What 5-star QB Jadyn Davis’ top 5 means to Ohio State football: Buckeyes Recruiting

© David Petkiewicz cleveland.com/cleveland.com/TNS Quarterback Jadyn Davis was one of the many possible OSU football recruits to attend the Oregon at Ohio State football game on September 11, 2021.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Two years ago Jaydn Davis was viewed as the favorite to be Ohio State’s 2024 quarterback commit and now it seems he’s headed toward being its rival.

The nation’s No. 12 player and No. 4 quarterback dwindled his list down to the Buckeyes, Clemson, Michigan, North Carolina and Tennessee with a commitment date set for March 31. More than likely OSU is no more than just a hat on the table in this announcement with the Wolverines in a position to finally close the deal on recruitment that has been trending in their favor for almost six months. Should that happen, Jim Harbaugh will have secured the second five-star quarterback during his tenure in Ann Arbor with the other being current starter J.J. McCarthy.

Being among the five finalists for Davis has little to no value for Ohio State given the context behind it. This is as it has been in for quite some time and both sides have reasons for why. Last spring the decision for the 2024 quarterback spot came down to Davis and Dylan Raiola with both expected to attend OSU’s spring game. Raiola came, Davis didn’t and it set the stage for the former’s commitment a month later.

Recommended Buckeyes stories

• Could Ohio State football be on the verge of landing two in-state offensive line targets? Hey, Stephen!
• J.J. McCarthy’s longtime coach says the Michigan QB plays like Joe Burrow and Aaron Rodgers. What if he’s right?
• Ohio State’s Josh Fryar found confidence and outside motivation to become the Buckeyes’ next left tackle

That should’ve been the end of that story with the Buckeyes shifting focus to building around a player now considered the best in the class. That was until Raiola chose to decommit eight months into things, putting the program back on the market for a quarterback. Part of that search led them to go see Davis in January, but not much came out of that trip.

Both sides have since moved on with the Buckeyes putting their focus into guys like Alabama five-star commit Julian Sayin and four-star Air Noland — who will visit next weekend — as potential options in this cycle. Meanwhile, the world has waited to see whether Davis turns Michigan momentum into its latest win in what’s been a quality month for the program on the recruiting trail.

As was the case with four-star running back Jordan Marshall and three-star offensive lineman Ben Roebuck as in-state prospects, losing out on Davis is more about what it means from an optics standpoint. Ohio State’s lost back-to-back games against Michigan as the Wolverines have assumed the top spot on the Big Ten totem pole. Adding recruiting wins where top-five lists and quotes that take jabs at the Buckeyes can make it seem as if the sky is falling in Columbus.

Yes, these are tough losses, but they are not something the program isn’t capable of overcoming. In each decision, the player didn’t choose them. But the same can be said the other way around.

Davis’ decision only adds to the new reality of what it means to contend in the Big Ten and the midwest, especially with USC set to join the conference during his freshman season. The Buckeyes made it so that you’d better have a five-star or top 100 talent at quarterback if you want to have any chance of competing. Michigan already has one in McCarthy, now it’s potentially set up to have another in the future should it close the deal on Davis.

To see Ohio State’s full 2024 recruiting class, click here.

If you or a loved one has questions and needs to talk to a professional about gambling, call the Ohio Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-589-9966 or the National Council on Program Gambling Helpline (NCPG) at 1-800-522-4700 or visit 1800gambler.net for more information. 21+ and present in Ohio. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler.

©2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit cleveland.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.