Brandon Nash Ohio State Football 2028: Buckeyes Lead the Race for the Bosco Safety

Some recruitments you have to squint to read. This one you don't. When four-star safety Brandon Nash walked into Ohio Stadium for Ohio State's Big Ten opener against Illinois in late September, it wasn't some first date — it was a return trip months in the making, the latest stop in a relationship between the Buckeyes and the St. John Bosco standout that has been building since Ohio State offered him back in June 2025.

Ask around the recruiting world about the brandon nash ohio state football 2028 recruitment and you'll hear the same word over and over: frontrunner. The Buckeyes are widely viewed as the team to beat, 247Sports' Blair Angulo has crystal-balled Nash to Ohio State, and Nash himself keeps saying the right things about Columbus. "I love being out there, I love the coaches, I love the culture they have over there," he told Rivals this fall.

That doesn't mean it's over. UCLA is pushing hard from down the road, Washington and Oklahoma are in the mix, and Ohio State's own loaded safety board means the numbers could get complicated. But right now, more than a year before Nash has to sign anything, the Buckeyes are in the driver's seat for one of California's best defensive backs.

The Prospect: What Ohio State Sees in Nash

Start with the frame. Nash checks in around 6-foot-1 to 6-foot-2 and roughly 185 to 200 pounds — the kind of long, physical safety build college coaches covet because it gives them options. He can play deep, he can come down and hit, and at least one national analyst thinks his future might be as a hybrid linebacker-safety at the next level.

The rankings have bounced around, as they always do this early in a cycle. The 247Sports Composite has had him around No. 143 overall and the No. 12 safety nationally, while other outlets have slotted him anywhere from the top 60 to around No. 195 overall. Treat the exact numbers as approximate — what doesn't change is the consensus that he's a legitimate four-star and one of the top defensive backs in California for 2028.

His sophomore production backs it up. Playing for one of the premier high school programs in America, Nash posted 24 tackles, a tackle for loss, three passes broken up and an interception as a sophomore. That earned him second-team Cal-Hi Sports All-State sophomore honors and a second-team all-league nod, and Bosco named him its varsity newcomer of the year.

This fall brought a setback: an ankle sprain cost Nash four games of his junior season. But he was back on the field for Bosco's showdown with JSerra, and On3's evaluators liked what they saw — a big-framed athlete who runs well, plays the run with physicality and can cover downfield. For a program like Bosco, which churns out college-ready safeties every year, Nash leading that secondary as a junior says plenty.

A Summer in Columbus

The relationship took its biggest step forward this past summer, when Nash camped at Ohio State. It wasn't under ideal circumstances — he was just coming off a minor foot injury that had sidelined him for a couple of weeks — but he more than held his own working with the Buckeye defensive backs.

"I thought it went pretty good. Coach (Guerrieri) told me he thought I did really, really well," Nash told Buckeye Sports Bulletin afterward. "I just had a little foot (injury), so I was off for a couple of weeks. This was my first time getting back. I felt good moving. It felt great to be out here being coached by Ohio State coaches."

That's safeties coach Matt Guerrieri — Nash's primary recruiter and the man running point on this one. Getting that kind of direct, positive feedback from your position coach at a camp, especially coming off an injury, is exactly how recruitments build momentum. Nash left Columbus feeling good about where he stood, and the staff left feeling good about the player.

He followed it up with the Illinois visit in September, a trip he had circled for months because Bosco had a bye that weekend. As Eleven Warriors noted, Nash headlined a trio of California safeties Guerrieri hosted that weekend, and the Buckeyes had a chance to strengthen an already strong position.

The Bosco Pipeline Runs Through Columbus

One of Ohio State's quiet advantages here is familiarity. Nash isn't guessing what life as a Buckeye looks like — he can just text someone living it.

"I know Epi Sitanilei. He was a senior at Bosco when I was there, so he's my guy. I talk to him and ask him questions all the time," Nash said. Sitanilei, now a defensive end at Ohio State, gives Nash an honest, inside view of the program from someone who walked the same high school hallways.

Nash has also shared the field with Ohio State freshman receiver Chris Henry Jr., from their days battling in the California high school ranks when Henry was at Mater Dei. "I played against Chris Henry Jr. when he was at Mater Dei. He went off against us. I was talking to him a little bit outside," Nash recalled.

