Ohio State’s 2026 recruiting class was looking like it was starting to truly take shape. Now that there are coaching changes (and expected coaching changes), the Buckeyes are taking advantage. One of the first dominoes to fall is four-star cornerback from Pennsylvania, Jay Timmons.
If that name is familiar, he is the son of former first-round pick and 11-year NFL veteran Lawrence Timmons. The Buckeyes flipped Jay away from his father’s alma mater, Florida State. 247Sports is lower on Timmons at this point in the process, rating him at the 23rd-best corner and 247th-best overall. Meanwhile, On3/Rivals has him as the 15th-best corner in the class (not second-best as the following graphic suggests).
BREAKING: Elite 2026 CB Jay Timmons has Flipped his Commitment from Florida State to Ohio State, he tells me for @rivals
The 5’11 185 CB had been Committed to the Seminoles since June
He’s ranked as the No. 2 CB in the ’26 Class (per Rivals)https://t.co/P6SJaVhotB pic.twitter.com/IxR6JF62Nc
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) November 6, 2025
Ohio State Flips Top 2026 Cornerback Recruit
At five-foot-eleven and 185 pounds, Timmons is a tad undersized, but he plays much larger than his frame would suggest. With that NFL bloodline, Timmons has the athleticism that would allow him to play anywhere in the Buckeyes’ secondary. As has been the case in recent memory, Ohio State likes to play the best players regardless of position. Timmons could work as a slot corner and then move outside with ease with some experience.
Timmons is a solid man corner with the physicality that can disrupt passes and force fumbles if he does allow the catch. He is a multi-sport athlete, as a track star as well as a football star. He ran a 10.90 100-meter as a junior last spring.
Perhaps his best trait is his football IQ and instincts. Both 247Sports and On3/Rivals rave that he’s highly instinctual in coverage and is adept at finding the football.
In 2024, he was a two-way player for a state championship team. On defense, he amassed 42 tackles, 10 pass breakups, four interceptions, and three forced fumbles. On offense, Timmons added 755 yards and eight touchdowns off 40 receptions. This year, MaxPreps has him with 21 tackles, one tackle for loss, and six pass breakups with 549 yards and nine touchdowns off 31 receptions. Given, that’s only in six games, so MaxPreps may be outdated.
At the time of his commitment, Timmons marked the 22nd commitment for the Buckeyes and the third cornerback.
Main Image: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images
The post Ohio State Flips Top 2026 Cornerback Recruit appeared first on Last Word on College Football.