It’s been a busy summer for Ohio 2025 offensive lineman Jake Cook.
The Westerville North standout has worked out at Ohio State twice this month auditioning for an offer from the Buckeyes, but despite impressive workouts both times he left campus without the coveted offer from the school he grew up rooting for. That changed on Saturday when Justin Frye called Cook and told him the Buckeyes had evaluated his film and wereready to offer him.
Blessed to have received a scholarship offer from THE Ohio State University! Ill be taking my official visit June 21-23. #GoBucks @ryandaytime @CoachJFrye @CoachSollenne @markpantoni @Birm pic.twitter.com/njuntwpJ5o
— Jake Cook (@CookJake52) June 19, 2024
“Obviously it was a long process, but it’s been my dream since I was seven to get that offer and have the opportunity to play there one day,” Cook told Eleven Warriorson Wednesday. “It feels really good because I felt like I had something to prove after my sophom*ore season. After my junior season, I knew there was more I had to prove. It was great getting the offer after camping with them and doing a private workout with them.”
Cook first appeared on campus on June 5 at OSU’s first recruiting camp of the summer and felt confident in the results he turned in.
“It was a little nerve-wracking at first because I kind of went into the first camp thinking I was going to get it,” Cook said. “I ran a 5.2-second 40-yard dash, I was destroying it there and I got excited at the end because coach Frye pulled me aside and was like ‘Hey, we’re going to go watch film and meet with coach Day.”
While Day wasn’t ready to pull the trigger just yet, he acknowledged Cook had far surpassed their expectations of the 6-foot-5, 295-pound prospect. Cook had improved night and day from a year ago, losing 40 pounds, winning positional MVP at the Under Armour Next Camp in May and carried over that performance into that camp.
“The thing that I really like is that coach Day kept it 100 with me,” Cook said. “He told me, ‘Jake, I’m going to be real with you, we didn’t have any intentions of offering you today. We didn’t know what we were going to see.’ He told me that I shocked the hell out of them and made them question and redo their entire offensive line board.”
Frye texted Cook later asking if he could come back to Columbus in a few days for a private workout because he wanted to see him take some center reps individually. During the workout, Cook got a feel for Frye’s coaching style and felt he learned a lot about the position. He thought he performed well, but was eventually disappointed to learn he wasn’t going to be offered whenthe workout concluded.
His disappointment subsidedon Saturday when Frye called him and told him Ohio Statehad decided to pull the trigger and offerhim. Cook decommitted from Louisville Tuesday so he could fully explore the opportunity, then publicly announced the offer on Wednesday. He’ll take an official visit on campusthis weekend.
“(Coach Frye) loved the improvement that I had and said the main thing for him was guys preach putting in hard work, but he said just right now what I’ve done losing 40 pounds and changing my body, I’ve proved that I can actually do it,” Cook said of why Frye offered him. “He also loved the film from the workout at center and said my attitude, effort and ability to move laterally was just insane.”
With Cook’s recruitment back open, he hopes to learn more about the Buckeyes’ program this weekend and find out what they have to offer him in terms of a developmental plan.
“I’m looking forward to interacting with a bunch of the commits and the recruits there and obviously all the coaches as well,” Cook said of his upcoming visit. “I can’t wait to get a better feel for the program for sure.”
Braeden Jones earns an OSU offer
Speaking of players that picked up an offer from the Buckeyes followinga strong workout, four-star 2026 Illinois defensive lineman Braeden Jones did just that on Tuesday. Amid Ohio State’s high school seven-on-seven tournament at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, Jones went through a private workout with Johnson, which paid off in the form of an offer afterward.
After a great visit and day with @R2X_Rushmen1 Im extremely blessed to have earned offer to THE Ohio State university!! pic.twitter.com/6XjPeZDlb6
— Braeden Jones (@Braedenej99) June 19, 2024
Per 247Sports’ composite rankings, Jones is considered the No. 231st prospect and the No. 20 edge rusher in the 2026 class. The 6-foot-4, 235-pound recruit holds 23 Division I offers, including from the likes of Auburn, Florida, Kansas State, Michigan State, Missouri, Notre Dame, Ole Miss, Purdue, Tennessee, Texas A&M, USC and Wisconsin.
T.K. Cunningham picks up a Buckeyes offer
Johnson wasn’t done handing out offers quite yet. OSU’s defensive line coach also offered Georgia 2027 prospect T.K. Cunningham, two days after the 6-foot-5, 230-pound prospect camped with the Buckeyes.
AGTG! After a great camp and visit Im blessed to receive an offer from THE Ohio State University! #GoBucks #GoBuckeyes @R2X_Rushmen1 @CoachLCTrenches @ryandaytime @CoachGCarswell @adamgorney @Zack_Poff_MP @ChadSimmons_ @TomLuginbill @TheUCReport @CraigHaubert @SWiltfong_ pic.twitter.com/z2yPIQIF0J
— T.K. CUNNINGHAM! (@_thaxtonc) June 19, 2024
Cunningham has earned nearly 30 Division I offers, including Arizona, Colorado, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, Oklahoma, Penn State, South Carolina, UCF and USC.
Isaiah Gibson decommits from USC
In a slightly eyebrow-raising moment, four-star 2025 defensive end Isaiah Gibson decommitted Tuesday from USC while on an official visit to Ohio State.
Isaiah Gibson is currently on an official visit to Ohio State, for what it's worth. https://t.co/TNIsj1Kf0m pic.twitter.com/Zs9QPa6yJ4
— Garrick Hodge (@Garrick_Hodge) June 18, 2024
While it’s fun to speculate what this could mean for OSU’s chances, the reality is the Buckeyes could be behind a few SEC programs at the moment in Gibson’s recruitment. But anything can happen on an official visit, so OSU and Larry Johnson have at least a puncher’s chance here.
By the way, adding insult to injury for the finally Grinch-less Trojans,Justus Terry decommitted from USC on Wednesday, making it back-to-back days it has suffered a high-profile defensive lineman decommitment.
Jaden O’Neal puts OSU in his top 10
A quarterback Ohio State just offered this week has included the Buckeyes in his updated top schools list.
Four-star 2026 quarterback Jaden O’Neal released a top-10 list Wednesday consisting of Ohio State, Colorado, Oregon, Auburn, Arizona State, Penn State, Miami, Oklahoma, Washington and Florida State.
Wheres Home?? https://t.co/BnEdufdPp8
— Jaden ONeal (@Jadenoneal_26) June 19, 2024
O’Neal, a top-100 prospect in 2026, picked up his offer from Ryan Day following an impressive camp on Monday. At this point, though, the Buckeyes will have a lot of work to do to catch up to Oklahoma, the presumptive favorite in this recruitment.
Jackson Lloyd commits to Alabama, Brady Hart commits to Michigan
In expected news, an Ohio State offensive line target in the 2025 class is off the board. Four-star California prospect Jackson Lloyd committed to Alabama on Tuesday following his official visit with the Crimson Tide last weekend, one week after officially visiting OSU.
COMMITTED #ROLLTIDE@Hayesfawcett3 pic.twitter.com/AVH1phBMVL
— Jackson Lloyd (@JacksonLloyd77) June 18, 2024
Meanwhile, 2026 four-star quarterback Brady Hart committed to Michigan Tuesday, one day after being offered by OSU. With Dia Bell also off the board to Texas, the Buckeyes’ search for a 2026 signal-caller continues.
#GoBlue @Hayesfawcett3 @Cocoa_Schneider pic.twitter.com/m8JsBumhq7
— Brady Hart (@BradyHartQB) June 18, 2024
