COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State offensive line coach Tyler Bowen has four commitments in the 2026 class. And he’s looking for a fifth.
Friday night, Bowen was at Mentor High School to see Landry Brede, an NC State commit who recently picked up an offer from the Buckeyes. He got to see Brede do a myriad of different things — including catch a tackle throwback pass — as his in-person evaluation added to the interest from Ohio State.
Now, Brede is settling into decision mode with a current verbal commitment to NC State and a Buckeye coaching staff, led by Bowen, that’s pushing for a flip.
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“I didn’t have too much time with him because he’s a pretty new coach, but he’s really just a genuine guy,” Brede said Friday. “He cares about the people around him and that’s big for me, and that’s been big for me no matter the school or anything. That’s how I ended up at NC State — the people.”
Brede is the No. 1,102 player in the 247Sports composite, the No. 90 offensive tackle and the No. 47 player in Ohio. NC State is looking at him as more of a tackle, while Ohio State views him as a guard that can be a swing player on each side.
The vision of what Brede could be in Columbus solidified in recent weeks, as he earned an offer from Ohio State on Sept. 6. He visited for the Ohio game, which was his third time on campus as a visitor.
“I didn’t want to get too star-struck by the name of the offer, but it’s obviously a big thing,” Brede said. “National championship, so it’s a big thing growing up in Ohio with the culture behind it. I just gotta not think of the name and think of what’s actually there.”
He said that his recruitment will come down to mostly relationships, but NIL will play a factor as well.
In today’s recruiting landscape, that’s the normal.
But for the in-state Buckeyes, there are a host of things to consider against NC State including player development and the people within both programs. He said he’s not being rushed by Ohio State, but sat down with Bowen prior to Friday’s game against Medina and learned some more valuable information.
“Once I know, I think I’ll know,” Brede said. “I’m just gathering information now.”
Currently, it’s just Ohio State that is making the biggest push for him, which means this battle is almost certainly going to come down to NC State vs. Ohio State.
He’ll head to NC State this weekend where he likely will gain significant clarity on what’s to come in his recruitment.
“I love my people there — I obviously am still committed (to NC State) but we’ll see,” he said.
Should Brede indeed flip his decision to Ohio State, he would be the fifth linemen in the class along with fellow Ohioans Sam Greer and Maxwell Riley, and two Arizona products in Aaron Thomas and Tucker Smith. It would give Bowen a five-man class and the Buckeyes one of their largest — both in size and quantity — classes in years along the offensive line.
For that to happen, Brede will have to weigh his options and determine that the pull of his home state school is worth it.
“I’ve definitely heard that a little bit, but this whole process has just been what’s best for me,” Brede said. “The people around me, they like Ohio State, but they don’t know the ins and outs of it. I listen to them, but it’s really about what I think.”