
#679 NATL | #74 DL
6-4 | 330
Glenville (Cleveland, Ohio)
Prospect Rating Data: 247Sports Composite