2011 Offensive Lineman Michael Bennett is Weighing Every Option

Michael Bennett is making a stir early in the recruiting process for 2011 college prospects. With a number of great offers early from big programs like Ohio State, Michigan, Notre Dame, Alabama, Cincinnati, Nebraska, and Wisconsin, he was the luxury of weighing his decision for almost a year if he chooses. Bennett told us about what he is looking for in a college and a football program.

Michael Bennett 2011 Offensive/Defensive Lineman Highlights

By Steve Patterson

Michael Bennett plays the game of football with a dominating presence from either the offensive tackle of the defensive tackle position. "My best attributes are my aggressiveness and attitude.” the 6’3” 275 lbs junior explained to us recently. He high school, Centerville Ohio, is ready to have a big year this coming fall against some Ohio powerhouse teams. “So far i don't have a single highlight. I expect there will be a lot my senior season though with us playing Alter and Saint Ignatius.”

Bennett has made unofficial visits to a couple of schools in the area including Ohio State and Cincinnati. “I've been to OSU's junior day, a UC game, a Ball State game, and an OSU game.” He has very good things to say about the Buckeyes and the Bearcats. “I thought OSU had amazing facilities and there was an amazing atmosphere at OSU's and UC's games.”

“I'm interested in a winning program with great academics.” he reported to us about his goal in selecting a college. “I feel that academics are just as important as football because they would supply me with a career after football is over.”

The scholarships continue to pile up for the highly sought after Ohio product. “So far I have scholarship offers from: UAB, UC, OSU, NC State, Duke, Ball State, Michigan State, Ohio, Wake Forest, Indiana, Northwestern, Alabama, Michigan, Nebraska, Notre dame, Wisconsin, and West Virginia.” he told us. Notre Dame was one of the more recent offers with Brian Kelley continuing to recruit players from his old recruiting territory near Cincinnati.

Although some might consider Bennett a lean to the home state Buckeyes, he insists that he is wide open at this time. “I don't have any favorites right now. I'm weighing every school on the same scale and making sure I don't make a hasty decision"

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Buckeyes Approaching March Madness with Strong Play

With March Madness approaching quickly, teams are positioning themselves for the best seeds. Big Ten teams, like Ohio State, are looking to peak here at the end of the season to enter the NCAA tournament in the best frame of mind, the most experienced, confident, and healthy. This should be a very exciting year for sports betting sites and fans of the teams in all the major conferences.

By Steve Patterson

Big Ten teams projected to be selected for the Big Dance include Purdue, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan State, and Ohio State. Of course the conference tournament winner has an automatic bid into the NCAA tournament, which could add a sixth team into the mix. Purdue is in position to be a #1 seed with a 24-3 record, although the recent injury to Robbie Hummel and an upcoming Michigan State match up might cause them to stumble.

Ohio State is looking like a #3 seed with a 22-7 record. The Buckeyes biggest concern is their lack of bench depth. Evan Turner is the team’s leader and has been remarkable all year long. He leads the team in points per game with 19.3, rebounds with 9.3 per game, assists with 5.8 a game, and steals with 1.9 a game. Yet the team is reluctant to play it’s bench which could ware on the starters in a long tournament run. Head Coach Thad Matta has 8 players that have played significant games with only the 5 starters getting large minutes.

The tournament will be exciting once again and everyone should be set to enjoy a good solid month of college basketball as March approaches.

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Ohio Cornerback Doran Grant, No College Leaders Yet

When you see film of Doran Grant dominating offenses from the cornerback position at St Mary St Vincent in Akron Ohio, you think he is a senior who has started for 3 years. Then you realize the video is from 2007 when Grant was new to the  high school game. With already two hands full of scholarship offers, Grant is an early 2011 Rivals Top 250 Watch list member.

By Steve Patterson

Doran Grant is still wide open in his recruitment with teams from Georgia to Ohio State in pursuit. The 5’10” 171 lbs corner back will have his selection of college programs when he his ready to make a choice. An early decision for one of the best players nationwide for 2011 is weather to play in the Army All American Bowl in San Antonio or going to Orlando to play in ESPN’s Under Armour Bowl.

