Ohio State lands 5-star OT Caden Moss, vaults into top 5 of 2027 recruiting rankings

Ohio State added a major piece to its 2027 recruiting class Friday night, securing a commitment from five-star offensive tackle Caden Moss of Jackson Academy in Mississippi. The pledge vaulted the Buckeyes into the top five of the national team recruiting rankings.

Moss, ranked No. 15 in the SC Next 300, announced his decision in front of a large crowd at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame & Museum. He chose Ohio State over Ole Miss and Kentucky, beating out Oregon as well in the process.

Buckeyes beat out SEC competition deep in the South

Ole Miss had been widely considered the favorite for Moss, with the Rebels holding a heavy advantage in the Recruiting Prediction Machine heading into his announcement. Instead, coach Ryan Day and the Buckeyes closed strong to flip the Mississippi native out of SEC territory.

The commitment marks Ohio State's fifth pledge since May 1 and its fourth blue-chip prospect in that same stretch. Moss is the 13th overall commitment in the 2027 class for the Buckeyes, a total that ties them for the highest blue-chip commitment percentage in the country.

Day has now assembled a 2027 class that includes multiple elite offensive prospects, with Moss representing one of the highest-profile wins of the current cycle for Ohio State. The Buckeyes' ability to pull a five-star lineman from deep in SEC recruiting territory underscores the program's national reach under Day.