A look at Ohio State's newest recruit, Blaine Bradford, who chose the Buckeyes despite growing up near LSU's Tiger Stadium. The article details his recruitment, performance at an Ohio State camp, commitment process, and high school career.
Better Know A Buckeye is our look at every member of Ohio State ’s 2026 recruiting class and how they became Buckeyes as they prepare to begin their OSU careers this fall. Ohio State 's first high school commitment from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in the modern recruiting era , Blaine Bradford knew that the Buckeyes would give him the best opportunity to reach his full potential despite growing up within walking distance of Tiger Stadium.
Getting a player out of LSU's backyard is tough. Getting a top-75 player who literally went to high school four miles away from Tiger Stadium seems damn near impossible. Yet, that's what happened for the Buckeyes this cycle, all while Blaine's older brother Jacob was already playing for the Tigers. After an impressive performance in individual and one-on-one drills during an Ohio State camp in August 2024, Bradford earned an offer from the Buckeyes. From that point forward, Tim Walton and Matt Guerrieri made the safety a major priority. Following multiple visits to Columbus, including gameday visits, Bradford committed to Ohio State while in town for a couple of spring practices in late March 2025 over the likes of Alabama, LSU, Notre Dame, Oregon and Texas. Even after Lane Kiffin took over at LSU, Bradford always remained committed to the Buckeyes despite Kiffin and the Tigers' best efforts to flip the Baton Rouge product. Bradford started for Baton Rouge Catholic as a freshman and even played some as an eighth grader. He missed most of his sophomore season due to a torn PCL he suffered in his team's fall scrimmage that sidelined him for all but the state championship game. As a junior, Bradford totaled 53 tackles and a blocked kick while helping lead Baton Rouge Catholic to an 11-1 record and a spot in the Division I state semifinals. He earned all-state honors as a senior while helping lead Catholic to a 10-3 record. With quickness and speed to make plays in an opponent's backfield and the range and versatility to defend the secondary as a safety, Bradford can truly do it all while spearheading the defensive backfield. While he is at his best going downhill, the 6-1, 209-pound safety has the awareness to be a big-time playmaker wherever he is on the field. With already elite size, Bradford could line up wherever Matt Patricia feels he could utilize him on any given play, whether it's at either deep safety position or in the box. His combination of quickness and his powerful, truck-stick ability makes him an intimidating defender in the secondary. Bradford can both shed blocks near the line of scrimmage and make tackles in space when needed.The top four safeties on Ohio State’s depth chart in 2026 are expected to be Jaylen McClain, Earl Little Jr., Terry Moore and Leroy Roker III, with Moore and Roker competing for a starting spot alongside McClain and Little. That said, Bradford has the skill set, star power and size to make a name for himself immediately and be McClain's backup at strong safety. Even with four players likely ahead of him on the depth chart in his first season as a Buckeye, Bradford could still see some playing time and be a playmaker on special teams as a freshman, setting him up for a chance to compete for a starting job as a sophomore. Bradford’s game compares well to the player he could spend his first season at Ohio State backing up. As a mainstay on special teams while also playing 110 snaps on defense as a freshman in 2024, McClain started alongside Caleb Downs as a sophomore in 2025. The first-year starter had 53 tackles and three passes defended this past season, while proving to be able to make plays all over the field, whether it was deep in the secondary or near the line of scrimmage. Heading into his junior season in 2026, the 6-1, 201-pound safety will take on a leadership role in the secondary. Bradford, like McClain, could showcase his ability on special teams and occasional playing time on defense as a freshman before taking on a much bigger role in his second season at OSU in 2027.Jeremiah Smith Cuts Up a Maize and Blue Tie in “This Is SportsCenter”-Style Battle Sports Ad
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