Four-star safety with family ties to Ohio State stirs commitment rumors with trio of visits

Four-star safety Simeon Caldwell, the nephew of Ohio State co-defensive coordinator and cornerbacks coach Tim Walton, is a top priority for Ryan Day and the Buckeyes' coaching staff in the 2026 recruiting class. The standout from The Bolles School (Florida) has three scheduled visits to OSU.

Caldwell is set to visit Columbus twice this spring, on March 29 and April 12, before making an official visit to the program on June 20, he told On3's Hayes Fawcett.

The 6-foot-3, 185-pound safety has mapped out four spring visits and four official visits. He will head to Georgia on March 11, Michigan on March 12 and USC on April 26. His official visits include Miami (May 30-June 1), USC (June 6-8) and Notre Dame (June 10-12).

Caldwell is the No. 8 safety in the 2026 class and the No. 13 recruit in Florida, according to the On3 Industry Rankings. He is also the No. 108 recruit in the nation. On3 gives Ohio State the leader spot in his recruitment with the best odds at 27.0%, but the Buckeyes need to pursue him strongly to increase the edge.

Simeon Caldwell raves about Ohio State CB coach Tim Walton

Simeon Caldwell picked up an offer from Ohio State last January and was in attendance during the Buckeyes' 13-10 loss against Michigan on Nov. 30. He is a top target for safeties coach Matt Guerrieri, and his family connection with cornerbacks coach Tim Walton gives the program a major edge in his recruitment.

“Me and him have a great bond,” Caldwell told Eleven Warriors about Walton in June. “And he's a great coach, one of the best coaches in the country. He coached in the league. So it's just a great opportunity. I'll know that he'll be able to coach me to the best of my ability. I know he has my best interests at heart, so it would be a great opportunity to play for him.”

Another major thing working in Ohio State's favor is that Caldwell is the high school teammate of three-star Buckeyes tight end commit Corbyn Fordham. His other teammate, Naeem Burroughs, a four-star wide receiver, is also another major target for OSU in the 2026 class.

If Simeon Caldwell commits to Ohio State, he will become the first safety commit in the 2026 class. The Buckeyes have four committed players in the cycle and rank No. 6 in the nation.