Faheem Delane, No. 2-ranked safety in 2025 class, commits to Ohio State

COLUMBUS, OH - NOVEMBER 18: A Ohio State Buckeyes helmet sits during the game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers and the Ohio State Buckeyes on November 18, 2023, at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, OH. (Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State’s second-ranked 2025 class just grew and the secondary is nearing historic results.

Faheem Delane, a four-star prospect and the country’s second-ranked safety, has committed to the Buckeyes, he announced Sunday.

It’s hard to overstate how big of a win this is for Ohio State and new safety coach Matt Guerrieri. The Buckeyes will also pair Delane with a class that already includes the No. 1 and No. 2 corners.

Delane picked Ohio State over Oregon, Virginia Tech, LSU and others.

Ohio State hit big last week when four-star running back Bo Jackson committed at a position of need. Delane also fills a massive need.

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The last two recruiting cycles have resulted in misses at the safety position with then-coach Perry Eliano. Ohio State lost out on the top safety, KJ Bolden, last year and Caleb Downs, to Alabama in 2023. Downs, though, has since transferred to Ohio State.

Ohio State is making sure it doesn’t miss this time around.

Ohio State now has 14 commitments in the class and is pushing for the top-ranked class in the country.

What does this mean for Ohio State?

Delane, a Maryland native, is an impact player at 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds. He’ll add some weight but fits in well to a young and talented secondary going forward.

This is setting the stage for what may truly be a historic class for the Buckeyes. If they land the top class in the country this secondary will be a good reason why.

Devin Sanchez is the nation’s top corner and is already committed along with the nation’s second-rated corner, Na’eem Offord. After they committed there was a lot of talk about Ohio State also running the table for the top two players at safety.

It now has one of those players, Delane, and is pushing hard for Ohio native Trey McNutt, the top safety in the country.

Ohio State did a lot of work to return to its BIA form on the field last year. It led the country in pass defense and is now using that play on the field to boost its recruiting.

The Buckeyes aren’t done, though. McNutt is one of the biggest priorities on the Buckeyes big board right now, but they’re also recruiting Dorian Brew, the fifth-ranked corner and son of Ohio State Hall of Famer sprinter Donica Merriman.

Summer recruiting is just getting going but the Buckeyes have to be happy about the way it’s starting.

(Photo: Ian Johnson / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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Cameron Teague Robinson

Cameron Teague is a Staff Writer for The Athletic covering the Ohio State Buckeyes. Before joining The Athletic, he worked as a features writer for The Columbus Dispatch and a beat writer covering Louisville football for the Courier Journal. He’s a graduate of Bowling Green State University. Follow Cameron on Twitter @cj_teague