Ohio State coach Ryan Day landed his latest five-star pledge in the 2027 class Friday night with a commitment from offensive tackle Caden Moss, No. 15 in the SC Next 300.
The 6-foot-5, 330-pound lineman from Jackson, Mississippi, is ESPN's No. 4 offensive tackle in the 2027 cycle. He chose the Buckeyes over finalists Ole Miss, Kentucky, LSU, Oregon and Tennessee following official visits with each program across an extensive spring travel slate.
Moss' pledge hands Ohio State a significant summer recruiting boost as the program's fifth addition since May 15 and its 10th SC Next 300 commit in the 2027 class. Day and the Buckeyes began Friday with the nation's No. 11 class in ESPN's latest class rankings for the cycle.
Moss is a multiyear starter at Mississippi's Jackson Academy, where he also plays basketball and competes in the shot put. He developed close relationships with the coaching staff at in-state Ole Miss during his recruitment, and sources tell ESPN that Kentucky emerged among the most serious contenders in the final days of Moss' process before his commitment to Ohio State.
"You're going to be around very talented players at Ohio State; players that are going to bring out the best in you," Moss recently told ESPN. "That's a program where you're going to have first-round draft picks every year. The development end is there for sure."
Moss joins No. 1 defensive end D.J. Jacobs (No. 3 overall) and wide receiver Jamier Brown (No. 11) as the Buckeyes' third five-star pledge in the 2027 cycle. Jacobs, a 6-foot-5 edge rusher from Roswell, Georgia, committed to Ohio State in December 2025 and has remained firm in his pledge this spring despite flip interest from Miami, among others. Brown, an in-state pass catcher from Sunbury, Ohio, is the longest-tenured member of the program's incoming class.
With Moss in the fold, the Buckeyes hold pledges from six offensive line prospects in the 2027 cycle, including four-star offensive tackles Kellen Wymer (No. 147 overall) and Jimmy Kalis (No. 36 OT). If he signs later this year, Moss will represent Ohio State's highest-ranked offensive line addition since the program signed eventual All-American Paris Johnson Jr. in the 2020 cycle.