Ohio State and USC will meet on the football field later this month on December 29 in the Cotton Bowl, but well before then they will be battling head-to-head on the recruiting trail in the form of an official visit to Ohio State for 5-star linebacker Palaie Gaoteote.
And according to 247Sports, that visit will be happening this weekend. There are conflicting reports on whether the visit will actually be this weekend or next, but one will eventually be happening, and the Buckeye coaches will roll out the red carpet for one of the best players in the nation.
Gaoteote has been one of OSU’s top 2018 recruiting targets for over a year now, and even though many believed him to be a Buckeye lean, he surprised almost everyone by verbally committing to USC last February.
Ranked the No. 1 inside linebacker in the nation and the No. 13 player overall per 247Sports Composite, Gaoteote attends Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was a teammate of current Buckeyes Tate Martell and Haskell Garrett, who both attended Bishop Gorman.
Gaoteote will be playing in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in January and does not intend on signing during the early signing period (Dec. 20-22) later this month. In fact, he could wait until the second signing day, which is February 7, to ultimately decide.
Ohio State already has three linebackers committed in the 2018 recruiting class. Virginia prospects Teradja Mitchell and K’Vaughan Pope are rated the No. 2 and No. 8 inside linebackers in the nation, respectively. Toledoan Dallas Gant is the No. 10 outside linebacker. Spots are getting tight, but there is always room for a player of Gaoteote’s caliber.
Palaie Gaoteote Highlights
[Palaie Gaoteote photo courtesy 247Sports.com]
He is really fast for an inside guy. The highlight reel looked good for showing him shooting gaps. Didn’t see much of him in coverage.