Ohio State Buckeyes: 4-star DT commits to Ohio State

And Odom told 247Sports coaching was a big reason.

“I’m choosing Ohio State because Coach Johnson is the G.O.A.T. (greatest of all time).,” Odom told the site. “He really puts his guys in the NFL.”

Odom also praised head coach Ryan Day for positioning the program to win a national championship and expressed excitement for the chance to live in Columbus.

“The fans and support you get in that area lend to a legacy that I can really stamp my name in that program,” Odom said. “They have been on me from the beginning, and it’s a family feel. It’s a place I really see myself thriving.”

Odom is the seventh-ranked player in his home state and the No. 31 defensive lineman in 247Sports Composite rankings.

He is the 21st player to commit to OSU for 2025 and the fourth defensive lineman, joining Grady, IMG Academy’s London Merritt and Philadelphia, Pa., end Zahir Mathis.

Loading up on the lines is seen as a priority this cycle after the Buckeyes came up a bit short on both sides of the ball the last two years, and so far Johnson has delivered with six months to go until National Signing Day.

Odom is set to be the 10th player from North Carolina to sign with Ohio State since 2002, but only one of the first nine did much in Scarlet and Gray.

Tyquan Lewis of Tarboro was the 2016 Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year and a second round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.

The other eight all transferred to another school before finishing out their eligibility.

Johnson’s 2024 is going well beyond recruiting, too, as he will get to coach a veteran group this fall featuring J.T. Tuimoloau, Jack Sawyer, Ty Hamilton and Tyleik Williams, all of whom could have entered the NFL Draft but opted to return for their senior seasons.