A mere glance at Ohio State’s class of 2024 recruiting rankings wouldn’t have made Jaylen McClain a contender for one of its first members to find the field.
Five-stars Jeremiah Smith and Eddrick Houston were obvious candidates, and the duo were two of the three 2024 class members to start a game as freshmen, Smith all 16 of them and Houston one against Purdue in place of Tyleik Williams.
Those were the Buckeyes’ two highest-ranked prospects per the 247Sports composite. Scrolling down to the 14th-highest-ranked of Ohio State’s 22 recruits from 2024, one will find safety Jaylen McClain, the third and final true freshman to start a game last season.