Ohio State football recruiting picked up major momentum this week with the commitment of 2027 5-star defensive lineman Marcus Fakatou. The 6-foot-7, 275-pound prospect chose the Buckeyes over Georgia and Texas, giving defensive line coach Larry Johnson another elite talent to develop in Columbus.

Marcus Fakatou’s recruitment ended before it really heated up

Ohio State beat out some of the nation’s top programs to land Fakatou, and the timeline tells the story. The Buckeyes got Fakatou on campus in March for the first time, and his official visit at the beginning of June sealed the deal. Fakatou canceled scheduled visits to Notre Dame and Oregon because he already knew Ohio State was the place. He still took trips to Georgia and Texas, but he did so knowing he was going to be a Buckeye.

Fakatau is originally a 2028 prospect who reclassified into the 2027 class. That means he’s going to be young for his age, and Ohio State will have three to four years to mold him into the player the coaching staff envisions. 

He currently weighs around 265 pounds after losing roughly 30 pounds, and the Buckeyes hope to get him playing at 270 to 275 pounds as a versatile defensive lineman who can rush from the inside or outside.

Marcus Fakatau can now focus on his senior season at Sierra Canyon (CA)

With his decision out of the way before his senior year at Sierra Canyon High School, where he recently transferred, Fakatou can focus entirely on his final high school season. He expressed relief at having the recruitment process behind him, and the plan is for him to arrive at Ohio State as an early enrollee in the winter.

“I mean, it feels amazing,” Fakatou said, via The Austin and Birm Show. “It just feels nice to be able to put my phone down and kind of talk to my family. It was kind of stressing having to look at my phone 24-7, to respond to all these coaches or just read messages.

“So now feels pretty good just to be able to put my phone down and go connect with my family. It’s a blessing to be able to be in the shoes that I was in. Not many kids get this opportunity. So I’m just trying to make the most of it and trying to set a good example for the next generation.”

From there, he’ll have a chance to work his way toward playing as a true freshman. That doesn’t always happen at Ohio State, but if you’re good enough, it will. Other schools will continue to try to flip Fakatou because that’s the name of the game in today’s recruiting landscape, but he sounds solid to Ohio State and happy with where he landed.

The coming months will show whether the Buckeyes can close on May and add even more firepower to what is shaping up to be one of the best defensive line classes in the country.

What it means for the Ohio State’s 2027 defensive line haul

With Fakatou’s commitment, Ohio State’s 2027 defensive line class looks like a terrific haul. The Buckeyes already have 5-star DJ Jacobs and 4-star Wyatt Smith on the board, and they may not be done. Carlos May, a 4-star defensive lineman, remains in the picture for Ohio State, which is hoping to land him later this month.

This is a big recruiting win for Johnson, who continues to pull top-tier talent to the defensive line room year after year.