The Sanchez Impact

Ohio State received some massive news on the recruiting trail on Saturday afternoon, landing the nation’s top-ranked class of 2025 cornerback in Houston (Texas) North Shore star Devin Sanchez.

Just how big of a commitment is this for Ohio State and how will this impact the Buckeyes’ recruiting efforts in the 2025 cycle? Let’s dive right in.

What Ohio State is getting

Simply put, Ohio State is getting a prototype cornerback prospect who is very much in the mold of former Buckeye great Jeff Okudah. Sanchez is 6-foot-2, 170-pounds making him a tall, long, and lean defender who uses his tremendous instincts and explosiveness to not only lock down receivers but to create big plays for himself as well.

Sanchez’s combination of speed and length allow him to matchup with any type of receiver. He’s a true number one lockdown corner on the outside with the competitive fire and work ethic to match his tremendous physical gifts.

What makes Sanchez truly unique beyond his physical profile, is that he brings wide receiver type ball skills to the position. A mistake Sanchez’s way isn’t just an incompletion or a PBU, it’s likely an interception.

As an early five-star prospect and Top 10 national player, early commitments don’t get much bigger this. I believe Sanchez is the most talented corner that Ohio State has landed since Okudah in the 2017 class and I’ve loved guys like Jordan Hancock, Aaron Scott, and Jermaine Mathews, among others, over the years so that statement is not tossed around lightly.

What it means for recruiting

Sanchez as a chance to be what Tavien St. Clair is for the Ohio State offense in this 2025 recruiting class. St. Clair is a highly ranked player with some cache to his name when talking to offensive recruits and Sanchez brings that, plus some given his Texas ties, to the Buckeyes’ defensive efforts.

It also gives the Buckeyes a cornerback tandem, along with Blake Woodby, that will be tough for just about any other program to top in the 2025 cycle. BIA is back, and this is how you keep it rolling.

Sanchez wants to be active on the recruiting trail and has already started working on players like Ohio offensive tackle Carter Lowe, Ohio defensive back Trey McNutt, and former Ohio, now Texas, defensive back Doran Brew and that list will continue to grow now that his commitment is official and public.

For the Buckeyes, they’ll be sending several defensive backs to the NFL over the next 18 months so 2025 will be important in continuing to replenish the room. Brew and McNutt are two important pieces to that but there are some other big names to keep in mind as well. Four-star Maryland safety Faheem Delane and four-star Indiana cornerback Mark Zackery are two more names to keep in mind.

For more on what the Sanchez commitment means for Ohio State, check out the latest episode of the Skull Session Recruiting Podcast where we break it all down.