Ohio State football set to welcome in another important visitor for a Big Ten game this fall that could end up a Buckeye
Ohio State is set to have another key defender on campus this fall, and it’ll be the Big Ten game against Maryland that it happens.
Ohio State football and defensive line coach Larry Johnson are already looking ahead to the class of 2028 after assembling a loaded 2027 defensive line haul.
Johnson’s recruiting on the defensive line continues to operate at an elite level. The 2027 class features 5-star pass rusher DJ Jacobs, high 4-star pass rusher Wyatt Smith, 5-star defensive lineman Marcus Fakatou, and 4-star defensive lineman Karlos May. That group alone makes it one of the stronger defensive line hauls Ohio State has put together, and Johnson isn’t slowing down.
Key visitor heading to Columbus in October
The Buckeyes will host 4-star defensive lineman Aedyn Havilo from Eastside Catholic in Washington for their October matchup against Maryland, according to Lettermen Row’s Alex Gleitman.
Havili is a 6-foot-2, 320-pound interior force ranked as the No. 97 overall player in the class of 2028 and the No. 10 defensive lineman. He posted 33 tackles and 7.5 sacks in 2025 and holds 22 offers from programs like LSU, Oregon, and Penn State, along with several West Coast schools.
The fact that the Buckeyes are already building momentum in the 2028 cycle speaks to how Johnson approaches his craft. He recruits, coaches, and develops the position better than anyone in the country, and prospects know it.
Eastside Catholic has been a school Ohio State has recruited before in Washington. Former 5-star pass rusher and current Indianapolis Colts edge rusher JT Tuimoloau came out of the program, as did former 5-star wide receiver recruit Gee Scott Jr.
Ohio State offered Havili back in May, and the relationship appears to already be in a strong place. Getting him on campus for the Maryland game will give Johnson a chance to further that connection and potentially position the Buckeyes as the leader in his recruitment.
Continuing to invest in the trenches has been a point of emphasis for Ohio State’s roster-building under Ryan Day, and that much remains clear heading into the 2028 cycle. The coming months will show whether Havili’s visit turns into something more, but the early signs point in a positive direction for the Buckeyes.
