Ryan Day’s plan to land the nation’s No. 1 cornerback, John Meredith, has hit a major snag. As per a new recruitment update, the Buckeyes are facing a serious challenge from the heart of the SEC. College football insider Justin Wells appeared on the February 12 episode of Rivals, and when asked about Ohio State’s priorities in the 2027 cycle, he had a clear answer.

“Yeah, this is going to be an obvious one for you, Josh, but it’s the number one prospect in the country,” Wells said. “That’s John Meredith, the number one player in the rivals industry ranking and the number one cornerback in the 2027 cycle. He was able to visit Columbus during the season last year.”

The 6-foot-2 defensive back, now at North Crowley, Texas, after transferring from Euless Trinity, has over 40 offers. The Buckeyes have already gone to Texas and recruited Devin Sanchez out of Houston a couple of cycles ago. They’re trying to replicate that with John Meredith.

As part of the recruitment, Ohio State will attempt to have him on campus this spring, preferably for an official visit. However, two SEC teams won’t let it be an easy ride for Ryan Day.

“Of course, they have some stiff competition. We know that Texas A&M has and continues to stand very tall in John Meredith’s recruitment. We know that Alabama made a significant move again with him, getting him on campus just a month ago, but from talking to people in his camp, Ohio State has real staying power in this recruitment,” Wells said.

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But here’s where things get uncomfortable for Buckeye fans. The SEC is pushing hard. Meredith himself recently admitted that those two SEC powers sit at the top of his list, with the Rivals giving Texas A&M a 97.1% chance to land the in-state cornerback.

With the race for Meredith heating up, Ryan Day’s staff isn’t putting all its eggs in one basket and is aggressively pursuing other top cornerback talent across the country.

Ohio State’s CB hunt is heating up

While Jaden Carey has been getting plenty of buzz down in Florida, the Buckeyes are also all-in with whatever is happening in Texas with Taelyn Mayo. Those are two very different regions, but OSU needs high-end corners, and they’re casting a wide net to find them.

Nearly a year after the offer, Ohio State is firmly in Carey’s top seven. He “is down to Ohio State, Florida, Auburn, Notre Dame, Miami, Oregon and Ole Miss.” The four-star St. Thomas Aquinas standout is ranked the No. 38 cornerback nationally. Florida and Miami have the location edge, and they’ve leaned into it, but Ohio State has stayed steady with the visits and showing up at St. Thomas Aquinas. They still need him on campus this spring, but the Buckeyes wouldn’t still be here if they didn’t believe they had a real shot.

Then there’s Mayo, who has a bigger frame. The Texas native is ranked No. 135 nationally and the No. 12 cornerback in the 2027 class per the 247Sports Composite. His top-five list is loaded with SEC and Big 12, and Ohio State is right in the mix.

“My top five are Ohio State, LSU, Texas, Texas A&,M and Oklahoma right now as I head into my upcoming season,” Mayo said. “It feels good being wanted, especially after landing the Ohio State and LSU offers this year, as Texas was my favorite, being from Texas, but after going to Ohio State, that’s now my number one.”

The Buckeyes have a track record in the Lone Star State. Mayo has cut nearly 30 offers down to five, while keeping Ohio State at the top. That tells you the chase is real. And the Buckeyes definitely need to land top corners in the next cycle, considering the roster situation.