Defensive End Getting Close To Decision

Recruiting Update • Jan. 27, 2012
Defensive End Getting Close To Decision
By Ari Wasserman
The final visit Durham (N.C.) Hillside
defensive end Jamal Marcus made during his recruitment was an official tour
of the Ohio State campus the weekend
of Jan. 21. That doesn’t mean the threestar prospect is sure to sign with the
Buckeyes, though.
With less than a week remaining
before National Signing Day, OSU
remains deadlocked with East Carolina
for the three-star prospect. Marcus (6-3,
245) is scheduled to announce his decision at 10:30 a.m. on signing day.
Marcus holds roughly 30 formal
scholarship offers, and though that list
reflects a wide variety of schools from
all over the country, many of which are
regarded as top programs in college
football, the defensive end has narrowed his list down to two very different
programs.
Of course, there’s Ohio State, the
prototypical powerhouse program that
is expected to compete on a national
scale each season, and then there’s East
Carolina, a Conference USA team that
has found some success in the
recent seasons but isn’t quite
on the same level as other
programs that have competed
for Marcus’ services.
Still, the Buckeyes find
themselves in a dogfight
with the Pirates. Nonetheless
Marcus, who had the opportunity to sit down with head
coach Urban Meyer during
Jamal
his visit to Ohio State, came
away impressed by the Buckeyes.
“My visit was pretty fun. I got a
chance to talk to all the coaches and
some of the players,” he said. “(Coach
Meyer) said we could do great things,
and that he really wants me to come up
there and be a Buckeye.”
The Pirates had Marcus on their campus for an official visit the week before,
and the defensive end enjoyed the time
he spent with the program.
“I got to sit down with (head coach
Ruffin McNeil) and talk about how they
would use me in their defense,” he
said.
Marcus, who is believed by experts
to be an Ohio State lean, knows exactly
what he’s looking for in a school.
“I want to go somewhere that feels
like home,” he said. “And I want to go to
a place where I feel I can play my best
football.”
Marcus had scholarship offers
from Auburn, Florida, Georgia, North
Carolina, USC, Clemson and several
others before narrowing it down to Ohio
State and East Carolina.
Scout.com ranks him the No. 70
defensive end in the class, but he also
could project as an outside linebacker
at the next level.
consists of Ohio State, Nebraska and
Pittsburgh.
Meyer was at the 6-1, 190-pound
signal caller’s high school Jan. 23, and
Ohio State’s head coach certainly conveyed interest to the prospect’s high
school coaches.
“I didn’t speak to him other than saying hello,” Zaire said of Meyer. “He let
my coaches know he is interested, and
I met him when I went to bowl practice
before. He is a great coach, and I’m
definitely very interested in Ohio State.
Coach Meyer has spoken to me about
what it takes to be a leader in his offense
and how much he thinks of me.”
Diggs Headlines Big Visit
Weekend For Ohio State
Recruiting Notes
Three weeks ago, Ohio State wasn’t
even in the discussion for five-star
receiver Stefon Diggs of Olney (Md.)
Our Lady Good Counsel. Now he’s
expected to be in Columbus for an official visit this weekend.
Sources close to BSB indicate that
the 6-0, 185-pound Diggs, the No. 2
wide receiver in the 2012 class according to Scout, will take the ACT
the morning of Jan. 28 before
arriving in Columbus later in
the day. He’s set for a whirlwind tour lasting roughly 24
hours.
Diggs, who was in Florida
on an official visit the weekend
of Jan. 20, is expected to make
his final visit to Maryland the
weekend after signing day
Marcus
before announcing his decision Feb. 11.
He is universally regarded
as one of the best players in
the 2012 class, so Meyer faces
the challenge of making an
impression despite becoming
involved in his recruitment
rather late in the process.
Also expected to be in town
this weekend is junior quarterback Malik Zaire, a 2013 prosStefon
pect from Kettering (Ohio)
Alter. Zaire, a dual-threat quarterback in
the mold of current OSU starter Braxton
Miller, recently released a top three that
• West Roxbury (Mass.) Catholic
Memorial cornerback Armani Reeves
remains on Penn State’s list of verbal
commitments, but many do not believe
the four-star prospect will sign with the
Nittany Lions. The 5-10, 185-pounder
appears to have switched his preference to Ohio State and Michigan and is
slated to pick between the two archrival
schools. Reeves’ high school teammate,
four-star linebacker Camren Williams,
has already changed his commitment
from Penn State to Ohio State.
