Bill Kurelic
September and October 2002 Posts
October 25, 2002
Defensive end Doug Van Dyke from Marshall, Michigan, a 6-6,
245 pounder has told me that he has scheduled an official visit
to OSU for the weekend of November 22 when the Buckeyes take on
Michigan. Van Dyke said he will also make an official visit to Michigan
when the Wolverines take on Michigan State. He also says he will
visit Nebraska and that that will be his last official visit as
well as Wisconsin and Purdue. All of the schools have offered him
a scholarship, though he says he does not have a favorite as yet.
Defensive lineman DeMarcus Tyler from Fayetteville E. E.
Smith High School in North Carolina has decided he will make an
official visit to Ohio State. He is a 6-3, 315 pound defensive tackle
and will visit OSU the weekend of November second when the Buckeyes
take on Minnesota. Tyler said he will also look at North Carolina
State and North Carolina. He said basically those are the three
schools he is looking at and all three have offered a scholarship.
Another standout from out of state has decided he will make an
official visit to Ohio State. Defensive end Tim Washington
from Sugarlands, Texas, a 6-4, 235 pounder with 4.7 40 speed is
one of the top prospects in the Lone Star state. Washington has
helped lead his team to a 5-1 record thus far this season. He has
six sacks. Washington has one official visit scheduled thus far,
that being to Oklahoma the weekend of November 23. He says will
also make an official visit to Ohio State. That visit will be sometime
in December. An exact date has not yet been worked out. He says
he is looking at OSU, Oklahoma, Florida and Miami and says that
at this point he has no favorite. He did add that he wants to go
out of state to play his college football. Washington mentioned
that coach Bill Conley is recruiting him for Ohio State and calls
each week. Washington says he has seen OSU play on television, saying
"They're pretty good." He is certainly a prospect the
Buckeyes are interested in landing. All of the schools on his list
offered him a scholarship.
LB Tavares Gooden From Saint Thomas Aquinas High School
in Florida told me that he is looking at, among others, Ohio State
and that he continues to speak with Coach Conley on a regular basis.
He is a 6-3, 220 pounder and is one of the top linebacker prospects
in Florida. DE/LB Claude McBride from Camden, New Jersey
says he is also talking with Buckeye coaches regularly. McBride
says he speaks with OSU assistant Joe Daniels and that the conversations
go well. He is another fine linebacker who is considering OSU. The
Buckeyes have offered scholarships to both Gooden and McBride.
Another linebacker, Wesley Jefferson (6-2, 230, 4.55) from
Brandywine Gwynn Park, Maryland, one of the top linebackers in the
nation, went to the Maryland vs. Georgia Tech game recently. Jefferson
attended the game in Maryland and is certainly another linebacker
the Buckeyes would love to land and he has continued to say that
OSU is one of the schools on his list.
There have been rumors circulating regarding tight end Louis
Irizarry from Youngstown, Ursaline. Irizarry committed very
early to Ohio State and is one of the top tight end prospects in
the country. He has been rumored to be contemplating visits to a
number of schools including Notre Dame. I spoke with him recently
and he said he is still committed to Ohio State and he is going
to make an unofficial visit to OSU to see the Penn State game. Irizarry
said that right now he is just sitting back and watching game and
that he might visit another school or two, saying he is not unsure
about his decision, but that he just wants to make completely sure
of his decision. He also said he might not visit anyone beside Ohio
State, and that there is very, very little chance that he would
change his mind on his commitment to the Buckeyes. He adds that
Florida and Penn State are still recruiting him, but that Notre
Dame is not even recruiting him anymore, and he emphasized that
he is most definitely still committed to the Buckeyes.
Offensive lineman Andrew Bain, a 6-4, 320 pounder with 5.0
40 speed from Pompano Beach Ely High School in Florida now says
he has scheduled four official visits. He will visit North Carolina
State December 6, Ohio State January 10, Florida State January 17
and Miami January 24. The other school on his list is Stanford and
all have offered a scholarship. Bain says that Miami is his top
choice at this point. Bain's teammate, offensive lineman Cyrim
Wimbs, a 6-5, 310 pounder also said he will visit OSU January
10. Wimbs says that is the only visit he has scheduled right now.
He is also considering Miami, Florida State and North Carolina State,
and all have offered a scholarship.
WR/DB Chase Anastasio (6-2, 190 4.5) from Fairfax, Virginia
might make an unofficial visit to Ohio State this weekend to see
the Buckeyes' game against Penn State. Anastasio, one of the top
athletes in Virginia, has scholarship offers from many schools,
including Ohio State. Anastasio is being recruited more as a safety
or cornerback rather than wide receiver. He tells me he will make
official visits to Notre Dame December 6, Stanford December 20,
and Virginia sometime in January. He says he is also looking at
Ohio State and Penn State. He is being recruited by coach Mark Dantonio.
His grandmother lives in Columbus. He says as OSU and Penn State
as well as all the schools to which he has scheduled official visits
have offered him a scholarship. He adds he does not have a favorite
at this time.
An out of state wide receiver that plans to attend the Penn State
game is Hiram Moore from West Virginia. The 6-2, 190 pound
Moore has caught 27 passes in eight game and says he attended Marshall's
game this past weekend, and will go to OSU's game against Penn State,
then the Miami vs. Tennessee game. Moore said OSU, Tennessee, Florida,
Marshall and Virginia Tech are the main schools that he is interested
in and said that Marshall has offered him a scholarship in writting.
DE Ray Edwards, one of the top prospects in Ohio, made an
official visit to Purdue this past weekend. The 6-6, 235 pound Edwards
told me that the visit went well, that he had a good time, that
Purdue is more like a place where you can get your studies done,
which he likes. Edwards also said Purdue has a good football team
but they are just perhaps lacking a little bit of leadership on
the field. Edwards said he is not ready to make a decision. He did
not commit to Purdue. He added that his visit to Boston college
for November 16 is back on again, and he still has to set up official
visits to Ohio State and Notre Dame, and maybe Miami. The Miami
visit could be December 7. Edwards says he doesn't have a favorite
right now, which is really good news for Buckeye fans as Edwards
had been saying that Notre Dame was his favorite. His team, Cincinnati
Woodward, is currently 8-1 and Edwards has registered 12 sacks.
October 18, 2002
One of the country's top offensive line prospects has scheduled
an official visit to Ohio State. Sam Baker from California,
a 6-5, 305 pounder, has scheduled a visit with the Buckeyes for
the weekend of December 6. Baker, who is an offensive guard, has
a 3.0 GPA and a 1030 on the SAT. He says that USC, Ohio State and
Florida are the three big schools on his list, as well as Oregon.
