Monthly Archives: February 2015

Another fine recruiting class for Meyer & Buckeyes

 

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Coach Urban Meyer and the national champion Ohio State Buckeyes had another outstanding national letter of intent signing day with a class that will rank among the top classes in the nation and that includes 23 new student-athletes to go along with four who have previously enrolled in classes at Ohio State.

The class includes an even split of 13 players on offense, 13 on defense and a long snapper. Twelve of the new Buckeyes are from the state of Ohio with three from Florida and two apiece from the states of Michigan and Virginia. Others are from Utah, Minnesota, New Jersey, Arkansas, Indiana, Georgia, Maryland and a football program first: South Dakota.

This Buckeye class is heavy on the offensive and defensive lines with six and five student-athletes, respectively. Five are also classified as defensive backs and three are linebackers.

The group also includes two wide receivers, two tight ends, two quarterbacks and one running back, Mike Weber, the 2,000-yard, four-star prospect from Detroit’s Cass Tech, who was the final prospect to officially sign with the Buckeyes.

The class also included two prospects – each rated as four-star players – who kept their college intentions public until today: WR K.J. Hill, from North Little Rock, Ark., and OL Isaiah Prince, from Greenbelt, Md.

 

The early enrollees: LB Nick Conner, from Dublin, DL Jashon Cornell, from St. Paul, Minn., DB Jamel Dean, from Cocoa, Fla., and OL Grant Schmidt, from Sioux Falls, S.D.

 

2015 Ohio State Recruiting Class

Offensive Line

Branden Bowen           OL      6-7      320     Draper, Utah / Corner Canyon

Matthew Burrell           OL      6-5      310     Woodbridge, Va. / Hylton

Kevin Feder                 OL      6-9      305     Ramsey, N.J. / Don Boscoe Prep

Mirko Jurkovic            OL      6-5      285     South Bend, Ind. / St. Joseph’s/IMG Academy

Isaiah Prince                OL      6-7      280     Greenbelt, Md. / Eleanor Roosevelt

Grant Schmidt             OL      6-6      285     Sioux Falls,S.D. / Roosevelt

 

Defensive Linemen

Joshua Alabi                DT      6-5      295     Detroit, Mich. / Cass Tech

Jashon Cornell             DE      6-2      261     St. Paul, Minn. / Cretin-Derham Hall

Davon Hamilton          DT      6-3      290     Pickerington, Ohio / Pickerington Central

Dre’Mont Jones           DE      6-4      265     Cleveland, Ohio / St. Ignatius

Robert Landers            DT      6-2      295     Dayton, Ohio / Huber Heights

 

Defensive Backs

Damon Arnette            DB      6-1      190     Fort Lauderdale, Fla. / St. Thomas Aquinas

Jamel Dean                  DB      6-2      200     Cocoa, Fla. / Cocoa

Eric Glover-Williams   DB      5-9      170     Canton, Ohio / Canton McKinley

Joshua Norwood         DB      6-0      175     Valdosta, Ga. / Valdosta
Denzel Ward               DB      5-11    175     Macedonia, Ohio / Nordonia

 

Tight Ends/Receivers

A.J. Alexander            TE       6-4      235     Burke, Va. / Lake Braddock

Rashod Berry              TE       6-4      235     Lorain, Ohio / Lorain

K.J. Hill                       WR     6-0      190     North Little Rock, Ark. / North Little Rock

Alex Stump                 WR     6-3      193     Lakewood, Ohio / St. Edward

 

Linebackers

Nick Conner                LB      6-3      234     Dublin, Ohio / Scioto

Justin Hilliard              LB      6-2      230     Cincinnati, Ohio / St. Xavier H.S.

Jerome Baker              LB      6-2      206     Cleveland, Ohio / St. Benedictine

 

Quarterbacks

Joe Burrow                  QB      6-3      215     The Plains, Ohio / Athens

Torrence Gibson          QB      6-4      195     Plantation, Fla. / American Heritage

 

Long Snapper

Liam McCullough        LS       6-2      230     Columbus, Ohio / Worthington Kilbourne

 

Running Back

Mike Weber                 RB      5-10    215     Detroit, Mich. / Cass Tech

 

*****

 

Joshua Alabi

Defensive Line / 6-5, 295

Detroit, Mich. / Cass Tech

 

Joshua Alabi is rated as the No. 1 defensive line prospect in the state of Michigan by Scout and a Top 30 strong side end by both Rivals (No. 26) and 247Sports (No. 30) … he, along with teammate Mike Weber and current Buckeye Damon Webb, gives Ohio State three recruits in the past two years from the prominent Cass Tech program that has won a state title in 2012 and back-to-back Detroit Public School League championships in 2013 and 2014 … Alabi has started along the defensive line since his sophomore season when Cass Tech made the state championship game … he accumulated more than 100 tackles in his career … was also an accomplished offensive lineman who helped his team rush for over 3,000 yards 2014 … was named Division 1-2 first-team All-State in 2014 as well as Detroit News all-metro, Public School League all-city, PrepStar all-Midwest Region and a member of MLive’s 2014 Dream Team … called a “quiet giant” by his mother, Felicia Jones … father is Charles Alabi.

 

A.J. Alexander

Tight End / 6-4, 235

Burke, Va. / Lake Braddock

 

A.J. Alexander has been described as having a “unique blend of size, power and speed” and as a result has received national rankings as a tight end and wide receiver … he has 4-star ratings by both ESPN and 247Sports despite missing most of his senior season with a knee injury … he had six receptions and scored two touchdowns as a senior, including a 95-yard kickoff return, before the injury … he is rated as high as the No. 16  tight end nationally by ESPN and 247Sports and he is considered a Top 100 receiver by Scout … a Virginia all-state honoree in 2013 after catching 41 passes for 650 yards and seven touchdowns, plus intercepting five passes on defense … also chosen all-Metro as a junior and helped Lake Braddock to the Class 6A North Region state semifinals … second-team all-state in basketball as a junior … parents are Katrina and Anthony Alexander.

 

Damon Arnette

Defensive Back / 6-2, 185

Fort Lauderdale, Fla. / St. Thomas Aquinas

 

One of the last in this class to commit to attending Ohio State, Damon Arnette carries a 4-star rating from ESPN and comes from the strong St. Thomas Aquinas program that will have seven of its seniors sign Division I scholarship offers this year and that is the prep alma mater of Buckeye All-American Joey Bosa … Aquinas, coached by Rocco Casullo, has captured two of the last three Florida 7A state championships, including in 2014 with a 15-1 record … Arnette provided length and strength as a roving defensive back with most of his time spent at cornerback … he is ranked as the No. 24 safety by ESPN and the No. 51 cornerback by Rivals … the 247Sports composite ranks him No. 60 at cornerback … he is ranked as the talent-rich Florida’s No. 83 prospect … Arnette had three interceptions, five additional pass break-ups and three quarterback sacks as a senior … he earned honorable mention all-defensive team honors on Broward County’s Class 8A-7A-6A list.

 

Jerome Baker

Linebacker / 6-2, 206

Cleveland, Ohio / Saint Benedictine

 

Jerome Baker is a Top 10 linebacker prospect nationally whose last high school game was a state championship game win over Kettering Alter, 21-14, in Ohio Stadium … Baker scored twice, including the winning score early in the fourth quarter, to cap a 14-1 season and give St. Benedictine its seventh state title and coach Joe Schaefer state crowns as a Bengal player (2003) and coach … Baker also had 11 stops on defense to earn MVP honors … his outstanding senior season included being named first-team Division IV all-state by the Associated Press and earning co-defensive player of the year honors … called an “absolute force from his linebacker spot on defense” and “one of the most disruptive players in the state,” Baker is a consensus 4-star prospect who is ranked as the No. 41 player nationally by Rivals and the No. 67 player on the ESPN 300 … earned impressive outside linebacker ratings by Rivals (No. 4) and Scout (No. 10) … a U.S. Army All-American, Baker was used sparingly on offense as a senior but still finished with 3,065 career rushing yards … parents are Theodora and Jerome Baker Sr.

 

Rashod Berry

Tight End / 6-4, 235

Lorain, Ohio / Lorain

 

Rashod Berry is a two-time Associated Press all-state honoree, including first-team Division I honors in 2014, for Lorain High School … helped Lorain, under coach Dave McFarland, to a 7-4 season in 2014 and the first state playoff appearance in school history … had 37 receptions for 578 yards and 11 touchdowns as a senior, plus an additional 11 tackles-for-loss, including six sacks, plus six forced fumbles and an interception on defense … among the Top 40 defensive ends in the nation, Berry has national positional rankings of No. 20 by Rivals, No. 26 by Scout and No. 36 by 247Sports … had 6.5 sacks and earned second-team all-state honors in 2013 for coach Tony Shoulders … also plays basketball … adds to the list of Lorain County players to play football at Ohio State, including Raymont Harris and Matt Wilhelm, and current Buckeyes Chase Farris and Tracy Sprinkle … his Mother is Lashonda Berry.

 

Branden Bowen

Offensive Lineman / 6-7, 320

Draper, Utah / Corner Canyon

 

Huge offensive lineman Branden Bowen is one of the top players in the state of Utah this season and holds the No. 2 ranking in the state by Scout … rated No. 58 nationally among tackles by Scout and rated as a Top 100 offensive lineman by 247Sports … played 2013 and 2014 seasons at new school Corner Canyon after starting his prep career at Juan Diego … helped lead Corner Canyon to the Utah Class 4A state semifinals in 2014 with a 12-1 record and into the state quarterfinals in 2013 in its first year of football … named first-team all-state in 2014 by the Deseret News … coached by former Utah Ute offensive lineman Don Eck at Corner Canyon, and trained under former Ute John Madsen, who was a member of Urban Meyer’s 2003 and 2004 Utah teams … born in Tennessee and moved to Utah in 2005 … is the son of Natalie and Jordan Halling

 

 

 

 

 

 

Matthew Burrell

Offensive Lineman / 6-5, 300

Woodbridge, Va. / Hylton H.S.

 

Virginia all-state offensive lineman Mathew Burrell is considered a Top 10 offensive line prospect in the class of 2015 with 4-star classification by ESPN, Rivals, Scout and 247Sports … he is a Top 100 player nationally overall as a member of the ESPN 300 (No. 94) and he also earned high overall rankings from 247Sports (No. 105) with Rivals and Scout each listing him among their top 175 players … he is the No. 1 offensive line prospect in his region with Top 10 lineman rankings nationally by 247Sports (No. 7) and Rivals (No. 9), and with a No. 12 ranking by Scout … Burrell spent his first two high school seasons at Chancellor before transferring to Hylton for the 2013 and 2014 seasons … played for coach Tony Lilly at Hylton and helped his team to 10-2 and 9-2 records in 2013 and 2014, respectively … a member of the PrepStar Top 150 Dream  Team, Burrell attended The Opening in the summer of 2014 at the Nike World Headquarters … is the son of Nicky and Matt Burrell Sr.

 

Joe Burrow

Quarterback / 6-3, 215

Athens, Ohio / Athens H.S.

 

Joe Burrow was the third player to commit to Ohio State’s class of 2015 recruits … a 4-star prospect by ESPN, Scout and 247Sports, he led coach Ryan Adams’ Athens H.S. teams to three consecutive state playoff appearances (2012-14) and to all seven of the state playoff wins in school history … his 2014 team was state runner-up in Division III and Burrow was selected as Ohio Mr. Football, first-team Associated Press all-state and the Division III co-offensive player of the year after throwing for nearly 4,500 yards with 63 touchdowns and only two interceptions … threw for over 11,400 yards with 157 touchdowns in his career plus rushed for over 2,000 yards with 27 more TDs … ranked on the ESPN 300 (298) and a Top 25 quarterback by  Scout (13) and Rivals (25) …  named the 2013 Ohio Gatorade player of the year and AP all-state … is the son of Robin and Jimmy Burrow … father is the defensive coordinator at Ohio University … father and older brothers Jamie and Dan all played football at Nebraska and lettered.

 

Nick Conner

Linebacker / 6-3, 234

Dublin, Ohio / Scioto H.S.

 

Dublin Scioto linebacker Nick Conner announced his commitment to Ohio State in the early summer of 2014 and he enrolled in classes at Ohio State in January 2015 … helped lead Scioto to the 2014 state playoffs and a regional final appearance, although missed second half of the season with a knee injury … still was invited to the Semper Fidelis All-American game … rated a 4-star prospect by Rivals, Scout and 247Sports … rated No. 123 on the Rivals 250 and its No. 5 inside linebacker … the No. 8 inside linebacker by 247Sports … a Top 25 linebacker prospect by Scout and the No. 4 linebacker in the state of Ohio … named second-team Division II all-state by the Associated Press as a junior after recording 129 tackles with 19 TFLs … MVP of the Rivals 5-Star Challenge Camp in Baltimore in the summer of 2014 … comes from a family of Ohio State fans and from a home with an Ohio State “room” … he is the son of Renee and Scott Conner.

 

Jashon Cornell

Defensive End / 6-2, 261

St. Paul, Minn. / Cretin-Derham Hall

 

Jashon Cornell, who is enrolled at Ohio State for the 2015 spring semester, is from the powerful Catholic school on the west side of St. Paul that has produced outstanding athletes like Joe Mauer, Michael Floyd, Chris Weinke and Steve Walsh … committed to Ohio State on July 2, 2014 … Cornell is one of the highest rated prospects in this Ohio State class, with No. 7 strong-side defensive end ratings virtually across the board and Top 100 overall status by ESPN (No. 33), Rivals (No. 14) and 247Sports (No. 88) … a consensus 4-star prospect who was regarded as the No. 1 prospect in the class of 2015 by ESPN prior to his junior season … he twice was named a second-team Minnesota all-state pick by the Associated Press … the No. 1 defensive end in the Midwest according to Scout … the defensive line MVP of the Nike training camp in Columbus in the summer of 2014 and earned an invite to The Opening later that summer … capped career at the Under Armour All-American game … Mother is Sheena Cornell.

 

Jamel Dean

Defensive Back / 6-2, 200

Cocoa, Fla. / Cocoa H.S.

 

Jamel Dean was the second member of this class to commit to Ohio State, doing so Dec. 1, 2013 … already enrolled in classes (January 2015), he is a consensus 4-star prospect who was a two-time Florida first-team Class 4A all-state pick … one of the top cornerback prospects in the nation with rankings of No. 32 by 247Sports and No. 37 by Rivals … rated No. 138 on the ESPN 300 and a Top 10 defensive back in the state of Florida … totaled 975 offensive yards, including 22 receptions and 15 touchdowns, in 2014 to earn all-state honors as a receiver and had 38 tackles, two pass break-ups and one interception to earn all-state accolades in 2013 … also had seven PBUs as a senior and scored nine touchdowns as a junior … the 2014 Brevard County player of the year and the Florida Athletic Coaches Association’s District 12 MVP … also ran track and possesses “breakaway” speed … played on back-to-back 11-2 state playoff teams for coach John Wilkinson … a Semper Fidelis All-American … he is the son of Yolanda Kimbrough and Derrick Jefferson.

 

Kevin Feder

Offensive Lineman / 6-9, 305

Ramsey, N.J. / Don Boscoe Prep

 

Kevin Feder is from the powerful New Jersey program Don Boscoe Prep that was rated at one time in 2014 as the No. 1 team in the nation following a win over St. Thomas Aquinas … Feder has played three years for the Ironmen and coach Greg Toal and has started two years for teams that went 7-4 in 2013 and again in 2014 … a four-star prospect by Rivals and 247Sports, Feder is rated as high as the No. 16 offensive tackle prospect in the nation by Rivals and he is listed as the No. 54 tackle by 247Sports … he holds an overall player rating of No. 172 on the Rivals 250 … a PrepStar all-East honoree … also wrestled, and was a state qualifier in 2014 … attended Parsippany Hills as a freshman … is the fourth prospect from the state of New Jersey to sign a national letter of intent with Ohio State in the last three years after Eli Apple (Voorhees and Eastern H.S.) in 2013, and Noah Brown (Flanders and Pope John XXIII) and Darius Slade (Montclair and Montclair H.S.) last year … Father is Brian Feder.

 

Torrence Gibson

Quarterback / 6-4, 195

Plantation, Fla. / American Heritage

 

Torrence Gibson is 5-star prospect according to ESPN and the No. 16-rated senior nationally on the ESPN 300 … Scout, Rivals and 247Sports all rank this dual threat quarterback as a 4-star prospect … Gibson’s national rankings also include him as the No. 2 athlete by ESPN, the No. 5 quarterback by Scout and the No. 13 dual threat quarterback by Rivals … he led American Heritage to consecutive 5A state championships, just the second time a Broward County school has accomplished that feat … he was a first-team Florida all-state pick in 2014 after leading his team to a 12-3 record while throwing for 1,815 yards and 19 touchdowns and rushing for 980 yards … career numbers include over 4,000 passing yards, 44 touchdown passes, 2,275 rush yards and 28 rushing touchdowns … a finalist for the Florida Football Award after earning the Class 5A distinction … a PrepStar Dream Team member … Mother is Joanne Seymour.

 

Eric Glover-Williams

Defensive Back / 5-9, 170

Canton, Ohio / McKinley

 

Eric Glover-Williams was the first to commit to this Class of 2015, doing so nearly two years ago in Spring 2013 … played numerous offensive positions, but concentrated on running back as a senior … was named Division I Associated Press all-state as a senior after rushing for 1,149 yards and 14 touchdowns with 16 receptions … also had a punt return touchdown and a 100-yard interception return score … a consensus 4-star prospect with Top 100 overall rankings on the ESPN 300 (No. 90) and by 247Sports (No. 97) … also rated as high as the No. 7 athlete (Rivals) and the No. 12 cornerback (247Sports) … the third-leading rusher in McKinley history with 3,820 yards and the No. 7 scores in Stark County history with 56 touchdowns, which ties former Buckeye Jeff Logan’s prep total and is two more than current Buckeye Bri’onte Dunn … Glover-Williams was named second-team Associated Press all-state in 2013 as McKinley went 9-2 and advanced to state playoffs … from same school to produce Mike Doss and Tyler Everett … played for both Todd Filtz and Thom McDaniels … an Under Armour All-American, is the son of Ann and Jerry Williams.

 

Davon Hamilton

Defensive Tackle / 6-3, 290

Pickerington, Ohio / Pickerington Central

 

One of the final commitments in this recruiting class, Davon Hamilton was a three-year starter on both sides of the ball for coach Jay Sherrett at Pickerington High School … he was named first-team Associated Press all-state in 2014 after a 67-tackle, 23-tackle-for-loss season while helping Pickerington to an 11-1 record and into the second round of the state playoffs … also named the Ohio Capital Conference’s Ohio division player of the year and the Division I Central District player of the year … the No. 54 defensive tackle nationally according to Scout, which also listed him as the No. 10 tackle in the region and No. 6 in the state of Ohio … named all-Metro by the Columbus Dispatch … is from the same high school that produced tougher-than-nails Ohio State starting center Jacoby Boren … is the son of Sabrina and Damian Hamilton.

 

K.J. Hill

Wide Receiver / 6-0, 190

North Little Rock, Ark. / North Little Rock

 

Another signing day “reveal,” K.J. Hill is a consensus 4-star receiver who was named a U.S. Army All-American after an outstanding senior season for coach Brad Bolding … Hill helped the Charging Wildcats to an 11-2 season and to the second round of the Arkansas state 7A playoffs, catching 58 passes for 1,023 yards and 11 touchdowns plus rushing for 386 yards and seven more scores … he had 63 catches for 1,143 yards and 16 touchdowns as a junior as North Little Rock advanced to the state playoffs … the No. 1 player in the state, Hill is also considered a Top 20 receiver with a No. 16 rating by ESPN and 247Sports and a No. 18 rating by Rivals … is rated among the Top 150 players in the nation by all the rating services, including No. 153 on the ESPN 300 … advanced to the 7-on-7 finals at The Opening this summer … a highly regarded basketball player as well.

 

Justin Hilliard

Linebacker / 6-2, 230

Cincinnati, Ohio / St. Xavier

 

Justin Hilliard is a 5-star recruit by both 247Sports and ESPN and one of the top linebacker prospects in this recruiting class … he is rated as the No. 1 outside linebacker by ESPN and No. 2 by 247Sports and the No. 1 inside linebacker by Rivals … also holds lofty overall rankings of No. 17 on the ESPN 300, No. 30 by 247Sports and No. 45 on the Rivals 250 … PrepSports ranks him No. 32 nationally and a member of its 150 Dream Team … Hilliard was a finalist as a senior for the Dick Butkus Award and he was an Associated Press all-state selection and its Division I defensive player of the year … helped lead coach Steve Specht’s St. Xavier team to a 10-3 record in 2014 and a state semifinals appearance after recording 71 tackles and five quarterback sacks … had 76 tackles, four sacks and seven passes defensed in 2013 …  committed to Ohio State on July 3, minutes before Jashon Cornell committed to be a Buckeye some 800 miles away in Minnesota … named a U.S. Army All-American but did not play as he was recovering from a knee injury … is the  son of Diane and Carl Hilliard … older brother, C.J., will be a third-year sophomore running back for Iowa in the fall.

 

 

 

Dre’Mont Jones

Defensive End / 6-4, 265

Cleveland, Ohio / St. Ignatius

 

Dre’Mont Jones has just two seasons of high school football behind him but he certainly learned the game quickly: he was named first-team Division I Associated Press all-state as a senior for coach Chuck Kyle’s 6-4 team that advanced to the Ohio state playoffs … also picked up all-Northeast Lakes District honors as a senior after recording 47 tackles, 21 tackles-for-losses and four sacks with four forced fumbles … Jones, who also plays basketball at St. Ignatius, is considered a 4-star prospect by ESPN, Scout and 247Sports and he has overall rankings of No. 161 on the ESPN 300 and No. 169 by 247Sports … considered the No. 1 defensive line prospect in Ohio by Scout, Jones also has high positional rankings of No. 11 at strong side defensive end by 247Sports and Top 25 end status by both Scout and Rivals … a U.S. Army All-American … all-Midwest by PrepStar … from same school as current Buckeye Kyle Berger … parents are Schontina Jones and Sanderline Williams.

 

Mirko Jurkovic

Offensive Lineman / 6-5, 285

South Bend, Ind. / IMG Academy

 

Mirko Jurkovic spent his senior season at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., after prepping for three years at St. Joseph’s High School in his hometown of South Bend, Ind. … he helped lead IMG to a 10-1 record in 2014, playing along a line that featured four prospects who are all expected to sign NLIs with Football Bowl Subdivision schools … coached by former Heisman Trophy winner Chris Weinke at IMG … in 2013 Jurkovic helped lead St. Joseph’s to an 8-4 record and a spot in the Indiana state playoffs … considered a Top 50 offensive guard prospect by both Scout and 247Sports … rated as the No. 2 guard in Florida by Scout and No. 11 in the South region … is the son of Angie and the late Mirko Jurkovic … his father, who passed away in 2013 after battling cancer, was a two-year starter, a team captain and an All-American guard at Notre Dame under Lou Holtz … an uncle, John Jurkovic, played at Eastern Illinois and then nine years in the NFL … has two sisters: Claire and Samantha … lived next door to Ohio State strength coach Mickey Marotti for a time while Marotti was in charge of the Irish strength and conditioning between 1998-2005.

 

Robert Landers

Defensive Tackle / 6-2, 295

Dayton, Ohio / Huber Heights Wayne

 

Robert Landers was called a “disruptive  force” throughout his senior season at Huber Heights and especially during his team’s run to the Division I state championship game … he totaled 153 tackles during his career for coach Jay Minton, including 16.5 tackles-for-loss … he was a second-team Associated Press all-state selection as a senior and an all-Southwest Ohio Team 25 honoree after helping Huber Heights to a 13-2 record … he was also named all-Southwest District and he was chosen as the all-area defensive player of the year … earned a 4-star rating from Scout and listed by that organization as the No. 4 defensive lineman in Ohio and the No. 6 lineman in the Midwest … also had a high national ranking of No. 29 at defensive tackle … 247Sports listed him as a Top 50 defensive tackle … Landers is the state’s 2014 track and field shot put champion, winning the title with a throw of just over 61 feet … Mother is Tracy Matthews.

 

Liam McCullough

Long Snapper / 6-2, 230

Columbus, Ohio / Worthington Kilbourne

 

Liam McCullough is believed to be only the second long snapper in Ohio State annals to earn a scholarship offer as a high school senior; the first being current Buckeye Bryce Haynes, who will be a senior in 2015 … McCullough had scholarship offers from two other Big Ten schools and one in the SEC … he is rated as the No. 1 long snapper in the country by 247Sports and No. 2 by the Rubio long snapping service  … is called “dominant” on the Rubio long snapping website and “snaps with great power and accuracy” … has been Kilbourne’s long snapper since his freshman season, and he has been a long snapper since the fifth grade … helped coach Vince Trombetti’s Wolves to an 8-4 record in 2014 and to the second round of the Ohio state playoffs … was selected to play in the U.S. Army All-America game … talents also include teaching himself how to play the piano and trombone. … parents are Michelle and Mike McCullough.

 

Joshua Norwood

Defensive Back / 6-0, 175

Valdosta, Ga. / Valdosta

 

Joshua Norwood was a three-year starter at Valdosta High School, one of the top programs in America in terms of wins and all-time championships … Norwood helped Valdosta, coached by Rance Gillespie, into the 2014 Georgia state playoffs for a sixth consecutive year in 2014 with a 9-2 record … he was named first-team Georgia Sports Writers Association all-state as a senior after recording 44 tackles, 11 tackles-for-loss, 10 pass-break-ups, six interceptions and forcing five fumbles for a defense that shut out four opponents and surrendered just 13.6 points per game … Norwood was also named 1-6A all-region and its co-defensive player of the year … earned Top 50 cornerback rankings nationally by Rivals (No. 44) with a No. 71 rating by 247Sports … also played basketball and ran track, and is the school record-holder in the 110- and 300-meter hurdles … he is the grandson of Geneva and Willie B. Knight.

 

Isaiah Prince

Offensive Line / 6-7, 280

Greenbelt, Md. / Eleanor Roosevelt

 

Another pleasant surprise – at least publicly – on signing day is consensus 4-star offensive lineman Isaiah Prince, who made his commitment to Ohio State public when he signed his National Letter of Intent on Feb. 4 … a Top 10 offensive tackle prospect by Rivals (No. 4), Scout (No. 6) and 247Sports (No. 7) while ESPN rated him No. 22 … overall rankings include a No. 67 ranking by Rivals, No. 74 by Scout and No. 105 by 247Sports, and he is also listed on the ESPN 300 … Prince was considered the No. 1 player in the state of Maryland as a senior and he was a consensus all-state pick in 2014 in addition to earning Washington Post all-metro honors for three years … he helped his team to an 11-1 record in 2014, including advancing to a state 4A regional final … a U.S. Army All-American.

 

Grant Schmidt

Offensive Lineman / 6-6, 285

Sioux Falls, S.D. / Roosevelt 

 

Media guide rosters at Ohio State were checked for each year back to 1950 and Grant Schmidt certainly appears to be the first from the state of South Dakota to play football at Ohio State … an early enrollee (January 2015) in classes at Ohio State and a 4-star prospect by Rivals and 247Sports, Schmidt is rated as the No. 1 offensive lineman in his state and the No. 9 tackle in the Midwest … Rivals rated him the No. 26 tackle nationally while Scout had Schmidt as a Top 50 prospect … a four-year starter who helped coach Kim Nelson’s Roosevelt teams to back-to-back state championship games (2013 and 2014) in Class 11AAA and to 9-2 records … named a South Dakota Coaches Association first-team all-state pick and was a Semper Fi All-American … is the son of Sharon and Jay Schmidt.

 

Alex Stump

Wide Receiver / 6-3, 193

Lakewood, Ohio / St. Edward

 

Alex Stump has size, speed and talent on top of a strong academics skillset that earned him scholarship offers from Harvard and Yale in addition to a host of other offers … despite injuring a foot in the fourth game of the 2014 season, Stump earned 4-star rankings from both Rivals and 247Sports as a senior … he was considered the No. 1 receiver in Ohio as well as the No. 3 receiver in the Midwest region while also earning national receiving rankings of No. 23 by Scout, No. 36 by 247Sports and No. 42 by Rivals … PrepStar named him all-Midwest Region … he had 11 receptions for 109 yards vs. Cincinnati Elder in his final game as a prepster … team lost that game and also its next before winning 10 consecutive games to win the Ohio Division I state championship … Stump had 57 catches as a junior, for 987 yards and 14 touchdowns to earn honorable mention all-state honors by theAssociated Press and all-district accolades … is the son of Laura and Mike Stump.

 

Denzel Ward

Defensive Back / 5-11, 175

Macedonia, Ohio / Nordonia H.S.

 

Denzel Ward helped lead Nordonia to a 14-1 record and the Division II state championship game in 2014 by starring on defense with nine interceptions and 18 pass break-ups and on offense with more than 1,300 total yards and 20 touchdowns … named the Division II co-defensive player of the year and a first-team Associated Press all-state selection for coach Jeff Fox … also named Cleveland.com’s defensive player of the year … totaled 14 interceptions in 2013 and 2014 combined plus had 93 receptions and 31 receiving touchdowns … is rated a 4-star prospect by Scout and 247Sports and is ranked respectively by those organizations as the Nos. 22 and 26 cornerback prospect … is rated as high as No. 171 among all players by Scout … a PrepStar all-Midwest Region …caught 37 passes for 658 yards and nine touchdowns for 8-3 team as a junior … possesses tremendous speed – including published reports of a hand-timed 4.31 40 – and is a multiple state qualifier in track and field as part of Nordonia’s 4×400-meter relay and as a long jumper … is the son of Nicole and Paul Ward.

 

Mike Weber

Running Back / 5-10, 215

Detroit, Mich. / Cass Tech

 

Consensus 4-star prospect Mike Weber rushed for 2,268 yards and 29 touchdowns as a senior in 2014 despite missing three games for coach Thomas Wilcher’s state semifinalist squad … Weber was so good this year – he averaged 10.1 yards per carry – that Wilcher called him the best back in the Detroit Public School League in the last 30 years … is considered a Top 100 player nationally, with high overall rankings of No. 69 by Scout, No. 71 by Rivals, No. 80 by 247Sports  and with a 140 rank on the ESPN 300 … considered the No. 1 player in the state of Michigan (Scout) and considered a Top 10 running back nationally by Rivals (No. 8), Scout (No. 9) and 247Sports (No. 9) … a first-team Associated Press all-state honoree as a senior and was twice named the Proud Strong Learner of the Week in the DPSL … rushed for a state record 404 yards and five touchdowns in a regional championship win over Clinton Township Chippewa Valley … rushed for 890 yards and 13 touchdowns in Cass Tech’s four-game run through the state playoffs in 2014 … a finalist for the Michigan state player of the year award and a co-recipient of the Detroit player of the year award … a U.S. Army All-American … parents are Toni and Mike Weber Sr.