We asked Grant recently what were his best skills on the field that set him apart from other players. “My best attributes are my speed, quickness, savvy playmaking and strength.” he explained to us. Grant has a recorded 4.59 sec 40 yard dash according to one recruiting service and 4.37 seconds according to Scout.com.

Coming into his sophomore year of high school, teams were already aware of him on the field. “The highlight of my career is having teams throw away from me as a sophomore.” he explained. As a junior he put up decent numbers for not having the ball thrown his way very often on defense. “Stats last year were 33 receptions for 688 yards, 40 tackles, 1 interception, 3 blocked field goals, and 3 pass deflections.”

College Visits

Some of his early visits have been to two of his favorites. “I’ve visited Ohio State and Michigan State so far THIS winter. I enjoyed both and grew relationships with the coaches.” There are rumors that Grant is a heavy Ohio State lean, but he states that this is not true. He also likes Georgia, Georgia Tech, Michigan and Notre Dame. He has future visits planned for Michigan, Georgia Tech and Cincinnati.

“In a college program I’m looking for a great coaching staff, great people, and a chance to play early (freshman year).” he told us about what he looks for when he visits campuses. With cornerback depth an issue at some of his favorites, getting on the field as a freshman shouldn’t be a problem.

Scholarships

The list of colleges showing interest continues to grow as Grant tried to list the major programs that have offered him a scholarship. “A lot of schools are showing interest, all the Big Ten, Georgia, Georgia Tech, USC, CAL,West Virginia, Cincinnati, PITT, LSU , and a lot others.” he said. And he continues to maintain that there are no leaders this early in the process.  “I don’t have any legit favorites as of now.”

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Adam Griffin Gets Late Ohio State Offer

Adam Griffin was considering walking-on with the Ohio State Buckeyes this coming fall but received a late offer from the coaching staff and committed. Griffin is the son of legendary Buckeye tailback Archie Griffin and prepped at Columbus DeSales. The 5’9” 185lbs running back, defensive back, and return specialist had offers from Air Force, Army, Navy and Eastern Illinois.

By Steve Patterson

Griffin helped his high school to the state championship this past year and was considering attending one of the service academies or walking-on at Ohio State. He is reportedly quite excited to be on scholarship with OSU this coming fall.

The scholarship became available when Ohio State lost out on Seantrel Henderson, Matt James, and Morgan Moses on signing day. The Buckeyes still have room for one additional recruit in their 2010 class if Seantrel Henderson reverses his decision to attend USC or Latwan Anderson wants to play college football with his high school teammate Christian Bryant.

Scott McVey, Coach Tressel Was The Biggest Difference

The 5’11”, 215 lbs. outside linebacker from Cleveland St Ignatius, Scott McVey, moved up the recruiting board quickly after a great finish to his junior year in the state tournament. He visited four schools and committed to the Buckeyes early in the recruiting process. He is now preparing to finish his senior year and begin college this summer.

By Steve Patterson

Scott McVey had a number of very good offers from teams like Iowa, Michigan, Stanford, and West Virginia. But the Ohio State coaching staff was what convinced him to commit early to the home-state team. “The recruiting process was alright overall but I was ready for it to be over and I was confident with my decision early.” he explained recently. “The only official visit I made was to Ohio State but I also visited Boston College, Notre Dame, and Michigan.” Notre Dame did not offer but should a lot of interest prior to their coaching change.

McVey wanted a level of comfort with the football program. “A college football program for me has to be the complete package, I had to feel comfortable. Coach Tressel made the biggest difference in me making my final decision.” In addition to the coaching staff, he also liked what he saw academically. “I like most about Ohio state is that their expectations are high both in the classroom and on the field.”

He will not wait for the fall quarter but will enroll over the summer with many other members of 2010 recruiting class. “I am enrolling at Ohio State for summer quarter.” he reported to us.

