Ohio State cornerback commit Jordan Battle has signed with Alabama.
Battle visited Tuscaloosa back in November, and this flip has widely been expected since then.
OSU coaches made multiple trips to see Battle this month, but it wasn’t enough to stem the tide.
The No. 6 safety in the nation, Battle attends OSU pipeline St. Thomas Aquinas. The school has produced players such as Nick and Joey Bosa, Damon Arnette, and Trevon Grimes.
Former OSU wide receivers coach Zach Smith had been the primary recruiter for Battle. When he was fired and Urban Meyer was placed on administrative leave over the summer, it marked a major shift in Battle’s recruitment.
Alabama was able to swoop in and capitalize on that.
Battle wants to play cornerback at the next level and that’s where Ohio State was planning to put him. He committed to Ohio State back in June, one week after taking an official visit to OSU. Since then, however, he has visited Miami unofficially and Oklahoma officially, which signified to the Buckeye coaching staff that he was still looking for the right fit.
With Battle now out of the picture, the Buckeyes will go out looking for the right fit for them as well. However, with the early signing period just days away, it’s not going to be easy.
They have no other cornerbacks committed at this point, and their previous targets have committed elsewhere.