St. Joe’s Prep defensive lineman Maxwell Roy commits to Ohio State
The 6-foot-4, 280-pound incoming senior made his pledge to the Buckeyes, who's 2025 recruiting class is ranked No. 1 in the nation.
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Maxwell Roy, a four-star defensive lineman at St. Joseph’s Prep, announced his commitment to Ohio State on Monday night.
“Thank you to all the people who’ve been a part of my journey, a special thanks to my family and friends who have always been there for me through my highs and lows,” Roy said in social media post. “Thank you to God for putting me on a path to find home. Buckeyes nation I can’t wait to get to work!!”
Roy, from Delran, is ranked by ESPN as the No. 19 defensive lineman in the 2025 class and the No. 6 player in Pennsylvania. The 6-foot-4, 280-pound incoming senior held scholarship offers from Michigan, Penn State, Georgia, Oregon, and several other powerhouse programs. He narrowed his list to Ohio State, Michigan, and Rutgers — the three schools that hosted him on official visits.
“I’m very happy with my decision,” Roy told The Inquirer. “It came down to the relationship I built with the coaching staff in my recruitment, and just how I felt as a student. … When I went to Ohio State, not only did I love the people that I was surrounding myself with, but as a student I can just see myself fit in right there.”
Roy has earned first-team All-Catholic League honors the last two seasons while helping the Hawks to a pair of state titles. He joins teammate Isaiah West, a four-star running back, and Imhotep Charter’s Zahir Mathis, a four-star cornerback, as members of the Buckeyes’ 2025 recruiting class, which is ranked No. 1 in the nation.
» READ MORE: St. Joseph’s Prep RB Isaiah West commits to Ohio State
“Kicking [West’s] butt during practice wasn’t good enough — I needed another three to four years of it,” Roy said.
The Prep’s presence in Columbus is not anything new.
Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles graduated from the Prep in 1983. He played a key part in recruiting Roy. Former St. Joe’s Prep wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. (now with the Arizona Cardinals) and quarterback Kyle McCord, who transferred to Syracuse this offseason, also were part of the Buckeyes program.