Jamir Perez’s recruitment journey has been full of drama. The Glenville High School defensive lineman from Cleveland, Ohio, was naturally linked to the Buckeyes. However, the interest for the three-star talent came from everywhere. Akron, Alabama, Vanderbilt, Iowa State, Purdue, Appalachian State. Then, the Buckeyes offered him in the spring of 2025. Case closed, right? No. Perez took an official visit to Florida from May 16-18, 2025. In a surprising move, he committed to the Gators on May 18.
At the time, the class of 2026 player was full of praise for Gators’ head coach Billy Napier and D-line coach Gerald Chatman. He declared that he had an SEC-type body, and “Florida just made it home.” Commitment, and the case is closed! He even said so. “For me, it’s shut down. I committed today. So, therefore, it’s Gator time,” he said after the Gators’ visit. “Ain’t no more room for no one else in my opinion. It’s time to put in that work.”
However, Ohio State didn’t end its pursuit. Jamir Perez visited the Buckeyes for a camp, followed by an OV from June 13-15. Result? Flip. No more Gator time. It’s Buckeye time. Appearing on the show 97.1 The Fan, Perez talked about his initial commitment to Florida and why he chose to flip to the Buckeyes. “You know that commitment to Florida, it’s just that I feel like I kind of rushed it. I kind of rushed because I didn’t really understand the politics and the game of everything,” said Perez.
When the hosts of the show talked about how official visits can be overwhelming for players, and they may be forced into a decision they don’t want to take, Jamir Perez didn’t blame the Gators for his rushed commitment. “It was genuinely me. The coaches, they weren’t particularly in rush to get me to commit at all. It was mainly me because I didn’t understand everything at that time. I was like, you know, I think that’s the best option for me right now.”
However, the doubts began to appear for the DL player, and the commitment of Cincere Johnson, his Glenville High School teammate, to Ohio State made him think in a different direction. Naturally, he wondered if he had made the right decision. And then the camp visit to Ohio State happened. It helped that he visited the Buckeyes with his Glenville teammates. Four days later, an official visit, where he was accompanied by Cincere Johnson.
“It was a great experience, especially being with my teammate Cincere [Johnson], and it was great being with the other recruits and just being with Coach [Larry] Johnson and Coach [Ryan] Day,” said Perez after visiting Ohio State. The coaching staff at the Buckeyes helped Jamir understand how they envisioned his role in the D-line, especially at the nose position. That and Cincere’s commitment led to the flip, and it was bye-bye, Gators.
The Buckeyes are getting a monster on defense
You’d be foolish to go by Jamir Perez’s 3-star rating to judge his potential. Of course, the rating helps to get an initial understanding of the player. However, Jamir has been a dominant force for the Glenville High School, especially when it comes to stuffing the run. The 6’4”, 330-lb player can easily defeat double teams. As a result, you get a space-eater.
The defensive line coach, Larry Johnson, will, of course, help Jamir Perez improve his technique so that he can deal better with blockers. Glenville has been known for producing college talent, and in his interview, Jamir Perez talked about the pipeline to Ohio State from his high school. Cincere and Jamir are the latest additions to a long list.
Cardale Jones, the Ohio State legend who led the Buckeyes to the national championship despite being a third-string quarterback, is in the list of the Glenville pipeline to the Buckeyes.
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