Big Ten recruiting: Elite prospect de-commits from the Ohio State Buckeyes

Today is a good day for most Big Ten recruiting fans, perhaps even more so for Michigan football fans than anyone else. This evening, the Ohio State Buckeyes suffered a setback as they lost an elite commit in the 2025 recruiting cycle — Jontae Gilbert, the No. 35 player in the nation, is no longer a Buckeye.

Big Ten recruiting news: Elite prospect leaves Ohio State

Michigan football recruiting has been performing exceptionally well recently. However, when it comes to Jim Harbaugh’s 2024 recruiting class, Ohio State still holds an advantage by securing more top-ranked targets and currently sits atop the Big Ten recruiting standings. Nonetheless, the Buckeyes took a significant hit to their 2025 class this evening, losing a potential five-star recruit from Georgia.

Jontae Gilbert, a 2025 safety from Atlanta, GA, is one of the most sought-after recruits in the nation. Despite his previous commitment to the Ohio State Buckeyes, Gilbert’s recruitment is now back open, bringing great news for Big Ten recruiting fans.

According to the On3 industry rankings, this elite four-star safety is currently ranked as the No. 35 player in the nation, the No. 3 safety in his recruiting class, and the No. 7 overall recruit in the state of Georgia. Here is his official statement from this evening, announcing his de-commitment from Ohio State:

“First off I want to thank God for all of the blessings he has been sending my way,” he said, per Hayes Fawcett. “I want to thank my family, friends, and coaches for supporting me through my decision. This was a very hard decision to make but after long talks with my family and my coaches I now want to say I am opening back up my recruiting and decommit from Ohio State. Respect my decision! Thank you Buckeye Nation for everything and to all the Ohio State coaching staff.”

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