"Staying home was the biggest factor for me": Ryan Day's Ohio State secures commitment of four-star RB to the Class of 2026

Four-star running back Favour Akih announced his commitment to Ohio State’s 2026 recruiting class on Sunday. The standout from Hayes High School in Delaware (Ohio) chose the Buckeyes over fellow finalists Miami and USC.

Akih lives just 30 minutes from Ohio Stadium and grew up in the state. He adds to the strong local presence in Ohio State’s 2026 class, as six of the current commits hail from Ohio.

"Staying home was the biggest factor for me," Akih told On3.

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The 6-foot, 190-pound back received an offer from the Buckeyes on March 17 during their first spring practice, and the coaching staff has remained in consistent contact with him ever since.

"The coaches are great, the facilities are great, Ohio State has been my dream school," Akih told Bucknuts. "You see the brotherhood there. I grew up a Buckeye fan and I'll be close to my family. The brotherhood really stood out to me this weekend."

Akih’s pledge brings OSU’s 2026 class to 14 commitments, placing them at No. 3 nationally.

Favour Akih praises Ohio State RB coach Carlos Locklyn

Favour Akih had a breakout junior season in 2024 when he rushed for 1,653 yards and totaled 21 touchdowns. He is a strong runner and profiles as a strong candidate to fight for significant snaps by year two at Ohio State.

Akih's commitment marks the first running back pledge for position coach Carlos Locklyn in the 2026 recruiting class.

“Coach Lock tells everyone in the room they should be as smart as the quarterback,” Akih told On3. “He breaks down the game so well that it slows down for you, allowing you to play at full speed.”

Akih also praised the competitive environment Locklyn promotes, saying:

"There’s a lot of guys in the room but only two can walk away with the job so everyday you have to compete! He told me that’s how life is, trying to get a job you’re going to have to compete with the entire world! Nothing good comes easy!"

Akih is the No. 15 running back in the 2026 class and the No. 9 recruit in Ohio, according to the On3 Industry Rankings.

Coach Locklyn is expected to pursue at least one more running back in the 2026 cycle, with top targets including the nation’s No. 1 RB Savion Hiter and four-star prospect Derrek Cooper.

About the author

Maliha is a High School Sports news and listicles writer at Sportskeeda. A post graduate in Management Information Systems, it was her love for writing and sports which led her down the path of sports content creation. An experienced NBA and NFL writer, she covered the two sports extensively at SportsZion and SportsKnot before joining SportsKeeda.

Maliha is a huge Baltimore Ravens fan and is in awe of quarterback Lamar Jackson's dual-threat abilities. She also admires Tom Brady and her all-time favorite coach is 3-time Super Bowl champion Andy Reid. She is a big advocate of high school sports and believes that elite athletes reach a top level owing to the discipline, hard work, team dynamics, resilience, adaptability and self-confidence learnt by playing sports in high schools. Aaron Rodgers leading the Green Bay Packers to victory on his debut against the Minnesota Vikings is one of her fondest NFL memories.

Maliha places a high emphasis on accuracy in her content. She does thorough research, always double checks facts, and only uses information from most relevant and credible sources for her articles. When not writing, she likes to read history and biographical books.

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Edited by Victor R. Lopez M.