2025 4-star DE Zahir Mathis commits to Ohio State football

Ohio State added its first defensive lineman to the 2025 recruiting class on Wednesday.

Zahir Mathis, a four-star defensive end out of Philadelphia, committed to the Buckeyes over Texas, Florida State, Tennessee and South Carolina.

Mathis, standing at 6-foot-6, 225 pounds, is ranked as the No. 37 player in the 2025 class per 247Sports’ composite rankings. Mathis is the fifth-ranked edge rusher in the country and the No. 1 prospect out of Pennsylvania.

With his Jan. 10 announcement, Mathis becomes Ohio State’s earliest defensive line commit since five-star Pickerington native Jack Sawyer pledged to the Buckeyes on Feb. 9, 2019, the team’s first member in the 2021 cycle.

Mathis is Ohio State’s sixth player to join the 2025 class, joining four-star quarterback Tavien St. Clair, four-star cornerback Blake Woodby, four-star wide receiver Jayvan Boggs, three-star linebacker Eli Lee and five-star cornerback Devin Sanchez.

Mathis was offered by Larry Johnson and Ohio State in May before working one-on-one with Johnson at an OSU recruiting camp in June.

In the 2024 class, Ohio State held a commitment from five-star Chicago defensive lineman Justin Scott, who eventually flipped to Miami shortly before signing with the Hurricanes.