The Ohio State Buckeyes are turning to Veterans Day weekend 2026 to reignite winning momentum. Not just limited to beating Northwestern on Saturday either. OSU and coach Ryan Day’s biggest upset attempt could involve the recruiting trail regarding a four-star target.
Which also places a notable SEC power on “flip watch” alert.
Who Ohio State is Pursuing
Ohio State is still being proactive with winning over blue chip recruits heading into Saturday. But this flip attempt will grab the attention of Alabama Crimson Tide fans.
Rivals recruiting insider Chad Simmons shared some telling intel involving one prized commit for the SEC power.
“Four-star Alabama commit Nigel Newkirk of Gainesville (Ga.) will visit Columbus this weekend, giving the Buckeyes a major opportunity to make a late move,” Simmons wrote. “Newkirk committed to Alabama earlier this summer and has remained closely connected to the program. He has attended around half a dozen Crimson Tide games this season, both at home and on the road.”
However, OSU hasn’t stopped contacting Newkirk.
“The Buckeyes made him a priority before his commitment, and running backs coach Carlos Locklyn has maintained a strong relationship with him,” Simmons added. “The two communicate regularly, and that connection has kept Ohio State involved. Now the Buckeyes get him on campus at a critical time. Ohio State has momentum on the recruiting trail, and the staff will look to build on that during Newkirk’s visit.”
Ohio State Could Deliver 2 Flips
Day, Locklyn and the Buckeyes already pulled off one masterful flip.
Four-star running back Daylon Gordon dipped out of his previous pledge to Pac-12 representative Texas State to join OSU. The Wylie, Texas native made his decision on Veterans Day.
Gordon’s decision helped reignite some enthusiasm among the Buckeyes fanbase who needed good news on the recruiting front. Gordon originally was the Bobcats’ highest-ranked commit in the era of recruiting rankings. But OSU and Locklyn clearly thought he was built more for the Big Ten Conference.
Now OSU can aim to pull off one more epic recruiting flip. Except this time pluck from a powerhouse Ohio State previously grabbed from before.
Ohio State and Alabama Involves This Historic Recruiting Nugget
OSU and Day once took advantage of a Nick Saban-less Alabama team.
Five-star quarterback Julian Sayin originally committed to the Tide back in Nov. 2022. But the Carlsbad, California native never played a down for the Tide.
Saban retiring after the 2023 season persuaded Sayin to leave Tuscaloosa. So Day and the Buckeyes capitalized, and the rest became history. Sayin emerged as the latest star quarterback in Columbus before his season-ending injury against Indiana on Oct. 17.
Ohio State Thinking Long Term With Backfield
So Gordon helps represent the future in Columbus. OSU clearly has a similar big picture vision with Newkirk.
The Buckeyes are thinking long term here in the end. Star RB Bo Jackson is a sophomore and has one more season to play before becoming NFL Draft eligible for the 2028 class. Still, OSU needs to eventually reload in the backfield.
Hence why OSU created the “flip alert” for Alabama.
Ohio State Creating 4-Star ‘Flip Watch’ Recruiting Threat Toward SEC Power