Ryan Day and his staff have done an excellent job recruiting the 2020 class, but one position Ohio State needed to shore up was the linebacker spot. That’s not an issue any longer.

On Saturday, the Buckeyes received a verbal commitment from four-star linebacker Cody Simon out of Jersey City, N.J. He became the 14th player in the 2020 class to commit to Ohio State, and became the team’s first linebacker of the cycle.

Simon made his announcement via Twitter.

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“After much deliberation with my family and coaches, I have made the decision to attend THE Ohio State University,” Simon wrote. “I am grateful to now be able to focus on my team and our success for the 2019 season.”

Ohio State now has eight players ranked inside the top 200 committed to its 2020 class. Simon is listed as the No. 154 overall prospect this cycle, but is considered to be the 10th-best outside linebacker of the group. He’s the No. 4 player out of New Jersey.

After falling behind Michigan in the recruiting rankings briefly, Ohio State has jumped back in front. The Buckeyes now have the best B1G class and sit at No. 5 nationally.

Simon is a 6-foot-1, 220-pound linebacker with an excellent knack for locating the football and bringing power to the defense. His strength will be an asset for the Buckeyes down the road.

Simon had several offers from big-time programs. He picked Ohio State over Nebraska, Penn State, Notre Dame, Miami, Duke and Boston College.