David Durham, Ohio State is a Special Place

Speaking with David Durham makes one realize how much he is looking forward to joining the 2010 class at Ohio State and playing for the Scarlet and Grey. He understands the tradition and values the relationship he has developed with both Head Coach Jim Tressel and Linebackers Coach/Co-Defensive Coordinator Luke Fickell.

By Steve Patterson

David Durham is coming a long distance to become a member of the 2010 Ohio State recruiting class but he saw enough other college programs to understand what he wanted in a football coaching staff. “I did enjoy the recruiting process for the most part. Especially after I committed to the Buckeyes.  I was only the fourth commitment in my class and that was something pretty special to have been committed for that long.  Once I verbally committed things were a lot less stressful and I could relax a little bit and focus on other things.” he told us recently. While wrestling for his high school, he visited many campuses. “I visited schools all over the country throughout my high school career. Probably some of the most important visits for me, were those to schools like North Carolina, West Virginia, and Virginia because all of those schools had shown a lot of interest in me and I was very interested in their programs.  During my junior year I also visited Penn State, Alabama, Ole Miss, Texas, Baylor and many others.”

What he liked most about Ohio State was the coaching staff and the relationship he developed with them. “I think the most important thing people look at when they get recruited are the relationships they make with coaches.  I had a very positive relationship with Coach Tressel and Coach Fickell.  I know that Coach Tressel isn't going to be leaving Ohio State any time soon.  I like that they have a big emphasis on developing us as people as well as football players.  I also wanted to be a part of a successful program with a strong defense.  Ohio State obviously gets a check mark on both of those.  I wanted to be at a school with strong academics, that I could get a respectable degree from.  Everything else is just icing on the cake.  Ohio State is a special place and I look forward to being a part of it.”

He also likes the tradition and the consistently strong defensive the Buckeyes put on the field. “The thing I like most about Ohio State football is the tradition that goes along with it.  Ohio State is respected as one of the greatest football programs of all time.  So many unbelievable players have played in the horseshoe.  The people in Ohio take buckeye football very seriously. Success has become a tradition at The Ohio State University and I look forward to being a part of that success in years to come.”

Although Durham was a very good high school wrestler he will not have time when he arrives in Columbus, he reported to us. “No, wrestling has become kind of a year round sport in college.  I don't know if anyone has ever wrestled and participated in other sports in college, mainly because you have maintain a certain weight, which is difficult when you are playing football.  So unfortunately, it looks like my wresting career is coming to a close.”

He plans to enroll over the summer to get a jump on classes and football. “I will enroll in the summer.  I believe June, 21, is the date  when most of the guys in my class will enroll.  We will just be working out with the team, attending a few classes, and getting ready for camp to start.”

Morgan Moses Ready For College Football after FUMA

Morgan Moses spent the last year at Fort Union Military Academy after starring at his local high school, Meadowbrook. Coming out of High School he was a top rated offensive lineman nationally and played in the Army all-star game in San Antonio. But he did not qualify to play for his committed college program at Virginia and went to FUMA instead. Now he is ready to excel on the football field and also in the classroom when he selects a college to attend.

Morgan Moses Meadowbrook High School Highlights

By Steve Patterson

Morgan Moses wanted to attend Virginia last year but now is not sure as they have changed head coaches. Other schools have also come into the picture including North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio State, Florida, and LSU. A couple of current Buckeye recruits (Carlos Hyde and Jamel Turner) were on his team at FAMU and he spent a great deal of time with Hyde who is already enrolled at Ohio State. OSU Head Coach Jim Tressel feels they have a really good chance at landing Moses as he made an in-home visit this past week and wants Moses to official visit before National Letter of Intent signing day.

Moses is currently considered a soft verbal commitment to Virginia with interest in LSU, South Carolina, Florida, and Ohio State. He has made recent visits to South Carolina, on December 4th, and Florida, on December 11th. On his visit to USC, Moses got the chance to meet both coach Shawn Elliot and head coach Steve Spurrier. He liked both coaches very much and is considered leaning towards the Gamecocks according to some associated with the program.

