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Ohio State Buckeyes predicted to land a top recruit over the Georgia Bulldogs and another SEC program

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Brandon Little | Last updated Apr 15, 2025 1:07 PM ET

The Ohio State Buckeyes have turned it up a notch lately on the recruiting trail and are up to 10 commitments in the class of 2026.

Over the weekend, Ohio State hosted several more key recruits for their spring game, as they typically do.

One key recruit’s visit went so well that the Buckeyes are now seen as the school to beat for a four-star defensive lineman.

Ohio State predicted to land 2026 four-star DL Pierre Dean

Sam Spiegelman of Rivals entered predictions that the Buckeyes would land 2026 four-star West Forsyth (NC) DL Pierre Dean. Dean was on campus in Columbus over the weekend for an unofficial visit and this came shortly after the Buckeyes made his final three list.

The Buckeyes have moved to the top with blue-chip DL target PJ Dean after this weekend's visit. More from Dean: https://t.co/fDhVlyItSk https://t.co/6GMPnJjMsQ
— Sam Spiegelman (@samspiegs) April 14, 2025

Ohio State is competing against Georgia and South Carolina for the talented recruit and stands in a good spot to win the battle. Most recruiting sites have Dean listed as an offensive lineman but he is being recruited along the defensive line by all three of the programs that made the cut. At 6-foot-5 and 255 pounds, Dean is pictured as a defensive player at the next level.

The Buckeyes No. 4 ranked class does not yet have a defensive line player committed and Dean would be the first. According to 247 Sports Composite rankings, Dean is the No. 49 overall player in the country for the class of 2026.

The No. 9 player in the state of North Carolina has 25 offers and the Buckeyes made their official offer to him back on March 1. There is no commitment date set at this time but when Dean does decide, many believe it will be the Buckeyes he chooses.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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