The Ohio State Buckeyes took a tough loss to the Tennessee Volunteers when they missed on 5-star running back David Gabriel Georges in the class of 2027 just a couple of weeks ago. Now Ohio State is going to have to fend off Tennessee for one of its most important commitments in the 2027 class. DJ Jacobs, the No. 1 player in the country according to 247Sports, is a player committed to the Buckeyes that is certainly a flip watch until signing day. 

Jacobs committed to Ohio State over Miami and Georgia originally 

The 5-star edge rusher committed to Ohio State at the end of last December, choosing the Buckeyes over Miami and Georgia. The 6-foot-5, 240-pound pass rusher out of Georgia committed to play for defensive line coach Larry Johnson, and it was known at the time that Miami was still going to be a tough school to fend off. However, it’s now Tennessee making the bigger push.

According to Rivals’ Steve Wiltfong, Tennessee has been quietly building traction behind the scenes to potentially flip Jacobs from Ohio State. The Volunteers have a personal connection they’re using to make inroads with the 5-star recruit, and that makes them the school to watch heading into the fall.

“While the elder Jacobs says there isn’t much to see right now with the Vols and his son’s recruitment, I do think Tennessee has been quietly building traction from the family’s relationship to Rodney Garner (he coached Jacobs father at Georgia) to proximity from home and belief in the program,” Wiltfong wrote recently. “

We’ll see how the season goes this year. The Jacobs camp will be making some rounds as Rivals300 2028 defensive lineman Dawson Jacobs games recruiting visits regarding his own process.”

Ohio State has built a strong defensive line class around Jacobs, and they can’t let Tennessee ruin it

The Buckeyes have clearly prioritized the trenches in the 2027 cycle, putting together a strong defensive line and offensive line haul. Jacobs is the headliner of that group, and he’s far from the only piece. Ohio State also has 5-star Marcus Fakatou, high 4-star Wyatt Smith, and 4-star defensive lineman Karlos May all committed along the defensive line in the class.

Losing Jacobs would be a significant blow to a class Ohio State has clearly constructed around elite trench talent. The Buckeyes can’t afford to let Tennessee come in and take the top-ranked player in the country after already losing Gabriel Georges to the Volunteers.

After losing Gabriel Georges to Tennessee for money reasons or whatever it may have been, the Buckeyes cannot allow the same thing to happen with Jacobs. This is a more important recruit at a more valuable position, and Ohio State has to treat it that way.

In the end, it may come down to a situation where the Buckeyes have to increase what they’re willing to pay him. If it comes to that, it’s something they should do.