Ohio State football: Bringing in a four-star offensive lineman won’t be enough to save Justin Frye.
The Ohio State football team landed a four-star offensive lineman, Jayvon McFadden, on Saturday. Although Justin Frye is celebrating this as a victory, it’s not as significant as he might believe.
The Ohio State football team secured a commitment from a four-star offensive lineman on Saturday, adding to their 2025 recruiting class. Jayvon McFadden chose the Buckeyes over offers from Florida, Colorado, Penn State, and others. McFadden is now the 25th member of Ohio State’s 2025 class and the third offensive lineman.
Standing at 6’5″ and 300 pounds, McFadden is an interior lineman from Upper Marlboro, Maryland. While he’s a solid prospect, he’s not without flaws, which is why he’s considered a borderline four-star recruit. Despite this, offensive line coach Justin Frye sees McFadden’s commitment as a significant win.
Frye has been getting torched for his approach to recruiting and for how badly he’s been doing on the recruiting trail. He still hasn’t gotten a commitment from a five-star recruit in his time with the Buckeyes and hasn’t proven that he can be an elite on-field coach.
The Ohio State football team gets a four-star recruit that isn’t the win Justin Frye thinks it is
Let me be clear; I don’t think McFadden is a bad player. I think with the right coaching and development, he can develop into a starter at some point in his collegiate career. He’s got some nice physical tools, he just has to figure out how to put it all together.
This reflects more on Frye and his perception of what counts as a victory. Last week, he lost a five-star recruit to Tennessee and another to Georgia Tech. When questioned about it, he promoted McFadden as if he’s a can’t-miss prospect who will fix all of Ohio State’s issues.
Frye is under intense pressure heading into this season. Unless Ohio State wins the Joe Moore Award for the nation’s best offensive line, Frye is likely to be let go after the season. Depending on how things unfold, he might not be the only coach to leave the program.
