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Football
Does 19th Commitment Close the Door on Henderson?
By Brandon CastelOhio State finally landed its 19th commitment for the class of 2010 this week, but alas it was not the one name Buckeye fans were hoping for.
Although committed elsewhere, big-name prospects like Seantrel Henderson (USC) and Latwan Anderson (West Virginia) remain unsigned as the calendar inches closer to March.
It was an even bigger name, however, that hit the newswire Thursday as Ohio State extended a scholarship offer to Columbus DeSales running back Adam Griffin, who quickly accepted the invitation to join OSU’s recruiting class.
While the first name might not mean a whole lot to the fan base, the last name certainly should.
As the only two-time Heisman Trophy winner in college football history, not to mention the leading rusher in school history, Archie Griffin is forever carved into the Mount Rushmore of Ohio State sports.
So when the son of a living legend calls up and says he wants to be a part of the program that his father helped build, let’s just say Jim Tressel was all ears.
With his previous offers coming from the three branches of the service academies (Army, Navy and Air Force) along with Eastern Illinois, it wasn’t exactly the same as getting the call from Henderson. Generously listed at 5-foot-9 and 185 pounds, Griffin is considered too small to play running back in the Big Ten by today’s standards. Then again, his dad was almost identically the same size 35 years ago when many people considered him too small to play in the Big Ten.
A lot has changed with the size of athletes and the speed of the game, but it’s hard to imagine that college football’s only two-time Heisman Trophy winner wouldn’t have a place in today’s game. That certainly doesn’t signify a pair of Heisman Trophy’s in the near future for young Adam, but it may very well justify Tressel’s low-risk, high-reward decision to give Griffin a full-ride scholarship.
Although it was a different scenario, the Buckeyes certainly did quite well for themselves the last time they signed the son of a former Heisman Trophy winner. Like Adam Griffin, Craig Cassady, the son of another Buckeye Heisman Trophy winner, Howard “Hopalong” was considered too small. Yet he went on to start at cornerback for Woody’s 11-1 team that won the Big Ten championship in 1975. He tied Mike Sensibaugh’s school record with nine interceptions that season and went on to play in the NFL the following year.
Exactly how and where Griffin will fit in at Ohio State is yet to be seen. With the stable of tailbacks they have on the roster, including two already in the class of 2010, it’s unlikely he will get a chance to tote the ball the way his father did in the Scarlet and Gray. At his size that basically leaves slot receiver and cornerback as his two remaining options, but even if his only contribution comes on special teams, how many fans would like to have Shaun Lane’s scholarship back?
Like Griffin, Lane is the son of a famous former player, and became a special teams demon during his time in Columbus. Few players showed more heart, passion and determination during their Ohio State playing careers than the son of Garcia Lane, and Tressel clearly expects the same type of devotion out of Griffin.
“Adam Griffin has a passion to be an Ohio State Buckeye,” Tressel said in a statement.
“He will add a great deal to our football family on the field, in the locker room and on our campus. Adam clearly understands the privilege of being an Ohio State Buckeye.”
Prior to Griffin’s commitment, Tressel said 19 would be an ideal number for the 2010 class, which raises the question of whether or not this officially closes the door on Henderson. While it’s unlikely he ends up at Ohio State considering his previous commitment to USC over the Buckeyes, one call from Seantrel to the Woody Hayes Athletic Center would change everything.
Even if Tressel is satisfied with the 19 kids he has onboard, this class was originally set to be as large as 20 players. Typically Tressel would prefer to bank that last scholarship for a deserving walk-on, but there’s no question that goes on the back burner if he receives a call from the nation’s No. 1 rated player.
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