Ohio State just pulled a recruit out of Southern California that programs like Texas and Georgia really wanted. And the selling point wasn’t what most people would guess.
Marcus Fakatou, a five-star defensive lineman ranked No. 2 at his position in the 2027 class, put on a Buckeyes hat during a livestream Monday and made it official. He plays at Sierra Canyon in Chatsworth, California — the same high school that’s churned out future NFL talent and a ton of D1 prospects.
Fakatou is 6-foot-4 and around 270 pounds. He’s explosive off the edge and has the kind of frame that college coaches salivate over. But what really sealed this for Ohio State wasn’t just the facilities or the national brand. It was how they planned to use him.
The edge vs. tackle debate
Fakatou told Rivals that a lot of schools recruiting him saw him as a future tackle. Ohio State saw him differently. They want him on the edge, rushing the passer. That distinction mattered to him.
“Other schools envisioned playing me at tackle, whereas OSU wants me settling for the edge,” Fakatou said. Ohio State’s track record with defensive ends speaks for itself — Nick Bosa, Joey Bosa, Chase Young. The list is long. Defensive line coach Larry Johnson has been developing NFL-ready pass rushers for years, and that history was a big part of the conversation.
Why Larry Johnson’s style clicked
Another reason Fakatou picked the Buckeyes: the way Johnson coaches. He’s not the type to scream at players when they mess up.
“He’s not a big yeller or screamer, he’s more of a teacher,” Fakatou said. “When you mess up, he’s not going to scream or cuss at you. He’ll tell you what you did wrong and fix it. And I love that about him.”
That kind of relationship mattered to a recruit who had offers from nearly every top program in the country. Texas and Georgia were both in the mix until the end.
Ryan Day also got involved heavily in the recruitment. Fakatou described the head coach as personable, which helped sell the program overall. But it was Johnson’s hands-on approach and the clear path to playing on the edge that tipped the scales.
Where Ohio State’s 2027 class stands now
The Buckeyes are putting together another strong recruiting cycle for 2027. They already added four-star cornerback Deontay Malone a couple weeks before Fakatou’s decision. Right now Ohio State holds the No. 5 class per On3 and Rivals, and 247Sports has them at No. 6. That’s still early, but the foundation is solid.
This win on the west coast is a reminder that Ohio State can go anywhere and pull elite talent. Southern California isn’t easy territory for Big Ten schools, but the Buckeyes have done it again.
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