He says he is going to visit Ohio State the weekend of December
6, and Oregon December 13. He also plans to take a visit to Florida
in late January. The other school on his list is Washington. He
says all the schools on his list have offered a scholarship. Baker
said he doesn't have a favorite, just a top three of USC, OSU and
Florida. He said at first he wasn't really interested in Ohio State,
but the Buckeye coaches kept calling him, and he mentioned that
Ohio State has a really good business school and they run a power
game, as he put it, and he is definitely now looking at the Buckeyes.
Baker said that Tim Spencer has been calling him and that Jim Tressel
called him last week as well.
Speaking of linemen, one of the best in Ohio, DL Brandon Maupin
from West Chester Lakota West High School, a 6-6, 270 pounder, says
he is close to scheduling some official visits. Maupin says Ohio
State, Tennessee, Notre Dame, and maybe a fourth school, perhaps
Penn State, Boston College or Oklahoma, would be the ones he would
consider for official visits. Maupin said Ohio State, Tennessee,
Boston College and Oklahoma have all offered a scholarship. He said
he will probably attend the Notre Dame vs. Boston College game,
and probably go to the OSU vs. Michigan game. He says that Ohio
State and Tennessee are probably still his top two choices.
Defensive end Mario Williams from from Richlands, North
Carolina has pretty much filled out his official visit schedule,
and that schedule includes Ohio State. Williams is a 6-6, 250 pound
defensive end who runs a 4.7 40 and has been a varsity starter since
his freshman season. Williams committed to North Carolina State,
but is still going to make official visits. In fact, it looks like
he will take all five allowable official visits. Williams has already
made an official visit to South Carolina and he next plans to make
an official visit to Tennessee November 8. He also has an official
visit to Ohio State the weekend of November 23 when he will see
the Ohio State vs. Michigan game. Williams also plans to visit North
Carolina State November 6, then the weekend of November 15 he will
visit either Georgia Tech or Clemson. All the schools have offered
him a scholarship. He said he is still committed to North Carolina
State, but is planning to take these visits. He has registered 10
sacks this season, and adds that Coach Bollman calls him every week
and he has been watching Ohio State on Television.
An Ohioan that the Buckeyes are showing interest in is defensive
back Jerrid Gaines from Springfield South High School. He
is a 6-0, 175 pound cornerback prospect who runs a 4.45 40. Gaines
through eight games has made 52 tackles and picked off two passes.
He says he is looking at OSU, Kentucky, Indiana, Central Michigan
and Miami of Ohio. CMU and Miami have now offered.
Defensive tackle David Patterson from Warrensville Heights
High School in Ohio made an official visit to Miami last weekend.
He saw the exciting Miami victory over Florida State and he came
away from that official visit very impressed with the Hurricanes.
In fact, Patterson now says that it is a tie between OSU and Miami
for his top spot. Patterson said that the Miami visit was great,
that he liked it a lot, that he went out to dinner with Coach Larry
Coker and met with him in his office, but did not commit to the
Hurricanes. In fact, Patterson said he is not close to making a
decision and he plans to make additional official visits. Patterson
said he is looking at OSU, Miami, Florida, Michigan, Maryland and
Michigan State, and all of those schools have offered a scholarship.
Patterson said the he is not sure exactly what his next official
visit will be at this point. He did say that he is definitely going
to the OSU vs. Michigan game and he might go to OSU vs. Penn State
game. Keep in mind that while he says that the Buckeyes and Miami
are tied for his top spot, he has already made his official visit
to Miami and he still has his OSU visit to make.
The Buckeyes are no longer recruiting offensive lineman Ryan
Harris from St. Paul Cretin-Durham High School in Minnesota.
Harris at one point had mentioned OSU as one of the schools he is
interested in, but said that he hasn't heard from OSU particularly
recently and that he is now looking at Miami, Notre Dame, Michigan,
Michigan State, Minnesota, UCLA, Stanford, Iowa and Wisconsin.
A player the Buckeyes are definitely recruiting is defensive back
Ira Guilford from Hoboken, New Jersey. He is one of the east
coast's top defensive prospects. He has an official visit set up
to Michigan State for December 13, but said he is going to switch
his Notre Dame visit. As of now it is set for December 6, but he
said he is going to switch that visit because that is the week of
the state championships and he hopes to be playing that weekend.
He says he is looking at Syracuse, Maryland and Boston College.
All of those schools have offered him a scholarship. Guilford says
that Ohio State continues to be his leader and that coach Snyder
and coach Tucker are supposed to come to one of his games within
a couple of weeks. He says Michigan State and Notre Dame are very
close together next on his list.
OSU had in a group of recruits for unofficial visits for the win
over San Jose State on Saturday, and perhaps the top name at the
game was defensive end Ray Edwards from Cincinnati Woodward
High School. The 6-6, 235 pound Edwards is one of the top line prospects
in the Buckeye state. When I last spoke with him he had told me
that Notre Dame had moved into the lead for his services with OSU
dropping to third with Boston College number two. He also had Purdue
and Penn State under consideration. Edwards now says that Notre
Dame is still in the lead, but Ohio State and Purdue are right there
now, just about even with Notre Dame. Edwards said he will make
an official visit to Purdue this weekend and see the Purdue vs.
Michigan game. He said he had a visit set up with Boston College,
but he is going to cancel it because he is no longer looking at
B.C. He is having a very good senior season, as his team is 7-1
and Edwards has made 62 tackles including 11 sacks.
In New Jersey, and outstanding offensive lineman that will likely
make an official visit to Ohio State is Dan Mazan. He is
a 6-4, 295 pound offensive guard who runs a 4.9 40. He has qualified
academically and has helped his team to a 5-0 record. He says he
is looking at Penn State, Ohio State, Florida State, Michigan, UCLA,
Oregon, and Virginia Tech and he says all have offered a scholarship.
He says he has no official visits set right now, but will probably
take visits to Penn State, Ohio State and Florida State. He says
he does not have a favorite right now.
Defensive end Michael Hearns from Cleveland Glenville High
School in Ohio, a 6-6, 240 pounder with 4.7 40 speed tells me he
would like to make a visit to Ohio State. Hearns, who has helped
his team to a 5-2 record this season, is looking at Ohio State,
Michigan State, Tennessee, Pitt, Missouri, Toledo and Cincinnati.
He said MSU, Pitt, Missouri and Toledo have offered him a scholarship,
but he does not have a favorite right now. He said he would like
to make official visits to Ohio State, Michigan State and Pitt,
though the Buckeyes have not yet asked him to do so. He does not
have any visits scheduled to this point.
DB/Athlete Mike Phillips from Warren Harding High School
in Ohio, a 5-11, 175 pounder, is playing both quarterback and cornerback
this year, but he is being recruited predominately as a cornerback
prospect. Phillips said he is currently looking at Pitt, Cincinnati,
Georgia Tech, Ohio State, Toledo, Iowa and Michigan, and all except
Ohio State and Michigan have offered him a scholarship. Phillips
said that all the schools have been calling and he mentioned that
he has talked to Buckeye defensive coordinator Mark Dantonio as
well secondary coach Mel Tucker. He has also been to two Ohio State
games and said he may attend the OSU vs. Michigan game. He is a
teammate of Prescott Burgess.
