Ohio State, Ryan Day Suffer Major Recruiting Loss Before ...

By Rowan Fisher-ShottonShareNewsweek is a Trust Project member

Cameron Brickle is a 6-foot-2, 300-pound interior defensive lineman from IMG Academy, listed as a three-star prospect in the 2026 cycle and the No. 53-ranked defensive lineman by 247Sports.

Brickle drew attention from Power Five programs throughout his recruitment, holding offers from Ohio State, Maryland, Penn State, Florida State, and more than 30 others.

After visits throughout May and June, Brickle committed to Ohio State on June 28, joining a group of defensive line pledges that already included high-profile interior and edge targets for the Buckeyes.

However, on Sunday, Rivals’ Hayes Fawcett reported that Brickle flipped his commitment from Ohio State to Maryland, a move Brickle confirmed with the message, "What’s understood doesn’t have to be explained, AGTG."

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Brickle visited College Park on Saturday and has reportedly stayed in communication with Maryland staff since the summer.

Maryland adds an interior defensive lineman to a 2026 class that previously lacked a true interior D-line commit, improving the Terrapins’ balance up front and giving Brickle a clearer chance at early snaps in a class of roughly a dozen commits for 2026.

Meanwhile, coach Ryan Day's 2026 class drops one interior defensive-line pledge but remains strong nationally (No. 6 overall), still featuring multiple high-end front-seven commits and depth across several key skill positions.

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Nevertheless, the timing of this decommitment is significant, given that Ohio State (No. 1, 11-0) and Michigan (No. 18, 9-2) meet on Saturday in a marquee rivalry game.

Ohio State has the No. 1 scoring defense in college football, allowing just 7.6 points and 206.6 total yards per game.

Michigan counters with a run-heavy attack averaging 223.5 rushing yards per game and a stout defense of its own that is keeping opponents to just 17.9 points per game (15th in FBS).

Early market lines favor Ohio State heavily, with the Buckeyes listed as 10.5-point favorites with a 44.5-point over/under.

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