Does Ohio State's recruiting uptick tell us something about a new strategy?

The Buckeyes have flipped six players into their 2026 class in the last month.

Ohio State has flipped six players into its 2026 recruiting class in the last month. (Photo courtesy of Ohio State athletics).

COLUMBUS — June and July around here usually come with their share of booms. We’re not talking about Fourth of July fireworks. Though those are fun, too. No, we’re talking recruiting booms. Ohio State lands a prospect. The staff gets to tweeting, flooding social media feeds with various iterations of their signal that the Buckeyes got another one.

It’s like white smoke from the Vatican … if the Pope could run the 40-yard dash in 4.5 seconds.

Booms are good. Booms are fun. Where were all the booms in the summer?

To be clear, Ohio State did land its share of prospects in June and July. Eight current members of the 2026 recruiting class pledged during those months. And yet, it still felt a little dry. Big names were trending toward the Buckeyes, and then they weren’t. What gives? As the ground shifted once again in the recruiting world, a mad dash from some programs to funnel dollars to prospects before an expected change in how pay-for-play operated created a whirlwind, and Ohio State was portrayed as slow-playing things … because it was.