October 10, 2002
Defensive lineman DeMarcus Tyler from Fayetteville Smith
High School in North Carolina is a 6-3, 315 pound defensive tackle
who runs a 5.0 40. He is one of the top prospects in the state of
North Carolina. Tyler told me that he is mostly looking at three
schools, Ohio State, North Carolina State and North Carolina. He
said he is really not looking at Tennessee much anymore. Tyler said
all three schools have offered him a scholarship. He said that he
has pretty much settled on official visits with those three schools,
although all of the final dates have not yet been worked out. Tyler
said that he is talking with Ohio State about either making an official
visit with the Buckeyes the weekend of October 26 or the weekend
of November 3. Tyler said that he spoke with Ohio State recently
about visiting those two weekends. It's not yet set in stone, but
he said that it's pretty sure that his official visit to OSU will
be one of those two weekends, and that he definitely will visit
the Buckeyes. He says he doesn't have a favorite right now, just
those three schools.
Defensive back Brian Jones from Avon Lake High School in
Ohio still has some interest in the Buckeyes. The 6-1, 180 pounder
is playing safety and wide receiver this year. He could play either
safety or cornerback in college. He has a couple of interceptions
and told me that he has pretty much narrowed his list down to Notre
Dame, Pitt, Indiana, Wisconsin, Northwestern and Ohio State a little
bit. He said all the schools are calling him but none have offered
a scholarship. He says that Indiana and Notre Dame are his favorites.
One of the top offensive line prospects in the state of Florida
has scheduled an official visit to Ohio State, and another may visit
the Buckeyes that weekend as well. OL Cyrim Wimbs from Pompano
Beach Ely High School, a 6-5, 310 pounder with 5.1 40 speed has
helped lead his team to a 5-0 record thus far this season. Wimbs
tells me that he has set up an official visit to Ohio State with
Buckeye Assistant Coach Bill Conley for the second weekend in January.
He said he thought that would be January 10. Wimbs said that he
is going to make an official visit to Ohio State and in the next
week or so he would likely set up an official visit with Florida
State. He also mentions that he is looking at North Carolina State
and said his decision is mostly down to those three schools, and
Wimbs said that it is a deadlock between Ohio State and Florida
State for the lead. Wimbs said all three have offered a scholarship.
He has a 3.0 GPA but still needs to pass his test. Wimbs is impressed
with Ohio State's tradition and and certainly with the Buckeyes'
need on the offensive line. Wimbs would be a good catch for Ohio
State.
Wimbs is not the only offensive lineman at Pompano Beach Ely High
School that the Buckeyes would like to land. His teammate, Andrew
Bain, a 6-4, 320 pounder with 5.0 40 speed, has also been offered
a scholarship by Ohio State, and also has the Buckeyes as one of
his top choices. Bain is considered one of the top offensive guard
prospects in the country. Bain is looking at Ohio State, North Carolina
State, Florida State, Stanford and Miami, and all have offered a
scholarship. Bain has an official visit to North Carolina State
for December 6 and according to Cyrim Wimbs, Wimbs thought he said
that Bain would also make an official visit to Ohio State the same
weekend that Wimbs does. Those two are two of the best offensive
linemen in the state of Florida. Buckeye assistant coach Bill Conley
was at one of their games a few weekends ago. Bain confirms that
he is trying to set up a visit to Ohio State. Bain adds that he
has seen OSU on television against Indiana and Cincinnati and is
impressed with the way Ohio State runs the ball. He says that right
now, Miami would be his favorite.
In Ohio, offensive lineman Mike DeLuca from Chardon Notre
Dame Cathedral High School says Ohio State is his favorite. He is
a 6-4, 270 pound offensive lineman who is playing tackle on both
sides of the ball this season, but may end up as an offensive guard
in college. He says he is looking at Ohio State, Pitt, Boston College,
Georgia Tech and Purdue. Ohio State and Purdue have not offered,
but the rest of the schools have offered him a scholarship. Jim
Bollman is recruiting DeLuca for OSU.
A fine defensive end prospect from the state of Pennsylvania says
the Buckeyes have now offered a scholarship and he will likely make
an official visit to Ohio State. Alan Billyk from New Castle,
Pennsylvania, a 6-4, 260 pounder who runs a 4.76 40 has been a varsity
starter on both sides of the ball since his freshman season. Billyk,
who has a 4.0 GPA and a 1,110 on the SAT told me that his team is
currently is 6-0. He said that he is mainly at this point looking
at four schools, Virginia, Michigan State, Ohio State and Stanford
and said that the Buckeyes have now offered a scholarship, as have
the other three. He said he is also looking at Pitt, who has offered.
He said he is being recruited by Buckeye assistant Joe Daniels who
calls him every week. He says he has not been to Ohio State, but
knows that they have good tradition and that it is a good school.
Billyk said that unless something changes, he will make official
visits to Ohio State, Michigan State Virginia and Stanford, but
that as of now he does not have a favorite.
QB/Athlete Joe Jon Finley from Arlington, Texas, a 6-6,
208 pounder with 4.8 40 speed made an official visit to Wisconsin
over the weekend. Finley awhile back said the Buckeyes had offered
him a scholarship and that the Buckeyes were one of his top choices,
said that he had a very good visit to Wisconsin, that he liked it
a lot, that he liked the atmosphere at the Wisconsin vs. Penn State
game and liked the Badger coaches. However, Finley did not commit
to Wisconsin. He said he is still looking at Oklahoma, Nebraska,
Alabama, Arkansas, Florida and Ohio State and that all have offered
a scholarship. However, he said that the Buckeyes have not called
lately. He said that most of the schools are recruiting him as an
athlete, he prefers quarterback, and he has passed for about 500
yards and rushed for close to 500 yards as his team is 4-1. Finley
said that OSU had offered him as a tight end.
DB Bernard Pollard from Fort Wayne Soutside High School
in Indiana, a 6-2, 210 pound strong safety with 4.5 40 speed had
mentioned that the Buckeyes had called him some time back. When
I spoke with him again this week he said he will make an official
visit to Purdue the week of October 19. He is also thinking about
setting up an official visit to Indiana and one to Michigan. Those
three have offered a scholarship. He said he is also looking at
Wisconsin, Minnesote, Wake Forest and Georgia. He did not mention
the Buckeyes and OSU has not offered a scholarship.
October 4, 2002
Wide Receiver Hiram Moore from
Huntington, West Virginia is going to make at least two visits to
Ohio State. The 6-2, 190 pound Moore, who is the top WR in West
Virginia, runs a 4.45 40. Thus far this season after five games
he has caught 10 passes, but his team isn't throwing the ball much.
