One of Ohio State’s top defensive end targets in the 2026 recruiting class will play for the Buckeyes’ biggest rival instead.
Carter Meadows, a four-star defensive end ranked as the No. 9 edge rusher and No. 72 overall prospect in 247Sports’ composite rankings for the 2026 class, announced his commitment to Michigan on Sunday.
Ohio State made a strong push for Meadows, hosting the Washington, D.C. native on an official visit from June 13-15, but the Wolverines successfully closed the deal to land Meadows after hosting him for an official visit in Ann Arbor last weekend.
Meadows had been viewed as Ohio State’s top remaining defensive end target coming out of official visits, especially after another top-100 prospect at the position, Luke Wafle, committed to USC over Ohio State on June 19.