Ohio State's top-ranked 2018 recruiting class got even better Saturday when two-way lineman Matthew Jones, the No. 20-ranked overall prospect in the class, committed to the Buckeyes.
Jones chose Ohio State over Penn State and several other schools. At 6-foot-4, 300 pounds, he is the No. 3-ranked offensive tackle in the Class of 2018 but was recruited on both sides of the football by many programs and could also line up at defensive tackle.
Jones, a 2018 Under Armour All-America Game selection, is the latest top prospect from Erasmus Hall in Brooklyn, New York, to head to Columbus, following in the footsteps of Curtis Samuel and Jahsen Wint.
Jones' verbal commitment continues the red-hot streak for Ohio State, which now has 13 ESPN 300 commitments out of 14 total commits. Jones becomes the fourth prospect ranked in the top 25 in the country to commit to Meyer and staff, joining No. 1-ranked defensive tackle Taron Vincent, defensive end Brenton Cox and Peach State signal-caller Emory Jones. Nine of the 13 ESPN 300 commitments have come since April 1 as the class continues to build momentum.
Ohio State's top-ranked class features commitments from eight states. Five of the prospects are ranked in the top three at their positions nationally: Vincent, Emory Jones, Matthew Jones, No. 2 safety Jaiden Woodbey and No. 2 inside linebacker Teradja Mitchell.
The Buckeyes aren't likely to relinquish their grip on the top-ranked class in this cycle with a number of top targets remaining on the board, including cornerbacks Patrick Surtain Jr and Tyson Campbell, defensive end and one-time Penn State commit Micah Parsons, five-star offensive tackle Jackson Carman and No. 1-ranked running back Zamir White, who is scheduled to announce June 27.