Moore is a talented wide receiver who also is a great student with
a 4.0 GPA. Moore says he is interested in Tennessee, Florida, Marshall,
LSU, Ohio State, West Virginia, Virginia Tech and Michigan. He said
that LSU, West Virginia and Marshall have offered a scholarship,
and mentioned that Buckeye assistant coach Mark Snyder has talked
to him and indicated that the Buckeyes would offer as well. Moore
has been to OSU previously and plans to be back in Columbus. Moore
says he will attend the OSU vs. Penn State game and the OSU vs.
Michigan game. As far as official visits, Moore says he will probably
visit Ohio State, Michigan, LSU, Florida and possibly Tennessee.
In Ohio, LB Reggie Smith tells me he remains interested
in Ohio State. Smith is a 6-2, 225 pounder who runs a 4.67 40. Smith
will be an outside linebacker in college and has been a varsity
starter at defensive end since his freshman season. After six games
this season he has 11 sacks. He has scheduled three official visits.
He will visit Iowa November 8, Boston College November 15 and Virginia
December 6. Smith said all three of those schools have offered a
scholarship. He said he will also visit Missouri and Missouri has
offered a scholarship as well. Maryland is a possibility and Maryland
has offered a scholarship. He says he is still looking at Ohio State,
but the Buckeyes haven't offered to this point. Smith said the OSU
assistant coach Mel Tucker called him last week and that he is going
to the OSU vs. San Jose State game. He says that right now Virginia
is his favorite.
Two-way lineman Moe Dampeer from Decatur MacCarthur High
School in Illinois, a 6-5, 275 pounder with 4.8 40 speed, remains
interested in Ohio State. Dampeer is one of the top line prospects
in the Midwest, is starting at tight end and defensive tackle during
his senior season. He will be either a defensive tackle or an offensive
tackle in college, but says he is being recruited mostly as a defensive
lineman. He has 46 tackles including seven sacks and 17 quarterback
hurries in the first five games this season. He says he is going
to wait until after the season to schedule his official visits but
says he is looking at Ohio State, Oklahoma, Miami, Tennessee, Illinois,
Purdue, North Carolina State and USC. Dampeer said all of those
schools except Ohio State have offered a scholarship, but added
that he is going to be sending a tape to Ohio State. He says he
does not have favorite as yet. He does have to work on his academic
situation. His GPA is near the 2.0 mark and he recently took his
test.
Speaking of defensive linemen, the top defensive line prospect
in Ohio, David Patterson continues to say that the Buckeyes
are his leader and it's a good sized lead. Patterson said he is
scheduled to visit Miami on an official visit on the weekend of
October 12 to see the Miami vs. Florida State game. He does not
have any of his other visits set up right now, but one certainly
will be to Ohio State.
Offensive lineman Ryan Harris in Minnesota is still considering
Ohio State but has scheduled two other official visits. The 6-5,
255 pound Harris has scheduled an official visit to Notre Dame on
December 6 and one to Michigan in December 13. He is going to go
Wisconsin this weekend on an unofficial visit and says Wisconsin
and Miami will be two of his other official visits. As far as his
fifth visit, he is not sure right now, but is considering Ohio State,
Minnesota, Stanford and Oregon. The Buckeyes have not officially
offered a scholarship.
In Columbus RB Justin Valentine from Columbus Eastmoor,
a 6-2, 205 pounder, now has two scholarship offers from Big Ten
schools. Valentine was supposed to go to the OSU vs. Indiana game
this past weekend but did not make it. He was hoping to see both
OSU and IU as he is interested in the Buckeyes as well as Indiana
and the Hoosiers have offered a scholarship. The other Big Ten school
to offer is Minnesota. Others on his list include Michigan State,
Boston College and Michigan. Valentine says he may attend the Penn
State at Michigan game and Michigan State's homecoming game. He
attended on OSU game earlier this season. He has close to 800 yards
rushing this season after six games.
Offensive lineman Andrew Crummey from Van Wert High School,
a 6-5, 280 pounder, made an official visit to Purdue this past weekend.
Crummey said he had a good visit with the Boilermakers. Purdue offered
him a scholarship back in the summer and re-offered this past weekend,
but Crummey did not commit to Purdue. He says he is basically looking
at three schools, Purdue, Michigan State and Ohio State. Purdue
and Michigan State have offered a scholarship. Crummey said that
he does not have a leader between the three right now and that he
could decide in a couple of weeks although it could be longer or
it could be sooner. Crummey has made unofficial visits to a couple
of Ohio State's home games this season.
Two players made official visits to Ohio State last weekend and
saw the Buckeyes beat Indiana. Both were from Texas. Tarell Brown,
a 5-11, 178 pound defensive back from North Mesquite, Texas is one
of the country's top corner back prospects. Brown aid his official
visit went very well.
"I loved it, it was real nice. It's like Texas except the
weather," said Brown.
Brown liked the atmosphere and loved being in the stadium, and
that he had never seen a stadium that big in his live. Brown said
he talked to the OSU coaches about all kind of things such as football
and academics. He was hosted this weekend by Troy Smith. Brown is
looking at OSU as well as Texas, Florida State, Texas A&M, Notre
Dame, Penn State and Tennessee. All those schools are on his list
and all have offered a scholarship. Brown said his father doesn't
want to wait until the end, so he going to try and get some other
things set up, but added that Ohio State, Texas and Florida State
are definitely his top three choices.
Brown's teammate, defensive back Dominique
Brooks, a 6-2, 190 pound safety who picked off eight passes
during his junior season also made an official visit to Ohio State
this weekend. He has a 2.4 GPA and a 960 on the SAT and said he
loved it at Ohio State his weekend, saying it was more than he expected.
Brooks said he had fun at the game and that the players are great.
He has now made official visits to Ohio State and Colorado. He said
he probably liked the Ohio State official visit better than the
Colorado one. He says he knows he will visit Florida sometime in
December. His top three are Ohio State, Colorado and Florida in
no particular order. Brooks said he is also looking at LSU, Arizona
and West Virginia. Colorado, Arizona and West Virginia have offered
him a scholarship.
A number of players also made unofficial visits at the Indiana
game. One of them, interestingly, was quarterback Brady Quinn
from Dublin Coffman High School. The 6-4 1/2, 210 pound Quinn of
course has committed to Notre Dame but attended the Ohio State vs.
Indiana game on Saturday. Quinn said it was basically just to see
a game, that his coach is an OSU alumnus and that he had developed
a good relationship with Buckeye assistant coach Luke Fickel when
Fickel was recruiting him for Ohio State. Quinn said he is definitely
still committed to Notre Dame and he has no plans to change his
mind. Quinn is definitely still a commitment to the Irish.
Also visiting at the Indiana game was DB Donte Whitner,
one of the top cover corner prospects in the nation from Cleveland
Glenville High School and his teammate, DB/WR/QB Darius Hiley.
Hiley is one of the top athletes in Ohio State. Hiley has among
others Wisconsin, Michigan State, USC and Florida also on his list.
