Ohio State has struck out on another key edge-rushing target with the news that 4-star 2026 defensive end KJ Ford has verbally committed to the Florida Gators over the Buckeyes. It’s unfortunately news that continues the trend of Ohio State not being able to land several of its priority edge rushers in the 2026 class, and a bit of a continuation over the last couple of years.
Out of Duncanville, Texas, Ford is ranked as the No. 15 edge rusher and 116th overall prospect in the 2026 class according to the 247Sports composite rankings. Ford chose the Gators over OSU and Texas A&M.
So far in the 2026 recruiting cycle, Larry Johnson and Ohio State have missed out on other priority defensive end targets Luke Wafle (USC), Carter Meadows (Michigan) and Landon Barnes (Ole Miss). They do have one high-profile edge rusher with the commitment of Khary Wilder, but the number of targets available that Ohio State would love to land on the edge is dwindling fast.
The Ohio State football 2026 recruiting class still sits with 21 commitments in the class, one that is currently inside the top ten. As any more significant news on the recruiting side of things becomes available, we’ll bring it to you.
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This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Ohio State misses out on another 4-star edge rusher target
Reporting by Phil Harrison, Buckeyes Wire / Buckeyes Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