Bradley Roby Switches Vanderbilt to Ohio State

Bradley Roby committed to Vanderbilt in July but continued to discuss opportunities with both Auburn and Ohio State. This past weekend the Shawnee Georgia wide receiver/defensive back switched his committed to the Buckeyes after a visit. He comes from the same high school as current OSU defensive tackle Cameron Heyward and the families are quite close.

Bradley Roby, Peachtree Ridge, Highlight Film

By Steve Patterson

Bradley Roby’s mother might as well be Cameron Heyward’s aunt according to the latest Ohio State commit. Seems the mothers spend a lot of time together at sporting events. Their friendship made Roby’s switch from Vanderbilt to Ohio State easy for the 3 star recruit. He was mostly considering SEC teams until Heyward’s mom began talking about how nice the football program is at Ohio State.

Roby adds an athletic cornerback to the class of 2010 for Ohio State which struck out with two other corners earlier in the recruiting process. Lamarcus Joyner committed to Florida State and Joshua Shaw committed to Florida. Both were thought to be on the verge of joining the Buckeyes at one point during their college selection process.

Ohio State is still looking to add one more cornerback to the class in Cleveland Glenville’s Christian Bryant. Bryant is a 4 star recruit, ranked the 6th best corner in the country by Rivals.com, and comes from the same school that sent Ted Ginn Jr. and Troy Smith to Ohio State among many other top recruits.

Is Texas Ready For Jordan Hicks?

It is almost decision-making time for Jordan Hicks, and he most recently met with Will Muschamp of the Texas Longhorns this previous Saturday. It seems that he is a prime choice for the Texas defense, but to enroll early, he will have to make a decision as quickly as possible. The spring semester commences January 19, so it is definitely crunch time if he is ready to become a Longhorn.

By Chuggin McCoffee

One other potential sway to the vote in favor of Texas is that Hicks' mother previously worked with the Texas coach Jeff Madden, linking her to the team and possibly biasing the decision. Hicks is a skilled outside linebacker at 6'2" and 210 pounds, and he is seen as one of the more promising linebacker recruits this season. The only thing to take into consideration is how well Hicks will be able to adjust to the Texas team, but coupled with the potential for playing early, it may be a decision that he is willing to make. Most recently, Hicks was able to play in the Under Armour All-American game side-by-side with other future Texas players like Mike Davis, Taylor Bible, Aaron Benson, and Adrian White. As for the final Texas decision, only time will tell!

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Ohio State offers Wide Receiver Bradley Roby

With recruiting season winding down and a couple of players not selecting Ohio State as their college choice, the Buckeyes have had the opportunity to offer scholarships to several new players. Last week Verlon Reed received an offer and this week an offer was made to Vanderbilt commit Bradley Roby. Roby recently opened is recruitment up as he wants to reconsider his current status.

By Steve Patterson

Bradley Roby is a 6’0” 175 lbs wide receiver from Suwannee Peachtree Ridge Georgia. This is the same high school that Ohio State was able to grad Cameron Heyward from three years ago. Roby has good speed with a 4.4 40 yard dash recording. He is a three star recruit according to a number of recruiting organizations. His current offer list includes Vanderbilt, Auburn, Boston College, Indiana, Maryland, Purdue, and West Virginia among others. Auburn is the only other school besides Vanderbilt that he has visited and could be the school to beat.

The Buckeyes are more than likely looking at Roby as a cornerback as they lost both Lamarcus Joyner and Joshua Shaw to Florida schools recently. This leaves only Christian Bryant from Cleveland Glenville as a 2010 cornerback prospect for OSU. Their class is somewhat stalled at 14 prospects and a national ranking of 27th according to Rivals.com. Getting more defensive backfield help is a priority for the Buckeyes who lose their 2 starting corners, Chimdi Chekwa and Devon Torrence, after next season.