Recruiting: Buckeyes on Flip Watch this Weekend

Ohio State will host a quality group of visitors this weekend when the Buckeyes face Indiana in a Top 5 matchup. Flip watch and some big class of 2026 targets in town highlight the action.

Will the Buckeyes Flip Jordyn Woods?

Things have moved quickly between Ohio State and Cincinnati cornerback commit Jordyn Woods in recent weeks and Woods will make his official visit to Columbus this weekend.

Woods has spoken very highly of the Buckeyes during the process and has continued to show up in Columbus. With his size and athleticism, Woods would give the Buckeyes a versatile defensive back prospect that can fit just about anywhere in the secondary with the first look coming at the cornerback position.

We’ve liked Ohio State’s chances of flipping Woods since the moment the Buckeyes pulled the trigger on an offer. With Signing Day coming up in just two weeks, look for Ohio State to push for a final answer from Woods this weekend.

Additionally, Michigan State cornerback commit Aydan West will also be making an official visit. West has yet to be offered a scholarship by the Buckeyes but that could perhaps change in the coming days.

The Champ is Here

For the first time in a while, the Buckeyes will have super 2026 offensive line target Micah ‘Champ’ Smith back on campus. Smith was initially expected for the Michigan game, but had to rearrange his schedule and will now be up this Saturday.

Smith has told us in the past that Ohio State is right at the top of the list and the Buckeyes will once again have a chance to impress the Top 100 prospect and the teammate of class of 2025 linebacker commit T.J. Alford.

Ohio State has a chance to build a really strong O-Line class in the 2026 cycle and Smith is a key part of those hopes.

Other Class of 2026 Storylines

• Four-star Avon (Ohio) defensive back Jakob Weatherspoon will be back on campus on Saturday. Weatherspoon remains a priority in-state target for the Buckeyes in an absolutely loaded Ohio defensive back class and has been to campus numerous times since the summer. This is definitely a recruitment to watch right now as the relationship between Weatherspoon and Tim Walton continues to strengthen.
• We reported recently that things have picked up a bit between Ohio State and four-star Ashland (Ohio) quarterback Nathan Bernhard. Bernhard will make his first visit of the season to Columbus on Saturday. Bernhard remains a player that the Buckeyes are evaluating as they look for their class of 2026 quarterback.
• Rolesville (NC) defensive end Zavion Griffin-Haynes is expected to be on campus Saturday. The Buckeyes were one of the front-runners in ZGH’s recruitment over the summer but a quick commitment to North Carolina early this fall surprised many. The Buckeyes will continue working to flip the four-star pass rusher and showing up Saturday would be a good step in the right direction.
• Right at the top of the wish list at safety in the 2026 class is Baton Rouge (LA) Catholic star Blaine Bradford. Bradford will be making a return trip to Columbus on Saturday as he continues to reciprocate interest. an early five-star prospect, considered by some as one of the 10 best players in the class, this is a big deal for the Buckeyes to get Bradford on campus again.

There will be plenty more to talk about this weekend here at BuckeyeHuddle.com and we’ll have updates throughout the coming days on these situations and more.