\n Ohio State hasn\u2019t yet landed a commitment from official visit season, but that looks likely to change soon. <\/p>\n
\n\tWhile Ohio State\u2019s third official visit weekend of the summer<\/a> started Friday, two of Ohio State\u2019s official visitors from the last two weekends also made announcements about their recruitments on Friday, and both of those announcements look like good news for the Buckeyes.\n<\/p>\n \n\tFive-star defensive lineman Marcus Fakatou, Larry Johnson\u2019s\u00a0top uncommitted target in the 2027 class, narrowed his recruitment to three schools on Friday: Ohio State, Georgia and Texas. Fakatou had been scheduled to also make official visits to Oregon and Notre Dame, but canceled both of those visits, indicating he\u2019s seen enough to make his college decision.\n<\/p>\n \n\t\tNEWS: Five-Star DL Marcus Fakatou is down to Georgia, Texas, and Ohio State, he tells me for @Rivals<\/a><\/p>\n The No. 2 DL in the 2027 class has canceled his remaining official visits to Oregon and Notre Damehttps:\/\/t.co\/uJVAahVKK3<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/VjwGxznMRi<\/a>\n\t<\/p>\n \t\u2014 Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) June 12, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n \n\tGeorgia and Texas are also contenders for Fakatou \u2013 particularly Texas after the Longhorns landed a commitment from fellow Sierra Canyon defensive lineman and Ohio State target Kasi Currie<\/a> earlier this week \u2013 but signs are pointing toward Friday\u2019s announcement being a win for the Buckeyes. Ohio State has been considered the frontrunner for Fakatou since the start of official\u00a0visit season, and five different recruiting insiders on Rivals<\/a> have now placed predictions that Fakatou will be a Buckeye.\n<\/p>\n \n\tIf Fakatou ultimately chooses the Buckeyes, he\u2019ll form a star-studded trio along the defensive line in Ohio State\u2019s 2027 class, joining five-star defensive end DJ Jacobs<\/a> and fellow top-100 prospect Wyatt Smith<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n \n\tFakatou, who\u2019s ranked as the No. 24 overall prospect<\/a> in the 2027 class, is a versatile defensive lineman at 6-foot-7 and 275 pounds who could potentially play both defensive end and defensive tackle at the collegiate level.\n<\/p>\n \n\tWhile Fakatou hasn\u2019t yet set a commitment date, another recent Ohio State official visitor did so on Friday. Four-star cornerback Jaden Carey<\/a> announced Friday that he will announce his commitment at 6:45 p.m. Wednesday.\n<\/p>\n \n\t\t#OhioState<\/a> cornerback target @JadenCarey22<\/a> is set to commit on Wednesday on the @CBSSportsCFB<\/a> YouTube page.https:\/\/t.co\/6VfXx7pIcD<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/m8ZxJbfeii<\/a>\n\t<\/p>\n \t\u2014 Bucknuts (@Bucknuts247) June 12, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n \n\tCarey will choose from a final three of Ohio State, Miami and Auburn, but the Buckeyes have reason to feel good about where they stand entering Wednesday\u2019s announcement. While Carey\u2019s father played for Miami, the Buckeyes emerged as the favorite for Carey even before they hosted him for his official visit last week. Carey wasn\u2019t scheduled to make his official visit to Auburn until next weekend, so his decision to announce his commitment\u00a0on Wednesday suggests he won\u2019t be a Tiger.\n<\/p>\n \n\tTim Walton is hoping Carey will be just one of three cornerbacks to commit to the Buckeyes in the coming days, as Ohio State is hosting fellow four-star cornerbacks Monsanna Torbert Jr.<\/a> and Deontay Malone<\/a> on official visits this weekend. Ohio State is also viewed as the favorite for both of them, so while the Buckeyes don\u2019t yet have any cornerbacks in their 2027 class, it wouldn\u2019t be a surprise if they add multiple CBs in the next week or two.\n<\/p>\n