Four-star running back Anthony Rogers, ESPN's fourth-ranked running back in the 2025 cycle, announced his commitment to Ohio State upon the start of the early signing period Wednesday.
Rogers, No. 97 in the 2025 ESPN 300, was the longest-tenured member of Alabama's 2025 class before he pulled his pledge from the Crimson Tide on Nov. 17. He picked the Buckeyes over Georgia amid late interest from the Bulldogs, Auburn and Ole Miss. With his decision, Rogers becomes the eighth top-100 commit in Ohio State's top-ranked recruiting class, which now includes pledges from 16 ESPN prospects in 2025.
A 5-foot-9, 190-pound rusher from Montgomery, Alabama, Rogers initially committed to Nick Saban's Alabama staff in June 2023 and remained pledged to the Crimson Tide until last month. Rogers' decommitment followed his fall official visits to Georgia and Ohio State, and he told ESPN that program and his relationship with running backs coach Carlos Locklyn were among the primary factors in pulling his pledge to the Buckeyes.
"It just feels like the right place for me to develop as an athlete and a man," he told ESPN.
Rogers, who plans to enroll in May, is the third running back set to sign with Ohio State on Wednesday, joining four-star rusher Bo Jackson (No. 127 in the ESPN 300) and three-star prospect Isaiah West. The Buckeyes' offensive class is headlined by five-star quarterback Tavien St. Clair, No. 17 in the ESPN 300 and the nation's third-ranked pocket passer. Ohio State also holds pledges from ESPN 300 wide receiver Quincy Porter (No. 65) and tight end Nate Roberts (No. 155).
Despite recent decommitments from top-100 defenders London Merritt and Zahir Mathis, the Buckeyes began the early signing period with pledges from eight top-300 defenders in one of the nation's deepest defensive classes. Battling Georgia and Alabama for the nation's No. 1 recruiting class, Ohio State is on track to close in 2025 with the Big Ten's top recruiting class for a fifth straight cycle.