Ohio State five-star signee Anthony Thompson moves up in final rankings release
COLUMBUS — Ohio State now officially has a five-star small forward in its 2026 recruiting class: Anthony Thompson remained a five-star prospect in the final Rivals rankings release of this recruiting cycle.
In fact, Thompson moved up a spot to No. 8 overall in the new Rivals rankings, which were unveiled Monday morning following various all-star games and showcases.
Thompson is part of a two-man recruiting class for Jake Diebler and the Buckeyes. He’s joined by power forward Alex Smith, who was ranked as the No. 47 overall forward and an unranked player in the recruiting class in these final rankings updates, per Rivals.
Thompson is the first McDonald’s All-American to sign with the Buckeyes since D’Angelo Russell in 2014.
Thompson played in the McDonald’s All-America game and finished that showcase with five points on two of five shooting in 13 minutes of action. He also grabbed two rebounds and had one block.
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“Five-Star Plus+ F Anthony Thompson (Ohio State) had a relatively quiet showing in the game. After a very strong week of practices that saw him drill three after three, he was never able to get going on Tuesday. Thompson, who is listed at 6-foot-9, is going to have to continue adding strength and make more of an impact on the defensive end and the boards. However, he was one of the best, if not the best, shooters in the gym throughout the week. His upside remains high.”
Shaw also spoke with NBA Scouts at the event to get their take on some of the top players in the 2026 McDonald’s All American Game. Here is what they said about Thompson:
“That shot making is big time. His lefty release, he made a couple of pull-ups. His body needs to grow, but the scoring ability, especially the shooting, at his size is eye-opening. He can really shoot it; really shoot it. Got to figure out if he wants it. He looks like he doesn’t want any contact out there. I want to see him rebound more, get a stop. He’s got that high release and gets rid of it quickly. He’s smooth.”