"I'm looking for a program that I love": 5-star safety Trey McNutt shares about his commitment plans amid Ohio State rumors

Five-star player Trey McNutt, from Shaker Heights, Ohio, has announced his top-5 list this month. With more than two dozen offers in hand, the safety has made it clear that his choice will go beyond just football.

“I’m looking for a program that I love,” McNutt told On3. “It has to be a family. A place that believes. Somewhere I can be developed the right way.”

McNutt is ranked as the No. 1 safety in the 2025 class, the No. 2 prospect in Ohio and the No. 29 overall player, per 247Sports. On3 places him as the No. 2 safety, the No. 2 prospect in the state and the No. 47 overall player.

Being such a promising blue-chip prospect, McNutt doesn't want to delay his pledge and will commit on Jul. 19.

“I want to commit before the season so I have the spot set and focus on the season."

During his junior year in 2023, McNutt recorded 61 tackles, including three tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and 12 pass breakups, while also amassing 611 yards and 12 touchdowns on offense. He is a phenomenal track athlete as well, consistently running sub-11.00 100-meter times as a sophomore last year.

Which programs are competing for Trey McNutt's pledge?

Earlier this month, Trey McNutt narrowed his final list to Ohio State, USC, Oregon, Florida and Texas A&M. According to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine, McNutt is currently heavily favored to choose Oregon. The Ducks lead with a commanding 93.2%, a significant increase from the previous week's 78.1%.

The Ducks' coaching staff impressed Trey McNutt during his official visit to the program on Jun. 21.

"Being with coach [Rashad] Wadood, I like him a lot," McNutt told ScoopDuck. "He's a good coach, great coach ... He's been hitting my phone every day, just building more and more relationships with me."

He also heaped praise on head coach Dan Lanning.

"And Coach Dan, he set the tone for Oregon and he let me know that they're going for a national championship and that the program is going up and they want me. He let me know that I'm at the top of their board and him being a defensive coach is pretty cool."

Oregon's 2025 recruiting class currently boasts 16 committed players and ranks No. 4 nationally according to On3 team rankings.

Despite the Buckeyes' recruiting success, Trey McNutt did not take an official visit to Columbus last month, leading to a shift in momentum toward the Ducks. While Ohio State was once a serious contender with a 15.7% chance of landing McNutt, their odds have now dropped to less than 1%.