And the football bloodlines run deep at home. Nash's father played Division I football at the University of Arizona, where he was one of the program's best defensive players. In a Q&A with Whoa Sports World, Nash called his dad his most important role model — the man who taught him to be a student of the game and to know the job of every position on the field. Before games, Nash centers himself with gospel music — Kirk Franklin, Fred Hammond, CeCe Winans — rather than hype tracks. "I'm super hyped for games just because I get to be on the field and play, so I use music to calm down."

The Competition: UCLA Isn't Going Away

Here's the part Ohio State fans should take seriously: the Bruins aren't just lurking, they're working. UCLA offered Nash and has made him a priority, and the in-state pull is real. Nash was at the Rose Bowl in September to watch UCLA beat San Diego State, and he counts the Bruins among his favorites.

Speaking about the UCLA offer, Nash sounded genuinely engaged with the staff. "One of the first things the coaches asked me was to see my transcripts," he said. "Being offered by not just a historically great football program, but also a prestigious university, means a lot to me." He name-checked the coaches recruiting him and made his intentions clear: "I definitely plan to take an unofficial visit! I am looking forward to going to a game this fall as a recruit and not just a spectator."

Washington is also in the picture — Taylor Mays is running point on Nash for the Huskies — and Oklahoma has worked its way into the conversation. Nash's list of finalists, as he laid it out to Rivals, includes Ohio State, Oklahoma, UCLA, Arizona State and Cal, with Kansas reaching out heavily too. "It's been real consistent since the June 15 date," he said. "Ohio State is up there. Definitely one of the top schools. It's hard to tell which schools have separated, I don't have a No. 1 or anything like that, but they're definitely up there."

The honest read: if Nash stays home in California, UCLA is the team to beat. If he leaves the state, Ohio State is the clear leader. On3's Adam Gorney has flagged the one scenario Buckeye fans should watch — if Ohio State loads up at safety with its other top targets first, the numbers could squeeze Nash out and push him toward the West Coast options. It's a good problem to have, but it's a real one.

Where Nash Fits in the 2028 Class

Context matters here. Ohio State already holds the No. 1-ranked 2028 recruiting class in the 247Sports Composite, and the Buckeyes are swinging big at safety. Five-star Casey Barner is the crown jewel of the position board, and Gaige Weddle — the son of former NFL star Eric Weddle and another California product — is also a top target. Nash sits right alongside them as one of Guerrieri's priority guys.

The Illinois weekend showed how deep the board is: Jalen Flowers, the No. 7 safety and No. 68 overall prospect in the composite, was also in Columbus that weekend after camping at OSU in the summer, along with Mater Dei three-star Troy Bishop. Ohio State wants to take multiple safeties in 2028, which is exactly why Nash's recruitment bears watching alongside the others.

It also helps that the need is obvious. The Buckeyes took just two safeties in the 2027 class — four-star Eli Johnson and three-star Angelo Smith, the younger brother of Jeremiah Smith — and neither was an elite national recruit at the position. The 2028 cycle is where Ohio State plans to restock the back end with premium talent, and Nash fits the profile perfectly: long, physical, versatile, and battle-tested against the best competition in high school football.

What's Next

Nobody should expect a decision anytime soon. Nash is in the middle of his junior season at Bosco, he's still taking visits, and his own words — "I don't have a No. 1 or anything like that" — suggest this recruitment has a long way to run. The crystal ball to Ohio State is a strong signal, but crystal balls this early are reads on momentum, not commitments.

What happens next is fairly straightforward: Nash keeps playing, the visits keep coming, and Ohio State keeps recruiting him like the priority he is. The Buckeyes' pitch writes itself — the No. 1 class in the country, a direct pipeline from his high school to Columbus, a position coach in Guerrieri who has been on him for over a year, and a program that develops defensive backs as well as anyone in America.

For now, the brandon nash ohio state football 2028 story is simple: the Buckeyes lead, the player likes them, and the competition is real but chasing. That's about as good as it gets in October of a junior season. Buckeye fans should get comfortable with this name — they're going to be hearing it for a while.

Watch: recent St. John Bosco highlights — Nash's high school program in action:

Sources: Eleven Warriors · Buckeye Sports Bulletin · 247Sports Ohio State