LIBERTY CENTER, Ohio — As the noteworthy offers from high-end FBS football programs piled up and the national rankings continued to rise for Kellen Wymer, one school started to separate itself from the rest.
The effort from that program to get to know Wymer and his family made all the difference, and it led to the Liberty Center standout making his college decision early in his junior year.
Wymer, who is one of the top-ranked offensive linemen in the country, verbally committed to Ohio State University on Sunday to continue his football career. The relationships Ohio State coach Ryan Day and offensive line coach Tyler Bowen built with Wymer and his family meant the world to the Tigers’ 6-foot-5, 270-pound left tackle.
“Just the connection they built with my family and me, it was on a whole other level compared to any other school. And obviously, Ohio State’s the best school in the country,” Wymer said. “They’ve got good academics, and it just all really fit me and what I wanted to see in a program.
“... Coach Bowen and coach Day and all the staff, they really took time to build a connection with me and my family, and I think that’s what was really important to me. Coach Bowen took the time to call my dad, just talk to him for 45 minutes. It wasn’t just about football; it was just about us and our family, and I think that was really important to me.”
It has been a remarkable eight months for Wymer since he received his first Division I offer from Toledo in March. Since then, 15 other schools have offered him, including Notre Dame, Auburn, Indiana, Michigan State, Northwestern, and most recently Michigan, the school he rooted for growing up.
The buzz in Liberty Center, a small-school power in Ohio that hasn’t had a power conference recruit since Blake Lingruen played at Wake Forest from 2001 to 2004, has been electric.
“I think everybody’s extremely happy for him and his family and everything that he’s accomplished,” ninth-year Liberty Center coach Casey Mohler said. “It’s neat to see something like that that can happen in little old Liberty Center, Henry County, Ohio, that doesn’t happen real often.
“We’ve had some D-I guys come out of the county, but I couldn’t even tell you the last time somebody went Big Ten or to Ohio State, so it’s pretty special.”
Wymer burst onto the scene at Liberty Center as a sophomore in starting for the 2024 Division V state-runner-up Tigers. He made an even bigger jump in the offseason and was noticed by numerous schools in the region at different camps he attended.
Wymer is ranked as a four-star prospect and the No. 4 ranked interior offensive lineman nationally, according to Rivals. He is also ranked as a four-star recruit and the No. 5 prospect in Ohio in the 2027 class, the No. 10 interior offensive lineman in the country, and the No. 216 player overall in the 247Sports composite ranking.
Allen Trieu, a national recruiting analyst who covers prospects in the Midwest for 247Sports, said Wymer’s frame, mobility, and demeanor in playing with toughness and physicality stand out. Trieu added that “the arrow’s still pointing up for him” due to Wymer’s willingness to improve.
“I had a chance to see him over the summer. I thought he was really good,” Trieu said. “I thought his sophomore film was good, but then this season, he’s really kicked it up a notch.
“I think he’s gotten stronger, he’s filled in a little bit more, and you’re seeing a more dominant player. I think he’s also a guy who can maybe play more than one position on the offensive line, so he’s going to give them some depth. But definitely a guy that you can’t let these big guys out of the state. I think Ohio State’s prioritized that more in the last couple of years, and he fits right into that.”
For Wymer, who attended Ohio State’s 38-14 win over Penn State on Saturday in Columbus, committing at this point in his junior year, and just a couple of days after receiving a Michigan offer and a couple weeks after Notre Dame offered, came down to how he felt about the Buckeyes.
“Honestly, I’d be lying to you if I told you I knew I was going to go commit this Saturday. But I knew I was going to end up at Ohio State sometime,” Wymer said. “I knew that’s where I wanted to be, and at the time, when I was there, it just felt right.”
One aspect that has stood out about Wymer during this process has been his humbleness. The Tigers’ star has always been about his team and coaches and regularly thanks those who have helped him in his development.
“I was never really chasing stars or offers or anything. It kind of just happened some day when Toledo showed up at school, and it obviously sprouted into this,” Wymer said. “It’s a blessing, but my focus has always been on my team and lifting in the weight room, getting ready for this season.”
Added Mohler: “He doesn’t talk about it unless somebody asks him about it, and for the team, for most of these guys, the most important thing is winning games on Friday nights, and it is for Kellen. He’s never been about himself going out and trying to earn a scholarship. Got that done in the offseason, so when the season rolled around, it was just, we need to go out there and become the best we can be to win games.”
Wymer and his Liberty Center teammates have been part of a sensational stretch for the Tigers that has included 45 straight regular-season wins and a 65-6 overall record with two runner-up finishes in three state tournament appearances since the start of the 2021 season. Liberty Center, the No. 1 seed, hosts No. 9 Oak Harbor in a Division V, Region 18 quarterfinal on Friday.
Representing the Liberty Center community not only while in high school, but when he heads to Ohio State, is significant for Wymer.
“We’ve got the best community in the whole area,” Wymer said. “You ever come by for a game, we’re three rows deep out just standing, the stands are always packed every Friday night.
“So it’s just the sense of being able to go out here and play for them, it’s just an honor. To have these little kids look up to me, we’re walking out and giving high-fives, it’s just really cool.”
First Published November 4, 2025, 6:24 a.m.
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