Super defensive tackle David Patterson from Warrensville
Heights took in the game. Patterson has the Buckeyes as his top
choice and he is one of the top defensive tackle prospects in the
country. Junior Ted Ginn, a
teammate of Hiley and Whitner and a player who will be one of the
top prospects in Ohio next season, was also at the OSU game against
Indiana, as was another standout junior, TE Chad Hoobler
from Carrollton, Ohio.
September 27, 2002
It's an official visit weekend this weekend for the Buckeyes. Of
course Ohio State takes on Indiana in the Horseshoe this weekend
and a number or recruits will be on hand for unofficial vists, but
at least one prospect will be on an official visit.
Defensive back Tarell Brown from North Mesquite, Texas,
a 5-11, 178 pounder with 4.32 40 speed told me that he is going
to make an official visit this weekend to Ohio State. Brown will
arrive in Columbus Friday morning to begin his official visit. Brown
played mostly running back during his junior season and rushed for
1,178 yards and 14 touchdowns. He also picked off one pass. This
season Brown is playing running back again and has helped lead his
team to a 3-0 record and has rushed for almost 500 yards while also
playing in the secondary and picking off one pass. He is being recruited
as a cornerback. He has a 3.6 GPA and says he is looking at Florida
State, Texas, Texas A&M, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State
and Tennessee and said all have offered a scholarship. Brown said
that he is going to be leaving of Friday morning to make an official
visit to Ohio State. He said his game is on Thursday this week and
he will leave for Ohio State on Friday morning. Brown said that
he is supposed to set up some additional visits this week, probably
Texas and Florida State, and Brown said that Ohio State, Florida
State and Texas are probably his top three choices, though he said
he does really like all of the schools on his list. He mentioned
that Buckeye assistant coach Bill Conley calls him every week.
One of the top athletes on the east coast is interested in Ohio
State. Jesse Holley from Roselle, New Jersey is a 6-4, 190
pounder with 4.45 40 speed. Holley is a star in both football and
basketball and wants to play both sports in college. Holley has
played wide reciever, defensive back and some quarterback. This
season in his team's first game he played wide receiver and free
safety. He has caught three passes and made 20 tackles. Holley also
averages close to 20 points per game in basketball. He has a 2.6
GPA and an 820 on the SAT. Holley tells me he is looking at UCLA,
Notre Dame, Michigan, Michigan State, North Carolina, Virginia,
Maryland and Ohio State, and all have offered a scholarship. Holley
has one official visit set up, that being to Michigan State the
weekend of October 19. Holley says that Buckeye assistant coach
Mark Snyder has called him and he has been impressed watching the
Buckeyes on T.V. and he is interested in Ohio State. He does not
have a favorite at this point. He He said that all of the schools
on his list have indicated that playing both football and basketball
would not be a problem.
In Florida, offensive lineman David Price from Jacksonville,
Florida is one of the top blocker in the sunshine state. The 6-5,
315 pound price has been a varsity starter at offensive tackle since
his freshman season. Price, who has a 3.1 GPA and an 1130 on the
SAT tells me that in the Midwest he is looking at Ohio State and
Oklahoma, and he is also looking at Florida State, Auburn, South
Carolina, Central Florida, Mississippi State, Georgia Tech, Tennessee
and Florida. Many of those schools have offered Price a scholarship,
though Ohio State has not. Price said he is getting mail it seems
like every other day from Ohio State, and he has talked to Ohio
State on the phone and he could visit the Buckeyes.
The Buckeyes contnue their pursuit of prospects in the state of
Michigan. Ohio State certainly would have liked to have landed linebacker
Jim Presley, but he ended up committing to Michigan. The
Buckeyes would love to land Doug Van Dyke, a defensive end
from Marshall Michigan, and Doug Van Dyke continues to say that
he is interested in Ohio State. Van Dyke is one of the country's
top defensive end prospects. On the other hand, RB Jerome Jackson
from Saginaw, a 6-1, 195 pounder tells me that he really hasn't
heard much from Ohio State lately. At one point he was interested
in the Buckeyes though Ohio State had not offered him a scholarship.
One of the county's top athletes says he is scheduling an official
visit to Ohio State, and says the Buckeyes are one of his top two
choices. WR/DB/QB/Athlete Michael Bush from Louisville Male
High School in Kentucky says he is going to schedule an official
visit to Ohio State and he says that it will likely be for the Penn
State game. Bush is a 6-4, 225 pounder. As a freshman he started
at wide receiver on the varsity, doing the same as a sophomore.
During his junior season he played WR and safety. This season he
playing quarterback and safety. Bush is also an outstanding basketball
player and wants to play both football and basketball in college.
He says he thinks his official visit to Ohio State will be when
the Buckeyes take on Penn State. He says he is currently looking
at Ohio State, Tennessee, Louisville, Oklahoma, Notre Dame, and,
as he put it, Wake Forrest, Kentucky and Indiana. He says all of
those schools have offered a scholarship. He says that Ohio State
and Louisville are probably his top two choices. Bush says the he
would perhaps like to play quarterback in college but that's not
a big deal. Bush has led his team to a 5-0 record, throwing for
over 700 yards and rushing for another 400.
Offensive lineman Colin Hewko from Riverside, New Jersey,
is interested in Ohio State. Hewko is a 6-5, 285 pound offensive
tackle. He played left tackle during his junior season and is playing
right tackle this year. He tells me that he is looking at Ohio State,
Florida, Penn, Penn State, Princeton, Purdue, Rutgers and Wisconsin.
He says that right now Penn State is his favorite. The Buckeyes
have not offered him a scholarship.
Another star from out west, Mark Washington, a 6-3, 240
pounder, also is interested in Ohio State. Washington, who is an
outstanding middle linebacker prospect, is from Long Beach Poly
Tech in California. Washington says his top choices are Colorado,
USC, UCLA, Washington, Notre Same, Miami, Oregon, Texas A&M,
Oklahoma, and he is looking at Ohio State and Michigan State as
well. He is one of several outstanding prospects at Long Beach Poly
Tech. He made 45 tackles including five sacks during his junior
season.
September 20, 2002
One of the top line prospects in the state of Florida, Andrew
Bain, tells me that the Buckeyes will be at his game tonight.
Bain is a 6-4, 320 pound offensive guard who runs a 5.0 40. He has
a 3.6 GPA and a 1010 on the SAT. He tells me he is looking at Miami,
Florida State, Stanford, Ohio State and North Carolina State. Bain
says all five have offered him a scholarship. He has set up one
official visit thus far, that being to N.C. State December 6. Bain
says that he also is going to visit Ohio State but he does not have
an exact date yet. Bain says that Buckeye assistant Bill Conley
is supposed to be at his game tonight. Bain says he has seen a few
clips of Ohio State on T.V., that Ohio State is a good rushing team
and he likes to run the ball.
