The Ohio State football program landed a major commitment on Saturday afternoon from four-star defensive tackle Karlos May … but it wasn’t always a sure landing spot.
The Alabama native grew up in SEC country and didn’t mince words about how his recruiting process went, including what shifted things in his recruitment. May, who had Georgia and Auburn as his other finalists, said his official visit to Ohio State changed the trajectory of his recruiting process — and changed his mind on where he wanted to go.
“That official visit to Ohio State changed everything,” May told Rivals. “Before that, I was going to Georgia. That visit made me realize exactly where I wanted to be. As soon as I got down there, I knew I was going to pick up and retain a lot of good information that would help me be successful. That visit was it for me.”
May took his Ohio State visit last out of the trio, beginning with Georgia, then Auburn. So, the weekend of June 19 was the difference that landed the commitment from May.
Why? It was hard to say no to the development at the defensive line position. Larry Johnson, the Buckeyes’ defensive line coach, is widely regarded as one of the top assistant coaches in the entire country. His resume speaks for itself. From Jack Sawyer and JT Tuimoloau to Kayden McDonald, or Chase Young and the Bosa brothers — the list goes on and on of top-end talent that reached the NFL under the guidance of Johnson. In total, there are 22 former Ohio State players who learned under Johnson.
“Some things I like most about Coach Johnson are how he was able to produce as many guys as he did and the way he was able to do it,” May said. “I get to be around one of the best to ever do it.”
May is one of four defensive linemen in the 2027 class — all are four or five-star players, including the nation’s No. 4 prospect, David Jacobs. Could this class produce the next handful of talented defensive linemen to come through the Ohio State program? It sure looks like.
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This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Ohio State 4-star commit was Georgia bound before Buckeyes’ visit
Reporting by Alec Lasley, Buckeyes Wire / Buckeyes Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Alec Lasley, Buckeyes Wire | USA TODAY Network
