Ohio State is going to have a chance to steal a key recruit out of Penn State’s backyard after losing Jim Knowles to the Nittany Lions
Ohio State had work to do right after winning the National Championship off the field with figuring out the future of their coaching staff.
The Buckeyes had both coordinators depart after the season. Chip Kelly opted to take an offensive coordinator job with the Las Vegas Raiders. Jim Knowles chose to take the same role at Penn State, which was a shock to many.
Now, Ohio State will have to take on their defensive coordinator of the last three years going forward. The Buckeyes battle it out with the Nittany Lions every season and that is scheduled to happen again in November.
Ohio State is looking to get a big win over the Nittany Lions in the 2026 recruiting cycle
The Buckeyes often recruit the state of Pennsylvania and they are again set to battle it out with Penn State for a stud athlete. Joey O’Brien is a 6-foot-3 athlete from Glenside, Pennsylvania, and is the No. 98 overall player in the class of 2026, per 247 Sports Composite.
According to BuckNuts, O’Brien is set to take an official visit to Ohio State. By deciding to spend an OV in Columbus, it goes to show that O’Brien is taking Ohio State seriously. Ohio State views O’Brien as a safety, a position they recruited Faheem Delane at last go around. Going from Caleb Downs to Delane to O’Brien one day would be a talented succession plan on the back end for Ohio State.
Ohio State has not yet named a defensive coordinator, which could change some things on the recruiting end. However, it looks as if the Buckeyes have firmly put themselves in the conversation for a talented player in enemy territory. It would be a nice win for the Buckeyes over the Nittany Lions after losing Knowles.
