Anthony Thompson, a 6-foot-8 small forward from Ohio, is a five-star prospect in the 2026 recruiting class. Thompson committed to Ohio State Tuesday. Credit: Cameron Drummond via TNS
Ohio State men’s basketball landed its most prominent high school recruit in more than a decade Tuesday when it secured a commitment from five-star forward Anthony Thompson.
Thompson is the No. 7 overall player in the 2027 class and the top-ranked player in Ohio, according to 247Sports.
A 6-foot-8, 205-pound forward from Hudson, Ohio, Thompson chose the Buckeyes over North Carolina, Michigan, Indiana, Texas and Kentucky.
His decision marks the highest-rated commitment for Ohio State since Thad Matta signed Columbus native Jared Sullinger, the No. 3 player in the 2010 class.
Ohio State failed to secure any in-state recruits in its most recent class, which ranked 46th nationally. Diebler and his staff have now built a 2027 group headlined by three Ohio natives. Thompson joins four-star prospects, Marcus Johnson, a guard from Garfield Heights, and forward Alex Smith, an Upper Arlington native currently at Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Prolific Prep.
Together, the trio makes up a class ranked No. 3 nationally and No. 1 in the Big Ten.
Note – While D’Angelo Russell was a 5-star recruit in the 2014 composite rankings, 247 Sports listed him as a 4-star recruit. This story was based solely off of 247 Sports rankings.