• Some doubt arose whether
Cleveland Glenville defensive back
De’Van Bogard would sign with Ohio
State after taking an official visit to USC
the weekend of Jan. 14. However, the
four-star recruit confirmed to BSB that
he will in fact remain committed to the
Buckeyes and sign his national letter of
intent with Ohio State on Feb. 1.
• One of the most soughtafter offensive linemen in
the 2012 class is Jordan
Diamond, a five-star prospect from Chicago Simeon.
However, sources close to
BSB have indicated that Ohio
State is no longer in the running for the offensive tackle,
who is scheduled to make
his decision public on Feb.
Diggs
3, two days after signing day.
Diamond (6-6, 290) has visited Auburn,
Michigan and Arkansas as well as Ohio
State.
Ohio State Verbals & Offers
Players in the class of 2012 who
Ohio State.
Player
Pos.
Ht.
Warren Ball
RB
6-2
De’Van Bogard
S
6-1
Jacoby Boren
OG
6-2
Taylor Decker
OT
6-8
Bri’onte Dunn
RB
6-1
Patrick Elflein
OG
6-3
Frank Epitropoulos
WR
6-3
Cardale Jones
QB
6-5
Roger Lewis
WR
6-1
Najee Murray
DB
5-11
Joey O’Connor
OG
6-3½
David Perkins
OLB
6-2
Joshua Perry
OLB
6-3
Se’Von Pittman
DE
6-4
Tyvis Powell
S
6-3
Luke Roberts
MLB 6-2
Tommy Schutt
DT
6-3
Ricquan Southward
WR
6-1
Noah Spence
DE
6-3
Blake Thomas
TE
6-4
Mike Thomas
WR
6-4
Adolphus Washington
DE
6-6
Camren Williams
OLB
6-2
have issued verbal commitments to play football at
Wt.
215
190
273
288
220
270
195
217
190
172
285
210
225
260
180
225
290
190
240
240
205
250
200
Stars
High School
Columbus DeSales
Cleveland Glenville
Pickerington (Ohio) Central
Vandalia (Ohio) Butler
Canton (Ohio) GlenOak
Pickerington (Ohio) North
Upper Arlington, Ohio
Fork Union (Va.) Military Academy
Pickerington (Ohio) Central
Steubenville, Ohio
Windsor, Colo.
South Bend (Ind.) Washington
Lewis Center (Ohio) Olentangy
Canton (Ohio) McKinley
Bedford, Ohio
Lancaster, Ohio
Glen Ellyn (Ill.) Glenbard West
Lakeland, Fla.
Harrisburg (Pa.) Bishop McDevitt
Cleveland St. Ignatius
Fork Union (Va.) Military Academy
Cincinnati Taft
West Roxbury (Mass.) Catholic Memorial
Players in the class of 2012 who have been offered a scholarship by Ohio State and
are not verbally committed elsewhere, according to Scout.com.
Player
Pos.
Ht.
Wt.
Stars
High School
Bam Bradley
S
6-1
195
Trotwood (Ohio) Madison
Joel Caleb
WR
6-2
200
Midlothian (Va.) Clover Hill
Demetrious Cox
S
6-1
185
Jeannette, Pa.
Derek David
MLB 6-4
228
Rockdale, Texas
Jordan Diamond
OT
6-6
290
Chicago Simeon
Stefon Diggs
WR
6-0
185
Olney (Md.) Our Lady of Good Counsel
Kyle Dodson
OT
6-6
310
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
Dorial Green-Beckham
WR
6-6
220
Springfield (Mo.) Hillcrest
Alex Kozan
OG
6-4
295
Highlands Ranch (Colo.) Valor Christian
Jamal Marcus
DE
6-3
245
Durham (N.C.) Hillside
Jordan Moore
S
6-2
195
Lithonia (Ga.) King
Davonte’ Neal
CB
5-9
175
Scottsdale (Ariz.) Chaparral
Armani Reeves
CB
5-10
185
West Roxbury (Mass.) Catholic Memorial
Players in the class of 2013 who have issued verbal commitments to play football at
Ohio State.
Player
Pos.
Ht.
Wt.
Stars
High School
Cameron Burrows
DB
6-2
195
Trotwood (Ohio) Madison