The Hurry-Up: Priority Ohio State Targets Luke Wafle and Cincere Johnson Will Announce Their Commitments on Thursday, OT Aaron Thomas Will Commit

The recruiting world is about to shift its attention to Ohio State, where three top-tier prospects—offensive tackles Luke Wafle and Cincere Johnson, along with offensive tackle Aaron Thomas—are set to make their college commitment decisions this Thursday. With the Buckeyes targeting those who can fortify their line for the Road to the Playoffs, this trio represents the backbone of future Ohio State success. Their commitments, especially from Wafle and Johnson, are expected to come tomorrow, while highly rated Thomas is set to announce his choice on Thursday. For Buckeye fans, these announcements are far more than a recruiting update—they represent the future pillars of the scarlet-and-gray machine.

When evaluating elite college programs, one of the biggest advantages they can secure is consistent offensive line recruitment. These linemen are drafted early, and their development is vital for a high-powered offense. Ohio State’s mantra under (Coach) Ryan Day has been about “building from the middle out,” meaning the trenches, where games are won or lost. Wafle, Johnson, and Thomas are names you’ll hear for years. Each brings a unique blend of size, athleticism, and upside—precisely what the Buckeyes covet.

Let’s begin with Luke Wafle, a 6-foot-5, 315-pound juggernaut from Ohio’s powerhouse pipelines. His recruitment has been a saga in its own right, quite literally looping through multiple campus visits before settling near home. Ranked among the top three tackles in the 2026 class, Wafle combines nimble footwork with they-field crudity of a mauler—equally capable of dominating one-on-one matchups and sustaining in space. He hammers defenders in the run game, but his truly impressive trait is the way he mirrors elite edge rushers—so reminiscent of recent Buckeye greats like Paris Johnson Jr. One vivid image from a junior-year highlight tape showed Wafle in pass pro, his hips and hand placement so tight that a top-10 rated edge rusher looked frozen in place. Behind him, the QB had time; after, he dropped the sack artistically. That clip sent schools scrambling.

Ohio State has repeatedly made in-home visits with Wafle, impressed him in moonlight and secondary offerings, and kept their recruitment personal. Even coach-on-the-ground Brian Hartline has been vocal about Wafle’s fit: “If he’s wearing scarlet and gray, you’re looking at a future NFL first rounder.” All that was before this Friday, when Wafle dispatched a statement to recruits: “Commitment coming Thursday.” It mirrors what he told himself, and that’s when the Buckeye buzz hit overdrive.

Then there’s Cincere Johnson, a man-child at 6-foot-6 and nearly 320 pounds, hailing from North Carolina—a state known for producing physical, athletic linemen. Johnson’s tape showcases dominant run-blocking performances and impressive versatility: playing right and left tackle, sealing edges, pulling for the run, and alert in screen game. He’s been to Columbus at least half a dozen times during the last nine months, from junior spring camps to Weekend of Champions. His relationship with Offensive Line Coach Justin Fry is key—Fry’s track record in developing powerhouses like Thayer Munford has suited Johnson’s long-term goals too well to ignore. Scout.com ranks him a four-star, and he’s widely considered a top-10 tackle. After a second official visit last week, Johnson posted a photo captioned, “Ready for my time to speak.”Buckeye Twitter caught the vibes—and following that, his teammate, fellow lineman Xavier Davis, tweeted, “Thursday I’m getting the call #GoBucks.” It felt inevitable, but then came confirmation: Johnson’s announcement on Thursday—same day as Wafle.

So what does it mean for Ohio State football if both blue-chip blockers land in the class of ’26? Well, for starters, depth. That type of raw measurables at two-oh-five positional symmetry—size, strength, hips—sets up offensive line rotations for years to come, not just a one-season run. Going pro early, yes, but backers like Wafle and Johnson ensure the next wave is ready. Secondly, versatility. Both can flip sides, meaning Day and Fry can safely start them or rotate them, depending on team needs. Ultimately, it means more quality snaps, more physical battles won, and continued production in run- and pass-blocking against elite Big Ten defenses—and, Carson Strong-levels of QB protection. Thirdly, it’s a recruiting domino. When recruits see two such elite linemen picking OSU, especially ones with FBS offers from Clemson, Alabama, Georgia, Texas, USC, and Michigan, they signal the class is going to be top five or six again. The fact that Ohio State is getting both from national pipelines—Ohio and North Carolina—sends a message: “We’re winning everywhere.”

Moving to Thursday, we turn our sights to Aaron Thomas, the third projected commit in this class. Another tackle. Another anchor. But unlike Wafle and Johnson, Thomas has taken a different path. He’s a native of Atlanta, GA—a region loaded with linemen—but his rise to prominence has been steadier. Thomas is 6-foot-5, 305 pounds, powerful in the run game, deceptively quick for his size, and fundamentally sound. His film highlights are less explosive-vs.-explosive, but more consistent—and NFL scouts love his hand usage, his mirroring one-on-one, and his upside during training.