One of the top prospects in Texas has his list down to five schools
and OSU is one of the five. Joe John Findley, a 6-6, 210
pounder from Arlington, Texas says he is down to Nebraska, Oklahoma,
Wisconsin, Ohio State and Arizona. He says that all of those schools
have offered him a scholarship. He says that Wisconsin and Arizona
are recruiting him as a quarterback, while the other schools are
recruiting him as a tight end. Findley says that he does prefer
quarterback, but he is definitely interested in Ohio State. He is
one of the top all around athletes in Texas.
Defensive
back Ashton Youboty who the Buckeyes have offered a scholarship
to made an official visit to Penn State this past weekend. Youboty,
a 6-1, 180 pounder from Houston, Texas took in the Penn State win
over Nebraska while in State College for his official visit. Youboty
told me it was cool, the game was exciting, and after the third
quarter Penn State basically took over. Youboty said he was impressed
with the environment at Penn State and the stadium, but he did not
commit to the Nittany Lions. Youboty said that he is still looking
at Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan, Oklahoma and Tennessee, but
really not LSU any more. Youboty said that Ohio State, Penn State
and Oklahoma have offered him a scholarship, and mentioned that
the Buckeyes called him again last week, that he spoke with Buckeye
assistant coach Bill Conley. Youboty said he would most likely be
visiting Ohio State at a later date. Youboty was at OSU's football
camp this summer.
DL Sian Cotton from Akron St. Vincent - St. Mary, a 6-5,
295 pounder, told me that his current top five are Ohio State, Miami,
Florida, Clemson and Michigan. Cotton said that all of those schools
have called as well as others including Oklahoma. Cotton has been
offered a scholarship by Ohio State as well as Pitt, though he did
not mention Pitt as one of the schools he is most interested in.
Cotton said he attended the Miami vs. Florida game but that was
an unofficial visit. He has not yet begun to schedule his official
visits. He says he does not have a favorite right now. He mentioned
that coach Bollman continues to call him every week and that he
watched the Buckeyes on TV against Washington State saying the Ohio
State looked good and that Maurice Clarett looked, as he put it,
real good.
There's been a big change regarding DE prospect Ray Edwards
from Cincinnati Woodward High School. The 6-6, 235 pound Edwards,
one of the top DL prospects in the state of Ohio, visited Notre
Dame this past weekend for the Notre Dame vs. Michigan game and
Edwards came back very impressed. Edwards said he liked the atmosphere
at Notre Dame, the campus, he thought things were quiet and students
are able to get their work done well there. Edwards now says that
Notre Dame has moved into the lead for his services and the Irish
did offer him a scholarship. Edwards said that Boston College is
now number two and Edwards has scheduled an official visit to Boston
College for November 16 when B.C. plays Syracuse. Ohio State is
now his number three choice. He is also looking at Purdue and Penn
State and Tennessee "a little bit." He is going to go
to the Tennessee vs. Florida game in Knoxville this weekend. He
said the Buckeyes continue to call him every week, and that he might
visit Ohio State, but it's still early to decide.
LB Wesley Jefferson (6-2, 230) from Maryland is without
question one of the top linebacker prospects in the country. There
has been some speculation that Jefferson might not be interested
in Ohio State any more, but that speculation is not accurate. Jefferson
told me very recently that he is looking at Florida State, Miami,
Georgia, Maryland, Syracuse, Ohio State, Michigan and Michigan State.
He has an official visit set up to Miami for December 13. He said
he is not sure about his other visits yet. He says that coach Mark
Dantonio calls him every week and he has watched Ohio State on TV
He watched the Buckeyes against Washington State. Jefferson mentioned
that he felt Maurice Clarett is a great back and he can't believe
that he is a freshman, which Jefferson said gives him inspiration
as Jefferson would like to play as a freshman as well.
One of the top prospects in the state of Texas says he will make
an official visit to Ohio State. Tim Washington, a defensive
end outside linebacker is a 6-4, 235 pounder who runs a 4.7 40.
Washington made 71 tackles including 15 sacks during his junior
season. He has a 2.3 GPA and an 810 on the SAT. He tells me that
Buckeye assistant coach Bill Conley is recruiting him. Washington
said that he watched Ohio State play Washington State on television.
Washington said that he is looking at Ohio State, Florida, Michigan,
Miami, Oklahoma and Texas and all have offered a scholarship. He
said he has not begun to set up his official visits yet, but said
he plans to take an official visit to OSU in November.
DL DeMarcus Tyler from Fayetteville E. E. Smith High School
in North Carolina is a 6-3, 315 pounder who is interested in Ohio
State. Tyler, who has helped lead his team to a 3-1 record thus
far this season, says he his mainly focusing on three schools, Ohio
State, North Carolina State and Tennessee. Tyler said all three
have offered him a scholarship. Tyler said he has watched OSU on
TV and he likes the Buckeyes play defense. He said that all three
schools are pretty much even right now, and that he will probably
visit each school before he makes a decision on his college. He
says that at this point he has not yet scheduled an official visits.
September 16, 2002
As expected, a fine group of recruits were in attendance at the
Buckeyes' game against Washington State. Of course the Buckeyes
came away with the big and impressive win over the Cougars, and
the recruits came away very impressed.
Among the names at the game on Saturday were Blue-Chip cornerback
Donte Whitner (5-11, 175, 4.3) from Cleveland Glenville High
School, defensive tackle David Patterson (6-3, 260, 4.85)
from Warrensville Heights High School, DE Shawn Crable (6-6,
230, 4.6) from Massillon Washington High School, DL Brandon Maupin
(6-6, 270, 4.9) from West Chester Lakota West High School. A couple
of the Buckeyes' verbal commitments were also on hand for the game.
DB Curt Lukens (6-3, 200, 4.5) and WR Devin Jordan (6-3,
190, 4.5) from Massillon Washington High School. All of those players
have been offered a scholarship by Ohio State.
Also in attendance at the Buckeyes' win on Saturday were punter/kicker
Adam Graessle (6-4, 195, 4.75) from Dublin Coffman High School,
as well as OL Andrew Crummey (6-5, 280, 5.2) from Van Wert
High School. Also on hand was Columbus Walnut Ridge wide receiver
Ernie Wheelright and Columbus Eastmoor running back Justin
Valentine (6-2, 205, 4.45).
Some of the state's top juniors were also in attendance at the
game as well, and certainly the recruits came away very impressed
with Ohio State's showing. For instance, DT David Patterson
told me that it was a good game, that Maurice Clarett has a shot
at the Heisman. He said it was one of the most exciting games of
the year. Patterson said that he got to go to the Skull Session
before the game, he talked to the Ohio State coaches, and then after
the game he talked to the coaches again. Patterson said that he
does have one official visit scheduled, that being to Miami of Florida
the weekend of October 12 for the Miami vs. Florida State game.
