Ohio State and Miami fans who follow recruiting closely will see plenty of familiar names playing for their opponent when the Buckeyes and Hurricanes go head-to-head in next week’s College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Cotton Bowl.
While the Buckeyes and Hurricanes haven’t met on the football field since 2011, they’ve clashed on the recruiting trail many times in recent years as they’ve battled for some of the nation’s top prospects. Most notably, Ohio State went into Miami’s backyard and beat out the Hurricanes for the No. 1 overall prospect in the 2024 recruiting class, Jeremiah Smith, leaving many a Hurricane fan wondering what could have been as Smith has established himself as one of college football’s biggest superstars over the past two seasons.