According to his coach, “Thomas has a motor from the second he’s in uniform until he walks off the field, even on scout team. He loves the feeling of the fight, and he’s done his film work, lining up under the hoops, learning the protections…” Thomas has taken six official visits, but his two in January—to Ohio State and Alabama—stood out. The Buckeye O-line staff put him in a competitive drills setting with Wafle and Johnson; the result: “He moved them,” one coach said. Thomas later tweeted, “Family decision on Thursday… #B1G.” All systems are “go” for his announcement.

Why does Thomas matter? As a skill set, he’s more developmental, more projectable. He may not be a plug-and-play guy on day one, but he fits what Day and Fry want: high football IQ, consistent motor, foundational technique—and moldability. Thomas brings a strong character component too. His film at Nike camps and All-American events shows film-study maturity, spatial awareness, self-coaching in the huddle. For coach Fry, “Taking guys like Thomas ensures what we build stays built. He’s the kind of guy who gives max effort every down.” His positional versatility is also apparent: he’s played both sides, snaps at guard in high school, has pulled, and even made screens—he’s a potential multi-year starter in any role to fill draft departures.

All of those strengths marry well with the OSU tempo offense, their zone schemes, the need to spring backs through gaps and take the edge off pass rushers in the Big Ten. And when a team has three commit-level tackles in one week, they control their future.

Thursday will be an implied celebration in Columbus—a feat of recruiting muscle. Instead of chasing lone blue chips, Ohio State is dipping into regional and national blue-chip pipelines and coming away with elite linemen. That’s less coincidence, more system. As Coach Day’s program has grown, he’s made it clear: protect the QB, and the rest follows. In the modern era, where top-tier offensive tackles go in the first round, proving it works in return—like Paris Johnson Jr., Thayer Munford, and Dawand Jones—is recruiting gold. It sends the message: Ohio State is the place to be if you’re offensive line and serious about the NFL.

Now let’s frame the context: Ohio State’s 2024 offensive line looks to lose at least three starters—yes, even if grad transfer Luke Wypler returns, the next year means backfills everywhere. Behind them, younger players like Brady Taylor and Lachavious Simmons get experience, but multiple blue chips dropping Thursday would revisit the Razor’s Edge. National media polls have OSU as a top-5 2026 class—land these tackles, and they’re again national rivals to Georgia, Florida, and Texas. It would cap the deepest class for an Ohio State OL haul in years—beyond the 2022 trio of Johnson, Munford, and Jones.

Recruiting watchers have noticed that President Michael V. Drake and athletic director Gene Smith have given resources for prep personnel, coaches on the recruiting trail, and analytics. Ryan Day’s line handshakes, O-line coaches’ private camps, and the staff’s capacity to max-load concessions—camp access, second visits, moonlight dinners—have elevated their success rate. Friday through Sunday announcements come with February National Letters of Intent, but this Thursday we get early life stories of how those national LOI classes start: with meals, breakdowns, turf drills, and closeness.

Let’s paint the projected class picture:

• Five-star QB Dylan Tudor—former Clemson QB, Ohio kid, committed in January
• Three four-star receivers—none named yet
• Three tight ends—role runners and blockers
• The three tackles (Wafle, Johnson, Thomas)
• A center ranked top 50
• A guard ranked top 75

Those nine OL plus nine skill players equals a full mauling class. With Wafle and Johnson set for tomorrow, and Thomas on Thursday, the trenches cement first—then the skill positions snap like dominos. It puts OSU on track for 30 or more commits by NSD, and rounding to 35-38 total.

To some, this might all seem overkill—and in a way, it’s a preview of the outside-in battle of the Big Ten: Ohio State raced to 10 wins this past fall thanks in part to trench holdovers (Johnson Jr., Munford, Caleb Jones). But there were edges cracked, pressures endured. This is Ohio State fortifying its fortress, raising its wall lines, and preparing for a country-west back dismantling of defenses in the next decade.

So, here’s why Thursday matters beyond the tweets and the word “commit”: it’s a statement. An offensive tackle commitment is one of the most powerful recruits. Owning the line is owning the game. Today, everyone knows where Wafle, Johnson, and Thomas can go. They choose the Buckeyes—this class will be upside, draft pedigree, depth, and dominance for years. None of that is hyperbole. It’s what OSU has built: consistent swarms of five- and four-star blockers who protect their QB, open their tails, cry ‘wow’ in trenches, and anchor the team.

This week is linchpin for Ohio State—just like 2002’s underdog upset, but on the recruiting trail. Buckeyes were underdogs, mature, ready… and rose to the occasion. Today, OSU recruiters are the ones setting the game—and if Wafle, Johnson, and Thomas sign, they’ll have secured three foundational pieces before February. That’s playing chess while others chase checkers.

Watch Thursday. The commitments come. Solidarity reigns. The fortress expands. And when February rolls around, Ohio State fans will have their first look at a class built—block by block—into line dominance, ready for another title push.