Ohio State Football: 4-Star Defensive End Jalyn Holmes Commits to the Buckeyes

Ohio State's 2014 recruiting class received a bump Thursday night when 4-star prospect Jalyn Holmes verbally committed to play for Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes.

Holmes, rated the No. 4 defensive end by 247Sports.com, chose Ohio State over offers from schools such as Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Notre Dame and USC. Coming off of a two-day visit to Columbus, Holmes announced his commitment via Twitter:

"

I'm committed to THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY

— Jalyn Holmes #⃣1⃣1⃣ (@JayHolmes_) June 21, 2013"

According to 247Sports.com's "Crystal Ball Predictions," many recruiting gurus were expecting Holmes to commit to Florida State. The tide changed dramatically during Holmes' unofficial visit to Ohio State, though, a trip that ended with him pledging to the Buckeyes.

The 6'5", 225-pound defensive end out of Norfolk, Va., piled up 79 tackles during his junior season, 40 of which were made behind the line of scrimmage. He's so athletic that he plays tight end for his high school team, but he shines brightest on defense.

Holmes gets in the backfield consistently because of his explosive first step, which has helped him register 16 sacks over the past two years. He pursues the ball very well outside of the tackle box and is tall enough to bat pass attempts down if he can't get to the quarterback.

Holmes is the highest-rated commit for the Buckeyes' recruiting class to date, a group that now stands at 11 members. He joins Dylan Thompson in the trenches as the only defensive line commits.

Meyer has had tremendous success recruiting defensive linemen throughout his career, but the prospects he's pulled in since taking over at Ohio State is astounding. 

Dating back to December of 2011, Meyer has signed 5-star prospects Noah Spence and Adolphus Washington along with 4-star prospects Tommy Schutt, Michael Hill, Donovan Munger, Tyquan Lewis, Joey Bosa and Billy Price. 

Meyer knows that a strong defensive line is what separates good teams from championship teams, which is why he places a premium on recruiting talented prospects for the trenches.

Few prospects have more talent than Holmes, ensuring that Ohio State's defense will be stout for years to come.

Watch highlights from Holmes' junior season here:

All recruit rankings and stats per 247Sports.com.

David Regimbal is the lead Ohio State football writer for Bleacher Report.
Follow him on Twitter @davidreg412.