The Impact: Ohio State lands key commitment from cornerback Jordan Thomas

COLUMBUS—Ohio State has picked up a major win from a long-term, priority recruit: Jordan Thomas has just announced his commitment to the Buckeyes.

Thomas, a 6-foot-1, 185-pound cornerback hails from New Jersey and leads the defense at Bergen Catholic (Oradell) High School, one of the country’s elite prep institutions. At the time of his announcement, Thomas chose Ohio State over just about 45 other programs but the decision came down to a handful of top colleges that included Texas A&M, Auburn, Notre Dame, USC, Michigan, Penn State and others.

The Buckeyes offered Jordan Thomas in early April of 2024 and have prioritized him and his family since. Tim Walton and Matt Guerrieri have each played an important role—as has Ryan Day—but the recent addition of Matt Patricia has also paid dividends for Ohio State. Thomas made a pair of visits to Columbus this spring to get familiar with the new defensive coordinator.

“I have a great relationship with Coach Patricia and Ryan Day,” Thomas told Buckeye Huddle last month. “Our connection is great. Coach Patricia has a plan for me fitting into his defensive scheme and the more I speak with Coach Day and Coach Patricia and see them in person, the better our relationship gets.”

Ohio State has wanted Jordan Thomas badly for a year-plus. Why? Who is he?

Buckeye Huddle is breaking down his commitment and its impact on Ohio State, the Big Ten and the national recruiting landscape.

Jordan Thomas: The Player

In an attempt to most accurately describe the potential impact of Jordan Thomas on the football field, we’ll defer to his explanation about his fit.

“They see me as a versatile defensive back,” Thomas said last month. “That can play on the outside at corner but also on the inside, at star or nickel. They also see me playing right and left, boundary or field, as well.”

And that, in a nutshell, is what makes this addition so appealing to Ohio State. There’s a versatility and flexibility in what Jordan Thomas brings to a defense. He’s got exceptional length and range but plays in a smooth, very in-control way that sometimes can come across as being casual but that’s not the case, either. Thomas is a cerebral, physical cornerback prospect with the ability to play safety down the road but make no mistake: the Buckeyes love him as an outside cornerback prospect.

Take a look at the film and you’ll see a defensive back doing a little bit of everything. Thomas can turn and run with receivers. He is aggressive in man-to-man situations at the line of scrimmage and uses his strength to easily and efficiently separate the football from its intended carrier. There’s a quick trigger on screens, too. He also has a willingness to stuff the run that most high school cornerbacks just don’t possess.

While there aren’t many verifiable times out there to reflect his athleticism, Thomas runs plenty well. He’s explosive as a hitter and his frame reflects a player that still has plenty of room to grow.

Thomas is a well-rounded, complete defensive back that will vie for playing time early in his Ohio State career.

Impact on 2026 Ohio State recruiting class

About 10 days after losing out on in-state cornerback prospect Elbert Hill to USC, Tim Walton and Ohio State are bouncing back in a pretty vital way.

It’s not sour grapes to suggest that Thomas was actually the top outside cornerback target on the recruiting board for the Buckeyes. It’s factual. Yes, Walton and Ohio State would have loved to add both—Hill is a natural as a slot-corner prospect—but when it comes to lining up and playing corner against an opponent’s top receiver, Thomas is the body type that Walton et al envision.

The addition of Thomas alleviates some of the pressure that comes after Hill picked USC though and that’s not debatable. It won’t mitigate the loss for star-chasers or rankings wonks—Thomas is listed as the country’s No. 19-ranked cornerback—but how he’s viewed by Ohio State is considerably different than how he’s regarded nationally.

NETWORK	NEW JERSEY RANK	NATIONAL RANK	POSITION RANK
ON3SPORTS	3	210	23
247SPORTS	2	124	16
RIVALS	3	UNRANKED	23
ESPN	3	198	14

Throughout the course of his recruitment, Jordan Thomas had a number of different favorites. Penn State was an early one. He also became a top option for Michigan at one point. However, the final push for a commitment seemed to come down to Ohio State, Texas A&M, Notre Dame and Auburn.

Thomas is the fourth defensive back committed to Ohio State in the 2026 cycle. He joins five-star safety Blaine Bradford and four-star prospects Jakob Weatherspoon and Simeon Caldwell. At cornerback specifically, Thomas is now leading the way although Weatherspoon has the skillset to play that spot, too. The Buckeyes are still in hot pursuit of St. Thomas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) four-star Justice Fitzpatrick and he’s a real possibility to round out the cornerback class. Walton, Patricia and company will head into the summer feeling good about the cornerback spot even after losing the aforementioned Hill.

How Jordan Thomas impacts recruiting rankings

The Buckeyes now have 13 commitments in their 2026 recruiting class, which now sits third nationally behind USC and LSU according to On3Sports.com composite rankings. The Trojans have continued to lead the way nationally with 27 commitments, a remarkable tally considering where we are with the calendar.

Ohio State now has commitments from players from seven different states, once again highlighting the power of the Buckeyes national brand.