James Laurinaitis has found the Prince That Was Promised.
The Ohio State linebackers coach continues to establish himself as one of college football’s premier recruiters. His reputation received another boost on Monday, when Missouri four-star Prince Goldsby — the No. 7 linebacker and No. 101 overall prospect in the 2027 class — committed to the Buckeyes.
The Goldsby File
- Class: 2027
- Size: 6-3/205
- Pos: LB
- School: Blue Springs South (Blue Springs, Missouri)
- Composite Rating: ★★★★
- Composite Rank: #101 (#7 LB)
Goldsby is the third-highest-rated recruit (.9527 247Sports composite rating) Laurinaitis has landed since taking over Ohio State’s linebackers room in 2024, trailing only five-star Cincere Johnson (.9912) and four-star Riley Pettijohn (.9793). He ranks ahead of other notable linebacker additions such as TJ Alford (.9377), Braxton Rembert (.9244), Payton Pierce (.9210), CJ Sanna (.9110), Dre Quinn (.8984) and three-star Eli Lee (.8825).
A native of Blue Springs, Missouri — just 19 miles outside Kansas City — Goldsby emerged as one of the nation’s top defensive prospects during his junior season at Blue Springs South. He posted 83 tackles, 22.5 tackles for loss, 13.5 sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery across 10 games, a significant jump from his sophomore year production of 25 tackles and two sacks in nine appearances.
AGTG 100% committed.Go BUCKS! I cant wait to be apart of this unbelievable program with great coaches who teach you, great players who push you and the best fan base in college football who expect nothing less than excellence. @JLaurinaitis55 @ryandaytime @ElmoreJ86 pic.twitter.com/k1RKOVH93F
— Prince goldsby2027 (@PGoldsby2027) May 26, 2026
Goldsby received his Ohio State offer on Feb. 27. Laurinaitis was relatively late to the process, extending an offer after programs such as Alabama, Missouri, Oregon, Ole Miss, Penn State, Miami, and Indiana had already entered the mix. Still, Laurinaitis has repeatedly shown an ability to close on elite linebacker talent, and he did so again with one of the top defensive prospects in the country.
Goldsby is the second linebacker commit in Ohio State’s 2027 class, joining four-star Quinton Cypher, the No. 149 overall recruit in the cycle. He also becomes the Buckeyes’ sixth defensive commitment in the cycle, joining five-star defensive end DJ Jacobs, four-star defensive end Wyatt Smith, four-star safety Eli Johnson, Cypher and three-star safety Angelo Smith, the younger brother of star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith.
| Pos | Name | Rating | Rank | Size | School |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DE | DJ JACOBS | ★★★★★ | #4 NATL | #1 DE | 6-5 | 235 | Blessed Trinity Catholic (Roswell, Georgia) |
| WR | JAMIER BROWN | ★★★★★ | #21 NATL | #4 WR | 5-11 | 192 | Wayne (Dayton, Ohio) |
| DE | WYATT SMITH | ★★★★ | #78 NATL | #11 DE | 6-6 | 235 | St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, FL) |
| OT | KELLEN WYMER | ★★★★ | #81 NATL | #6 OT | 6-5 | 265 | Liberty Center (Liberty Center, Ohio) |
| LB | PRINCE GOLDSBY | ★★★★ | #101 NATL | #7 LB | 6-3 | 205 | Blue Springs South (Blue Springs, Missouri) |
| S | ELI JOHNSON | ★★★★ | #173 NATL | #13 S | 6-3 | 200 | Cibolo Steele (Cibolo, Texas) |
| LB | QUINTON CYPHER | ★★★★ | #218 NATL | #19 LB | 6-2 | 220 | Millbrook (Raleigh, North Carolina) |
| QB | BRADY EDMUNDS | ★★★★ | #225 NATL | #18 QB | 6-5 | 220 | Huntington Beach (Huntington Beach, California) |
| OT | BRODY MCNEEL | ★★★★ | #313 NATL | #29 OT | 6-5 | 285 | Godwin (Richmond, Virginia) |
| OT | JIMMY KALIS | ★★★★ | #317 NATL | #30 OT | 6-6 | 280 | Central Catholic (Pittsburgh, PA) |
| OT | DAVIS SEAMAN | ★★★ | #409 NATL | #21 IOL | 6-4 | 290 | Bishop Watterson (Columbus, Ohio) |
| IOL | MASON WILT | ★★★ | #534 NATL | #32 IOL | 6-5 | 295 | St. Clairsville (St. Clairsville, Ohio) |
| S | ANGELO SMITH | ★★★ | #836 NATL | #84 S | 5-10 | 170 | Chaminade-Madonna (Hollywood, Florida) |
| Prospect Rating Data: 247Sports Composite | |||||
