Ohio State Trending Up for Priority O-Line Target Darius Gray

New Ohio State offensive line coach Tyler Bowen is off to a good start in the 2026 cycle with three commitments so far. But the Buckeyes are looking for in this class and Bowen is taking some big swings. One of those big swings, is for Richmond (Va.) St. Christopher star Darius Gray. The five-star prospect is considered by some to be the nation’s top interior offensive line prospect.

Bowen’s presence has helped the Buckeyes surge recently in Gray’s recruitment with an official visit scheduled during the month of June.

“Things have progressed great (with Ohio State),” Gray told BuckeyeHuddle.com on Tuesday. “That was a school that I wanted to (officially visit) and once we knew that coach Bowen (was filling the vacated OL coaching position), we had to. We’ve created a great relationship over time.”

Gray’s relationship with Bowen goes back to Bowen’s time at Virginia Tech so there was a natural comfort level when he made the move to Columbus.

“We grew a relationship while he was at Virginia Tech and the time spent with him and the talks with him have been fantastic,” Gray explained. “When I heard he was getting the job at Ohio State, I was fired up.”

Head Coach Ryan Day has also made it a point to build a relationship with Gray, and that paid off during a time when the Buckeyes didn’t have an offensive line coach.

“I’ve built a good relationship with coach Day, he’s such a great guy,” he said. “There’s a lot you can say about him and it’s all great things. He’s a great dude and when you have a guy like that as a leader, it all trickles down.”

While Gray has vibed with the coaches, he has also been impressed with the way the team handled itself through adversity this past season and how they relied on their faith, which is something that is important to him.

“I just think that was the power of Christ,” Gray said of the Ohio State championship run. “God is going to give you adversity and they answered his call. They took the tough loss to Michigan and then they just did everything else and put it in God’s hands.”

All of the factors have led to a resurgence for the Buckeyes in this recruitment. When asked where the Buckeyes stand now compared to a few months ago, Gray was emphatic in his answer.

“Better, by far,” he stated.

Hear more from the super offensive lineman in our one-on-one interview from Southern Swing: