2008 Football Recruiting

OH DT Dawawn Whitner - Ohio State

srpatterson — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 00:56:18 GMT

Dawawn Whitner, Transferring in January

Dawawn Whitner hoped to have followed his brother from Glenville to Ohio State to the NFL but had to a make a short stop at Columbus State to get his grades in order. Now he is hoping to become a Buckeye at the end of the Winter Semester.

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OH WR Devier Posey - Ohio State

srpatterson — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 21:52:20 GMT

Posey takes the State Title in the 400m

Cincinnati Ohio LaSalle senior Devier Posey won the state title in the 400 meters and came in fourth in the 100 meters and the 200 meters. It was the last time Posey will compete in the 400 meters as he plans to play wide receiver exclusively at Ohio State in the fall.

PA QB Terrelle Pryor - Ohio State

srpatterson — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 21:46:29 GMT

Incoming Football Freshman Studied for Flaws

The incoming freshman class was on campus Saturday to undergo tests by the Biomechanical and Sports Medicine Department to study each player’s internal and external characteristics and evaluate their potential for injury.

FL CB Travis Howard - Ohio State

CriticalSteve — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 02:52:24 GMT

Can Ohio State continue to pull out of Krop?

Ohio State Head Coach Jim Tressel, Michael Brewster, and Company did a great job in 2008 of pulling two highly recruited players out of Miami Krop High School. The BrutusReport.com 2008 Football Recruiting Chart has Krop Cornerback Travis Howard and Middle Linebacker Etienne Sabino both rated as 4 star prospects. But does that necessarily mean that they will continue to get recruits from one of the hottest high schools in South Florida with the University of Miami (FL) staking their claim once again on the area?

FL LB Etienne Sabino - Ohio State

CriticalSteve — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 02:51:59 GMT

Can Ohio State continue to pull out of Krop?

OH S Zach Domicone - Ohio State

srpatterson — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 19:12:53 GMT

Committed to Ohio State the same weekend he got the offer and visited.

GA DE Keith Wells - Ohio State

host — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 22:21:35 GMT

Defensive end from Georgia picks Buckeyes

Monday, February 4, 2008 1:01 PM

By Tim May

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

The requested resource (/live/static/crt/111/osufootball_rightrail.html) is not available

Ohio State pushed its 2008 recruiting class back up to 18 members today with the commitment of defensive end Keith Wells of Gainesville, Ga.

Wells said he picked the Buckeyes over Tennessee and Notre Dame, which made a late push for the late-blooming pass-rusher.

"Ohio State is my best all-around school," Wells said by phone. "They've got a top-20 engineering program, their football team is thriving, definitely excelling the last few years, and I definitely feel I have an opportunity to get in there and play early."

Wells, who just started playing football in the 2006 season, blossomed into a 6-foot-5, 235-pound speed rusher who made plays all over the field for the Red Elephants of Gainesville.

Recruiting experts are still trying to figure out his potential, too. Consider that though he is considered a four-star prospect by Scout.com, which rates him as the 16th best defensive end prospect in the country, rivals.com rates him as merely a three-star recruit.

The Buckeyes, meanwhile, still await word from the nation's No.1 prospect, Terrelle Pryor, the quarterback from Jeannette, Pa., who might not make up his mind by Wednesday, the first day that national letters-of-intent can be signed. He is considering OSU, Michigan, Oregon and Penn State.

Two other blue-chip prospects with whom OSU is going down to the wire are offensive lineman Josh Jenkins of Parkersburg, W.Va., who is scheduled to announce at 9 a.m. Wednesday between the Buckeyes and West Virginia, and defensive back Brandon Harris of Miami, Fla., who likely will choose between OSU and Miami on signing day.

tmay@dispatch.com

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/football/stories/2008/02/04/osusign.html?sid=101&rfr=nwsl

MN DE Willie Mobley - Ohio State

srpatterson — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 20:21:16 GMT

FOOTBALL: Minnesota's back on the map for prospects

By Chip Scoggins, Star Tribune (Minneapolis)
Published Saturday, February 02, 2008

MINNEAPOLIS - At the height of his recruitment, Eden Prairie senior Willie Mobley received 80 text messages a day from college coaches, media members and recruiting analysts.

“Every day I had to delete my inbox because it got so full,” he said.

Cretin-Derham Hall's Michael Floyd went a step further, changing his cell phone number twice to avoid the deluge of texts and calls.

“People were always calling,” he said.

Champlin Park's Sam Maresh probably would have faced the same recruiting blitzkrieg had he not given a verbal commitment to the Gophers back in April. He's even more thankful now.

“It took a lot of pressure off me,” he said.

It's understandable why so much attention was heaped on Minnesota's top three football prospects.

All three players are ranked among Rivals.com's top 250 recruits nationally - Floyd is 27th, Mobley 174th and Maresh 244th.

Rivals elevated Floyd to its highest ranking - five star - after he proved to be one of the top performers at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. Mobley and Maresh both are four-star recruits.

College recruiters took notice of all three. Floyd, one of the nation's top wide receivers, had his pick of schools before selecting Notre Dame. Mobley, a defensive lineman, committed to Ohio State after receiving 29 scholarship offers. Maresh, a middle linebacker, also had a number of offers, including Michigan, and likely would have attracted more, but he opted to commit early in the recruiting process.

Those three brought star power to a state not known nationally for its football prowess.

“It's big to us,” Mobley said. “I think Minnesota football is very underrated. We have a lot of good players and teams here.”

One longtime high school coach said Floyd is the best wide receiver he's ever seen in Minnesota. Even former Holy Angels star Larry Fitzgerald Jr., who was practically unstoppable in high school and has become a two-time NFL Pro Bowl wide receiver, sounded intrigued by reports on Floyd.

“I hear a lot of good things about him,” Fitzgerald said.

http://www.grandforksherald.com/articles/index.cfm?id=65832&section=Sports&freebie_check&CFID=789088&CFTOKEN=68142799&jsessionid=88307d977614e3852b5f

PA LB Andrew Sweat - Ohio State

srpatterson — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 20:19:02 GMT

Two-sport star chooses Bucks

Pennsylvania star ready to suit up for OSU

Brian Rosen

Andrew Sweat

Pretend for a moment that you're Ohio State baseball coach Bob Todd. You hear about a 6-foot-2-inch, 225-pound left-handed pitcher with a 93-mph heater and six years of training from a former New York Yankees scouting director. Salivating yet? Too bad this athlete's college plans center around knocking opposing players' heads off.

Although seemingly capable of a career on the diamond, Andrew Sweat's greatest passion derives from the thrill of victory on the gridiron. Sweat, a standout from Trinity High School in Washington, Pa, has verbally committed to OSU football for 2008.

"While baseball may be my best sport, I really want to play football at the next level," said Sweat, a 4-star linebacker recruit from rivals.com. "Many schools have spoken to me and I would consider (playing baseball) down the road, but for now my priority is the OSU football team."

The three-sport star, who also played shooting guard on the Hillers basketball team prior to this season, was named the Washington County Athlete of the Year after totaling 155 tackles and three interceptions this past season.

"He's a killer," said Ed Dalton, Trinity football coach and director of athletics. "He is a player that is not just happy tackling the ball; he wants to wreak havoc on the ball."

"He's a blue collar kind of player that is not going to wow you with some sort of panache or style points," said Kevin Noon, managing editor for ohiostate.rivals.com. "He just consistently makes plays and has a great head for the game."

Although Sweat thrills fans on the football field with his 4.55 speed out of the middle linebacker position, his talents extend to the classroom. Sweat said he recognizes the importance of balancing athletics and his studies.

"My family and Coach Dalton have always pushed me and worked hard to instill discipline on the field and in the classroom," said Sweat, who earned a 4.3 cumulative grade point average during high school. "While all the straightforward and genuine people in Columbus (ultimately) drove me to attend OSU, education played a significant role as well."

Sweat's bloodlines further typify his stellar profile. As the son of a three-year starter on the Syracuse football team and a draftee to the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs, Sweat said he understands the work necessary to succeed at the next level. However, unlike many sons of star athletes, Sweat felt no added pressure to follow in his fathers footsteps.

"Although some dads really put pressure on (their) sons, my father has typically been laid back and allowed me to do what I want to do," Sweat said. "I feel I am a product of his support."

In an effort to jump-start his learning curve, Sweat intends to begin classes and attend spring practices in March. With signing day approaching, the biggest question surrounding the 18-year-old remains when and where he will inevitably suit up for the scarlet and gray.

"The thing about Andrew Sweat is he's so versatile that he can play any of the three line backing positions plus he could even play strong safety," Noon said. "I see there being about no opportunity for him to get onto the field this first year. He really just needs to be able to get into the program, learn under Coach Luke Fickell and be able to find where his role will be on this football team."

Regardless of his place in '08, when his buckeye career ends sometime early next decade, Dalton said he believes Sweat will don an NFL uniform like his father before him.

"Without putting an undue burden on him, if he's not playing on Sunday then I'll never coach a guy who can play on Sunday," Dalton said. "I think he's that talented."

Brian Rosen can be reached at rosen.95@osu.edu.

http://media.www.thelantern.com/media/storage/paper333/news/2008/02/01/Sports/TwoSport.Star.Chooses.Bucks-3183349.shtml

OH S Zach Domicone - Ohio State

srpatterson — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 18:17:25 GMT

Zach Domicone
6-2/210/4.6
Beavercreek, OH
Safety
Committed to Ohio State over the weekend on an official visit.

OH FB Jermil Martin - Ohio State

srpatterson — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 18:16:37 GMT

Jermil Martin
Glenville Cleveland, OH
5-11/215/4.60
Full Back
Committed to Ohio State over the weekend on an official visit.

OH DT Shawntel Rowell - Ohio State

srpatterson — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 19:25:23 GMT

Shawntel Rowell
6-5/330
Glenville Cleveland, OH
Defensive Tackle
Committed to Ohio State on Monday (12-17-07).

MD RB Lamaar Thomas - Ohio State

srpatterson — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 03:45:17 GMT

Picked Ohio State tonight on ESPNU. Will play wide receiver in addition to lining up in the backfield and returning kicks/punts.

IL DT Garrett Goebel - Ohio State

srpatterson — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 00:44:20 GMT

Committed to Ohio State this weekend.

OH WR/TE Jake Stoneburner

srpatterson — Thu, 10 May 2007 21:12:46 GMT

Check out the recruiting news pages for the latest on Jake:

http://www.brutusreport.com/News/RecruitingNews/OhioStateCommits/tabid/487/Default.aspx

OH DE Nathan Williams

srpatterson — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 22:07:54 GMT

Nathan Williams, Always Been an OSU Fan
Miami Trace Head Football Coach Jeff Conroy feels Nathan William’s speed and ability to make plays sets him apart on the football field. The Panther’s Coach also saw Nathan’s interest peek after a visit to Columbus for the Spring Game a week ago Saturday.

TX OL J.B. Shugarts

srpatterson — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 19:58:01 GMT

J.B. Shugarts, New to Offensive Tackle Position
J.B. Shugarts became the seventh member of the 2008 Ohio State recruiting class on Tuesday when he announced that he was committing to the Buckeyes at his high school in Klein Texas. Surprisingly, Shugarts has only played offensive tackle for two games in his career at Klein.

FL OL Michael Brewster

srpatterson — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 22:00:15 GMT

Brewster Commits on Spring Game Weekend
The Orlando Florida offensive lineman committed to Ohio State at dinner following the annual Scarlet vs. Gray Spring Game where he was a part of a record crowd of 75,301 Buckeye fans at the Shoe in April.

OH OL Mike Adams

srpatterson — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 22:11:36 GMT

Mike Adams, Taking over for Kirk Barton
Mike Adams, 6’7”, 305lbs offensive tackle from Dublin Ohio, will be joining the Buckeyes a year from now and looking to take over the right tackle position for departing senior to be Kirk Barton.

OH K Ben Buchanan

srpatterson — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 01:29:18 GMT

Ben Buchanan, Top Rated Kicker becomes a Buckeye
The first oral commitment to the 2008 Buckeye recruiting class is Westerville Central kicker Ben Buchanan. Buchanan is rated as the top kicker/punter in the 2008 class in not only Ohio but in the Midwest by some services.

2008 Football Recruiting

OH DT Dawawn Whitner - Ohio State

OH WR Devier Posey - Ohio State

Posey takes the State Title in the 400m

PA QB Terrelle Pryor - Ohio State

Incoming Football Freshman Studied for Flaws

FL CB Travis Howard - Ohio State

Can Ohio State continue to pull out of Krop?

FL LB Etienne Sabino - Ohio State

Can Ohio State continue to pull out of Krop?

OH S Zach Domicone - Ohio State

GA DE Keith Wells - Ohio State

MN DE Willie Mobley - Ohio State

FOOTBALL: Minnesota's back on the map for prospects

By Chip Scoggins, Star Tribune (Minneapolis)Published Saturday, February 02, 2008

PA LB Andrew Sweat - Ohio State

Two-sport star chooses Bucks

Pennsylvania star ready to suit up for OSU

Brian Rosen

OH S Zach Domicone - Ohio State

OH FB Jermil Martin - Ohio State

OH DT Shawntel Rowell - Ohio State

MD RB Lamaar Thomas - Ohio State

IL DT Garrett Goebel - Ohio State

OH WR/TE Jake Stoneburner

OH DE Nathan Williams

TX OL J.B. Shugarts

FL OL Michael Brewster

OH OL Mike Adams

OH K Ben Buchanan

More...

By Chip Scoggins, Star Tribune (Minneapolis)
Published Saturday, February 02, 2008