The Ohio State Buckeyes are hunting for culture fits as much as they are for the most talented athletes in the nation. One way Ryan Day built a National Championship winning roster is to balance having top-end recruits and individuals who want to be part of something bigger than themselves.
2027 pass-rusher Krew Jones, from Utah, is a big-time target for several Big Ten teams. Jones is a top 150 recruit in his class and recently visited the Buckeyes, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Michigan State.
His takeaway was quite complementary of Day’s Buckeyes and damning of Michigan’s approach.
Usually schools seem pretty similar in what they tell their recruits and stuff. But their fight, their brotherhood, and their developed here, I saw that everywhere. And that’s just something I haven’t seen in the other schools. It’s been mentioned, but that’s something that they live by,” Krew said“It’s different. I haven’t been to a school like that yet. Just their culture, their motives. They fight. They’re all about development and that’s something I love.”
Like most defensive linemen, Buckeyes’ positional coach Larry Johnson is a selling point. Krew also liked seeing the Buckeyes so well-represented in the 2025 NFL Draft.It’s evident that the drafts and all that, that Coach Johnson knows what he’s talking about,” Jones said. “That school knows how to develop and get kids to the NFL and just the powerhouse of D-line that they provide and the violence of the D-line.
Expect Krew to continue rising up draft boards as the offseason camps continue. The 6-foot-4, 210-pounder will be taking part in several country-wide sponsored events that should nudge him closer to the top 100 and maybe a five-star rating if his frame can add weight.
