Buckeyes Secure Top Recruit
Five-Star Offensive Tackle Caden Moss, Mississippi's Top Recruit, Commits to Ohio State for 2027 Class
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Key Points
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Moss is a 6'5", about 330-pound interior offensive lineman from Jackson Academy who also competes in basketball and shot put, underscoring his athletic versatility.
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He helped Jackson Academy to an 11-1 season and captured the MAIS Class 4A, Division I state championship in 2025.
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During his recruitment, Moss took official visits to LSU, Tennessee, Oregon, Kentucky, Ole Miss and Ohio State before choosing Ohio State.
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Moss is Mississippi's top-rated recruit and Ohio State's third 2027 five-star pledge, signaling the Buckeyes' continued emphasis on elite offensive-line talent for the class.
Five-star offensive tackle Caden Moss committed to Ohio State on Friday night, choosing the Buckeyes over Ole Miss, LSU, Tennessee, Oregon, and Kentucky in what analysts are calling a major recruiting win for the Big Ten program. Moss, a 6'5", 330-pound prospect from Jackson Academy in Mississippi, made his announcement via a live Instagram broadcast at 8:00 PM ET on June 26, 2026, according to Eleven Warriors.
The commitment makes Moss — the No. 1 recruit in Mississippi and a top-75 national prospect — Ohio State's third five-star pledge in the 2027 class. He said his reason was simple: "It's Ohio State. They put out first-round talent every year... You'll get the best coaching in college football," per 247Sports.
How Ohio State Flipped a Deep-South Five-Star
Ohio State did not enter this recruitment early. The Buckeyes only offered Moss on April 22, 2025, a full 14 months after Ole Miss had already hosted him on a Junior Day visit, according to 247Sports. The turnaround was driven by offensive line coach Tyler Bowen, hired in February 2025 to build a more physical identity for the program. Moss took an unofficial visit to Columbus on March 10, 2026 — the moment analysts identify as when Ohio State became a genuine contender.
Moss then ran a full official visit circuit: LSU on April 17, Tennessee on May 22, Oregon on May 29, Kentucky on June 5, Ohio State on June 12, and Ole Miss on June 19 — a final visit the Rebels hoped would lock him in. It did not. Just 48 hours before his announcement, recruiting analysts Sam Spiegelman and Steve Wiltfong flipped their predictions from Ole Miss to Ohio State, per On3.
The Position Promise That Sealed the Deal
A key factor in Moss's decision may have been a simple positional commitment. Most recruiting services list him as an interior offensive lineman, but Ohio State recruited him as an offensive tackle — a distinction that matters enormously for NFL draft stock, according to On3. Analysts believe Ohio State's assurance that Moss would play tackle, rather than slide inside, was the deciding edge over the SEC schools.
Bowen's pitch clearly landed. Moss described a FaceTime call where Bowen was so excited — while on a boat — that Moss feared he might jump overboard, per 247Sports. Head coach Ryan Day leaned on a "maximizing potential" message, framing Ohio State as the best path to the NFL for a player who, as Eleven Warriors noted, "does not move like a 320-pounder."
Moss's Athletic Profile Makes Him a Rare Prospect
Moss is not just a big body. He plays basketball and throws shot put, posting a personal best of 44'1.25" as a sophomore, per Athletic.net. On the basketball court, he averaged 5.6 points and 5.1 rebounds per game over 24 contests, according to MaxPreps. Ohio State viewed his multi-sport background as evidence of a high "athletic ceiling" — rare for a prospect his size.
On the football field, Moss helped lead Jackson Academy to an 11-1 record and the MAIS Class 4A, Division I state championship in 2025 — the school's first title since 2011, per 247Sports. His rankings vary by service: ESPN slots him as high as No. 13 overall, while the 247Sports Composite puts him at No. 72 overall and No. 7 among offensive tackles nationally.
Ole Miss Vows to Keep Fighting; Ohio State's Class Rises
Ole Miss is not expected to walk away quietly. SEC-focused outlets like HottyToddy.com noted that "recruiting rarely ends with a public commitment" and that the Rebels plan to continue pursuing Moss until the Early Signing Period in December 2027. Assistant coach Shay Hodge, a former Ole Miss receiver who coached Moss at Jackson Academy, built a long personal relationship that still carries weight.
For Ohio State, the impact is immediate. The commitment pushed the Buckeyes to No. 8 in the national 2027 class rankings, per the Columbus Dispatch. Moss is Ohio State's 16th commitment and sixth offensive lineman in the class. Eleven Warriors called the win a signal that "no prospect is off-limits" for the Bowen-Day recruiting regime — even deep inside SEC territory.
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