The Ohio State Buckeyes have had DJ Jacobs committed to their 2027 recruiting class since December of last year. Landing the No. 1 recruit in the nation was a big get for defensive line coach Larry Johnson. Now Ohio State is in a fight to keep Jacobs from flipping before the early signing period.

Jacobs was in Columbus for the Buckeyes’ loss to Oregon, and all signs point to that visit going well for both sides. Despite his commitment, Jacobs is still taking visits elsewhere along with his brother, 2028 four-star defensive lineman Dawson Jacobs. He’s keeping the door open for other programs to try to pry him away from Ohio State.

Insiders are not optimistic about Ohio State’s chances

The latest from 247Sports’ Tom Loy does not sound good for the Buckeyes’ chances of keeping Jacobs.

 “As it stands now, while Ohio State feels great about keeping DJ in the class, I struggle to see him sticking with the Buckeyes,” Loy wrote. “247Sports national analyst Benjamin Wolk, who covers the Peach State, agrees. There is plenty of buzz right now around Georgia, Tennessee and Miami. All three programs are pushing hard and from what we’ve gathered, sources around this recruitment believe it is more likely that he flips rather than sticks.

“Based on everything I’ve heard, the one to watch as of this second looks like the in-state Georgia Bulldogs. Behind the scenes, similar to how things were handled with new five-star offensive tackle commit Mark Matthews, who pledged to the Bulldogs on Nov. 9, I believe they are pushing all of the right buttons to make another big splash on or around Signing Day.”

Tennessee and Miami are staying in the mix to try to flip Jacobs, but Georgia appears to be the program making the hardest push right now. The Bulldogs already landed Matthews, a five-star offensive tackle, on Nov. 9. Pulling the top player in the country away from Ohio State would be another major recruiting win for Georgia in its own backyard.

Signing day could decide everything for the Buckeyes

Ohio State has to get Jacobs to the finish line during the early signing period next month. The 5-star recruit will be at SMU this weekend along with his brother. Based on where things stand, it looks like this recruitment could go down to the wire. If a flip does happen, there’s a good chance it comes on signing day itself.

Jacobs is the most important commit in Ohio State’s 2027 class, and there’s a reason he’s the No. 1 recruit in the nation. Losing him would be a significant blow to a class built around him. Additionally, it would hand another power program a headline win at the Buckeyes’ expense.

The Buckeyes still have some cards to play. Ohio State needs to stay aggressive on the NIL front, because that will carry plenty of weight in the final weeks of this recruitment. Getting wins on the field would also go a long way after the recent losses have taken some shine off the program.

Still, the biggest thing working in Ohio State’s favor is the stable relationship it has built with the Jacobs family. Johnson and the Buckeyes have put in the work long before landing the commitment last December, and that relationship has to hold up against the pressure coming from Georgia, Tennessee, and Miami.

Ohio State has a little over a month to keep its top commit in the fold.