Patterson said he is basically looking four schools: Ohio State,
Miami, Michigan and Florida. All four have offered a scholarship
but Patterson said Ohio State is still his favorite, and he said
"It's a good lead." He said that the Buckeyes have told
him that they can't promise him a starting position as a freshman,
but that if came in and beat somebody out, that he would be on the
field. Patterson is a super defensive line prospect.
September 13, 2002
The Buckeyes may get an official visit from one of the country's
top offensive guard prospects. Ofa Mohetau from Trinity High
School in Euless, Texas is a 6-3, 335 pounder with 4.9 40 speed,
and he says he may soon schedule and official visit to Ohio State.
Mohetau said that he has official visits scheduled to Miami December
22, Colorado January 6 and he also has Nebraska and Syracuse scheduled
but did not remember the exact dates. He said that Ohio State called
him a couple of days ago and it went very well. Mohetau said the
Buckeyes talked to him about the school and about how good the education
is, and Mohetau said that now he is hoping when Ohio State calls
back that he might set up his last official visit, that being to
Ohio State. Mohetau said that all the schools that he mentioned
have offered a scholarship. Others who have offered include Texas,
Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. Mohetau said that he plans to go out
of state for college. Mohetau is one of the country's top offensive
guard prospects.
Offensive lineman Joel Holler, one of the top offensive
linemen in the Big Ten region, says he will likely make an official
visit to Ohio State. Holler, from Lancaster McCaskey High School
in Pennsylvania, is a 6-6, 330 pound offensive tackle who has been
a varsity starter since his freshman season. Holler, who has a 4.0
grade point average, helped lead his team to a 10-2 record during
his junior season. Holler tells me that he is looking at Ohio State,
in fact he has pretty much narrowed his list down to Ohio State,
Penn State, Miami, Virginia Tech, Maryland and Pitt. He said all
of those schools have offered a scholarship in writing except Miami,
and they have verbally offered a scholarship. Holler said that he
has not begun to set any official visits up yet, but that the Buckeyes
are calling him each week. Coach Joe Daniels, he said, is a very
nice guy, and he will probably set up an official visit to Ohio
State. He said he really likes the Buckeyes and knows they really
need offensive linemen. Holler said he might attend the Ohio State
vs. Michigan game at the end of the season.
Another prospect from the state of Pennsylvania the Buckeyes are
interested in is RB/DB Brad Mueller from Mars, Pennsylvania.
He is a 6-0, 165 pounder with 4.4 40 speed. He is a PIAA class AA
100 meter champ with a time of 10.65 seconds. He rushed for over
1200 yards during his junior season and also had five interceptions
and is being recruited as a defensive back. Mueller has made an
official visit already to Boston College and says B.C. is his leader,
but he also is looking at Maryland, Wisconsin, Duke, Notre Dame,
Purdue, Miami and Ohio State. All but Ohio State, Miami, Notre Dame
and Purdue have offered Mueller a scholarship. Mueller says that
he has been requested by Ohio State and Miami to send a game tape
and he is interested in the Buckeyes.
The Buckeyes have a big game this weekend against Washington State
and there should be a good group of recruits in attendance at that
game. One that told me he plans on going to the game is kicker/punter
Adam Graessle from Dublin Coffman High School in Ohio. He
is a 6-4, 195 pounder and attended Ohio University's game this past
weekend and was offered a scholarship by the Bobcats. Graessle also
has an offer on the table from Cincinnati, and Louisville wants
him to set up an official visit. Greassle said he is also interested
in Notre Dame, West Virginia, Marshall, Ball State and South Carolina.
Graessle said OSU is recruiting him more as a punter because Andy
Groom will be gone after this season. He has punted only once thus
far this season, but that was a 68 yard boot. Graessle made 12 of
19 field goals with a long of 47 yards during his junior season
and averaged 40 yards per punt as a junior.
Defensive Back Donte Whitner, without question one of the
country's finest defensive back prospects, won't be at OSU's game
on Saturday in all likelihood, but he is going to be at Ohio State
for an official visit as Whitner has decided on four of his official
visits, and not surprisingly, one of them is to Ohio State. The
5-11, 175 pounder from Cleveland Glennville told me that he is going
to make official visits to Ohio State, Michigan, Tennessee and USC.
He said that he doesn't have any of the exact dates for the visits,
but those will be four of his official visits. Whitner said that
he is considering Florida, South Carolina and Michigan State for
his fifth official visit. All of the schools on his list have offered
him a scholarship. He mentioned that Buckeye assistant coach Mel
Tucker called his past week. Whitner says he doesn't have a favorite
right now, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if his decision came
down to Ohio State, Michigan or perhaps Tennessee. Whitner in three
games this season has close to 20 tackles and one interception.
He returned that interception 45 yards for a score.
Another Ohioan who tells me he plans to be at the OSU vs. WSU game
is offensive lineman Andrew Crummy. Crummy, like Graessle,
has at least one scholarship offer. He is a 6-5, 280 pound offensive
lineman from Van Wert, Ohio. Crummy tells me that he plans to go
to the Ohio State vs. Washington State game on Saturday. He says
he has a top three of Purdue, Ohio State and Michigan State. He
said as of right now he's not really looking at anyone else. He
mentioned that Ohio State and Purdue have called him, and Michigan
State has called his coach. Crummy has an offer from Purdue. He
says he doesn't have a favorite right now and is not really close
to deciding.
September 9, 2002
DB Ashton Youboty, from Houston, Texas is a 6-1, 180 pound
cornerback who was at Ohio State's football camp this summer. When
I spoke with Youboty last night he told me that he has six schools
that he is looking at. He says if he goes north he is looking at
Ohio State, Penn State and Michigan. He says that if he stays in
the South, he's looking at Oklahoma, LSU and probably Tennessee.
Youboty says that Ohio State, Penn State, Oklahoma and LSU have
offered a scholarship. Youboty is going to make an official visit
to Penn State this coming weekend and that he is also sure he will
make an official visit to Ohio State, though he does not have an
exact date set at this time. Youboty said that OSU recruiting coordinator
Bill Conley called him last week.
RB Tyrone Moss from Pompano Beach, Florida, a 5-10, 210
pounder with 4.45 40 speed rushed for 2,475 yards as a sophomore
and another 2,100 during his junior season. Moss says that he is
looking at Miami, Michigan State, Penn State, Ohio State and North
Carolina State. He says that all of those schools have offered him
a scholarship. He says he does not have a favorite right now, but
that he is definitely interested in Ohio State.
