Elite 5-star Ohio State football commit will be visiting Texas when the Longhorns host the Buckeyes in a few weeks
In an interesting development, one of Ohio State’s most important commitments will be visiting the Texas Longhorns when the Buckeyes are in town in September.
The Ohio State Buckeyes have put together a strong group along the defensive line in the class of 2027, and defensive line coach Larry Johnson deserves a ton of credit for the work he’s done this cycle. Five-star EDGE D.J. Jacobs headlines the haul, but five-star defensive lineman Marcus Fakatou, four-star EDGE Wyatt Smith, and four-star defensive tackle Karlos May are all key pieces of Ohio State’s future up front.
Fakatou’s commitment was a big recruiting win for Ohio State, now set to take an SEC visit
Fakatou was a big recruiting win for Ohio State when he committed at the end of June over Georgia and Texas. The Sierra Canyon product out of California was one of the top defensive line targets on the board, and the Buckeyes were trying to land his teammate Kasi Currie as well. That didn’t happen, though, and Currie committed to Texas.
Now, despite being committed to Ohio State, Fakatou is going to follow through on a visit to the Longhorns when the Buckeyes travel to Austin on Sept. 12. Fakatou said he plans to be at the game and explained why.
“I’ll be at the Texas-Ohio State game,” Fakatou said via Rivals. “Coach (Will) Muschamp and coach (LaAllan) Clark have kept contact with me since I committed. They haven’t broken it. Even though I’m committed, that shows a lot of love from their side so it’s only right I go show them love, too.”
Clark worked at Ohio State under Coach Johnson before joining Texas’ staff. Clark is leading the relationship with Fakatou for the Longhorns, and that prior connection to Ohio State’s program has always be interesting in all of this.
It still sounds like Fakatou is solid to the Buckeyes. Texas finished third in his recruitment behind Ohio State and Georgia, but the 6-foot-6, 275-pound defensive lineman is keeping the relationship with the Longhorns open by visiting. That’s notable at the very least.
Fakatou has the potential to be a player who can line up inside and outside along the defensive line, and his size and versatility suggest he could be an early contributor at Ohio State. As long as the interest between Fakatou and Texas stops at the visit, the Buckeyes will be in a good spot.
Time will tell how this one plays out, but Ohio State’s 2027 defensive line haul remains one of the best in the country. Fakatou’s visit will be something to monitor as the Buckeyes and Longhorns take part in a marquee September matchup.
