Losing in-state recruits is usually reserved for the mediocre teams who won’t be sniffing the postseason. It’s rare for a proven winner like the Buckeyes to miss out on top talents from Ohio. But it looks like the SEC will have the last laugh as Kalen DeBoer and the Crimson Tide pulled off a heist of a blue chip offensive lineman.

On3’s Hayes Fawcett announced that 4-star OT Anthony Blalock Jr. has committed to Alabama, as he declared, “Let the legacy begin,” on social media. The question a lot of folks in Columbus are asking is: How did Alabama get him?

Being from Youngstown, Ohio, Blalock Jr. grew up right in the Buckeyes’ backyard, and local fans were already counting the days until he put on the scarlet and gray, especially since he’s ranked as high as No. 4 among in-state prospects. As such, Ohio State’s coaching staff made him a top priority from day one because the last thing any program would want to do is let a 6’6″, 315-pound hometown lineman walk away.

The Buckeyes did everything right early on to build a close bond with Blalock. They officially offered him back in October 2025 and immediately had him down to Columbus for big game days, such as the Minnesota game at Ohio Stadium. Up until very recently, almost every recruiting expert assumed it was only a matter of time before Blalock officially committed to Ohio State.

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But then, out of nowhere, Alabama totally crashed the party. Last month, Blalock went down to Tuscaloosa for a summer camp. That visit mattered because Blalock got a surprise offer after working directly with offensive line coach Adrian Klemm.

“Coach (Adrian) Klemm really showed me the results that he has done with players that are not near my caliber, and they made it to the next level, so I know he can for me,” Blalock said in an interview with Bama247. “The hospitality at Alabama was great. It really felt like home.”

Once Bama put the full-court press on him, it was over for the Buckeyes. On July 10, Bama247 logged a Crystal Ball forecast in favor of the Tide. On Monday, those rumors became official when Blalock announced he was committing to Alabama, leaving Ohio State fans and coaches dumbfounded.

Losing a homegrown blue-chip lineman hurts, and it fits a pattern, even though it wasn’t a flip. In his first full cycle, Kalen DeBoer’s staff has already flipped multiple Big Ten-area targets, including Ohio safety Rihyael Kelley from Rutgers in 2026, and now Blalock from Ohio State. For Columbus, this is the second straight year Alabama has taken an Ohio-linked prospect they wanted.

The loss leaves Ohio State’s 2028 offensive line class without its top in-state target, forcing the staff to recalibrate. Tyler Bowen and the Buckeyes will now lean harder on other national targets, but none carry the same home-state attraction as Blalock.

Safe to say, Ohio State now has some work cut out for them.

The OL prospects that the Buckeyes will be targeting!

Antijuan Wilkes Jr. (Detroit, MI): Wilkes is the No. 1 offensive tackle in the entire 2028 Rivals300 class. But the problem is, he’s from Michigan. The Wolverines have been pushing hard to keep him in-state for some time now. Because he is a regional product, the Buckeyes are planning to get him back on campus for multiple games this fall and get his pledge on one of those days.

Caden Moss (Jackson, MS): Despite being a southern kid, Ohio State has put serious roots down here. The On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine actually has the Buckeyes trending as the team to beat. Moss stands about 6’5 and 320 pounds, out of Jackson Academy. He is a consensus top-75 national prospect.

Samuel Bailey (Birmingham, AL): This could be the perfect spot for revenge. The McAdory High prospect visited Columbus for a camp in June and walked away completely sold on the program. He publicly stated that Ohio State sits “very high” on his list. Flipping an elite lineman out of Alabama would even the score for the Buckeyes.

Cannon Zubeck (Overland Park, KS): Zubeck is a highly decorated star out of Blue Valley Northwest High School in Kansas. He is currently ranked as a top-40 player nationally and the No. 4 offensive tackle in the 2028 class. The Buckeyes offered him a scholarship last month after being convinced by his high school tape. It’s obvious they’re bringing him to Columbus for a game-day visit and hopefully can work out a deal with him.