Ohio State included in the top five for elite 2026 safety Blaine Bradford
COLUMBUS — Ohio State recruits as well as any program in college football and Friday was proof of that as another blue-chip prospect included the Buckeyes in their top schools.
Four-star Baton Rouge (La.) Catholic safety Blaine Bradford included Ohio State in his top five following a trip to Columbus in June. Alabama, LSU, Notre Dame and Oregon round out the rest of Bradford’s top five.
The 6-foot-1, 195-pound Bradford is the No. 13 overall prospect and the No. 1 safety in the On3 Industry Rankings. He also ranks as the No. 10 overall prospect and No. 1 safety in the 2026 On300.
Ohio State offered Bradford following a strong performance at the Buckeyes’ one-day prospect camp on June 17.
The Buckeyes are in good standing with several other safety prospects in the in the 2026 cycle. Four-star Brandon (Miss.) Hatfield Academy safety Bralan Womack, the No. 3 safety in the On3 Industry Rankings, and four-star Baltimore (Md.) St. Frances Academy safety Jireh Edwards, the No. 4 safety, both camped Ohio State this summer. Ohio State also worked out four-star Oradell (N.J.) Bergen Catholic athlete Jordan Thomas this summer and he could play safety or cornerback.
Overall, Ohio State safeties coach Matt Guerrieri got five of the top nine safety prospects in the 2026 class to camp in June.
Ohio State has three safeties committed in the 2025 class. Four-star Olney (Md.) Good Counsel safety Faheem Delane, four-star Wayne (N.J.) DePaul Catholic safety DeShawn Stewart and three-star Cleveland (Ohio) safety Cody Haddad make up the Buckeyes three-man safety class.
Additionally, Guerrieri has continued to search for a fourth safety to add to the Buckeyes’ class. Ohio State leads for four-star Newport News (Va) Warwick athlete Messiah Delhomme on the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine after hosting him for an official visit in June.