The Buckeyes would love to land a commitment from defensive back
Ira Guilford from Hoboken, New Jersey. The good news for
Ohio State fans is that Guilford, who Ohio State has offered as
scholarship to, says that the Buckeyes are now his leader. He is
a 5-11, 185 pounder who starts at both safety and running back,
but is being recruited as a defensive back. Guilford made 86 tackles
during his junior season including 10 for loss. The hard-hitter
caused six fumbles and intercepted three passes. Guilford also rushed
for over 1,000 yards. He has a 2.2 GPA and scored an 1100 on the
SAT. Guilford attended OSU's spring game. He says his top four are
Ohio State, Michigan State, Penn State and Syracuse, though he is
also looking as some others including Notre Dame and Maryland. He
says all those schools have offered a scholarship, that he has approximately
25 scholarship offers now and that his phone has been ringing off
the hook, but he really likes Ohio State, the coaches, the facilities
and the direction the program is going. Guilford says that Coach
Tressel's track record is another thing that he likes. He says he
is close to setting up official visits to Penn State and Michigan
State, but you can be assured that he will set one up with Ohio
State as well.
There is a lot of talk going around about DE/OLB Shawn Crable
(6-6, 230, 4.6) and whether he favors Ohio State or Michigan.
Crable told me recently that Michigan and Ohio State are still high
on his list, but he also is interested in Miami, Tennessee, USC,
Maryland and Pitt. All of those schools have offered Crable a scholarship.
Crable says he doesn't have a favorite, but said that OSU and Michigan
are the top two that he is considering. He mentioned that Jim Tressel
called him recently and that Coach Tressel wants him to come to
some of the Buckeye home games this season. Crable attended the
Michigan vs. Washington game on an unofficial visit. He said it
was an interesting game with number nine against number 10, so it
was a pretty even game. Crable says he has one official visit set
up right now, that being to USC the weekend of December 6. He says
he is planning to take his official visits before he selects a college.
One of the top linemen in the state of Illinois is Lawrence
"Moe" Dampeer Dampeer from Decatur, Illinois. He is
a 6-5, 275 pound two-way tackle who runs a 4.8 40 and prefers defense.
He has a 2.1 GPA and will take the ACT later this month. He has
played offensive guard and tackle and defensive end while in high
school. He had 12 sacks during his junior season. Dampeer says that
he is looking at Miami, Tennessee, Illinois, Florida State, Nebraska,
Oklahoma, Michigan, Ohio State and UCLA. He said that OSU has not
officially offered, but the rest of them have, though Michigan,
he said, verbally offered from what his coach tells him. He says
he likes Ohio State's defense and is looking at the Ohio State program.
He says OSU has a pretty good team and he is interested in the Buckeyes.
September 4, 2002
One of the country's top linebacker prospects says he plans to
make an official to Ohio State. LB Wesley Jefferson from
Maryland, a 6-2, 230 pounder who made 163 tackles including sacks
during his junior season from his middle linebacker spot says he
has one official visit scheduled and also plans to make one to Ohio
State. Jefferson, who has a 2.9 GPA and a 980 on the SAT says the
one visit he has already scheduled is to Miami of Florida December
13. He says that Miami, Maryland, Notre Dame, Ohio State and USC
are his main choices and all have offered a scholarship. He mentions
that a few other schools he is looking at include Michigan, Michigan
State, Tennessee, South Carolina and North Carolina, and all of
those schools have also offered a scholarship. Jefferson said the
OSU is one of his main choices, that he watched the Buckeyes on
TV vs. Texas Tech and came away very impressed. Jefferson tells
me would visit Ohio State, but does not have an exact date scheduled
yet.
Offensive lineman Ryan Harris from St. Paul, Minnesota is
a 6-5, 255 pounder who is interested in the Buckeyes. Harris is
one of the top prospects in the state of Minnesota. He has easily
qualified academically and helped lead his team to a 10-1 record
last season. Harris says that he is looking at about six or seven
schools right now and Ohio State is one of those. The others include
Minnesota and Wisconsin, though he says he is not going release
all of his choices at this point. Harris said that a number of schools
have offered a scholarship. He said he has ten scholarship offers
at this point, and that the Buckeyes indicated that they would offer
if he came to their camp this summer. He was unable to do so, but
he remains interested in OSU.
College coaches are not allowed to call prospects in the month
of August, but as of September 1, they were once again allowed to
do so. It didn't take long for the Buckeyes to call defensive end
Victor Abiamiri, a 6-5, 240 pound defensive lineman from
Baltimore Gilman High school in Maryland. Abiamiri has 4.6 40 speed.
He attended OSU's spring game. He told me that he is still considering
Ohio State and that Coach Dantonio called him on Sunday, September
1, but Abiamiri was not home. He said that Stanford, UCLA, North
Carolina and Maryland are pretty much his top five, but he is also
considering Ohio State, USC and Michigan. All of those schools have
offered him a scholarship. He said he has not yet begun to set up
his official visits yet and will probably wait until after the season
to do so.
DE Doug Van Dyke from Marshall, Michigan is definitely planning
to make an official visit to Ohio State. Van Dyke, a 6-6, 245 pounder
is one of the top prospects in the Midwest. Van Dyke says that he
is getting ready to set up official visits to Ohio State, Purdue,
Michigan and Wisconsin. All four have offered a scholarship. Van
Dyke says he cannot name a favorite right now, but says that OSU
is under strong consideration.
A couple of prospects that the Buckeyes would certainly love to
land visited Michigan on unofficial visits this past weekend for
the Michigan vs. Washington game. Prescott Burgess, a DB/LB
prospect from Warren Harding High School and LB/DE prospect Shawn
Crable from Massilon Washington High School were in Ann Arbor
to see that game. Neither committed to the Wolverines, but that
is not surprising since both have been saying that they would wait
and take official visits before making a decision.
A big back from Virginia who is interested in OSU is Irvin Battle
Baldwin. Baldwin is a 6-2, 225 pounder. As a junior he rushed
for 800 yards and scored 17 times playing fullback. He is playing
running back this season. Baldwin, who will qualify academically,
tells me he is looking at Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan and Maryland,
those are his top choices, and he indicated that Michigan and Maryland
have offered a scholarship. Baldwin said that he likes Ohio State's
program, that he has watched the Buckeyes on TV and they have a
pretty nice team this season.
The state of Ohio is not exactly loaded with offensive line prospects
this year, but one that is drawing attention it Ty Hall from
Cincinnati Anderson High School. Hall is a 6-6, 280 pounder and
says he is still waiting for an offer from Ohio State. Hall attended
the OSU camp this summer. As of right now, he says he is considering
plenty of schools including those who have offered which include
Illinois, Minnesota, Boston College, Purdue, Pitt, South Carolina,
Clemson and Vanderbilt.
Shane Green says that Ohio State is probably his top choice.
Green is a 6-0, 195 pound defensive back from Bowling Green, Kentucky.
Green runs a 4.5 40 and started at running back and corner back
during his junior season, but has moved to running back and linebacker
this year. However, he is being recruited as strong safety. Green
says he is very interested in OSU and his top five would be Kentucky,
Ohio State, Nebraska, Penn State and Texas A&M. Green said he
has talked to all of them though none have offered yet, they have
all indicated they want to see his first few games. He is from the
same town as current OSU linebacker Robert Reynolds.
June and July 2002
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