Lejond Cavazos, a defensive back from IMG Academy in Florida, is now officially a Buckeye.
Cavazos sent in his signed Letter of Intent to join Ohio State’s 2020 recruiting class.
Cavazos first committed to OSU back in 2018, but re-opened his recruitment after Urban Meyer announced his retirement.
He re-committed after a visit this spring.
Here’s a look at what Cavazos brings to Ohio State.
Ranking: He is a 4-star prospect, considered the No. 26 safety and 44th-best player in the state of Florida this year.
Other Offers: He picked the Buckeyes over offers from schools like Alabama, LSU, Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Georgia, and Michigan.
Positional Projection: Cavazos is listed as a safety, but is expected to start his OSU career as a cornerback.
Commitment: He committed to the Buckeyes for good in April 2019.
Enrolling: Cavazos will enroll early and go through 2020 spring practice at Ohio State.
Projected Impact: Corner is a major position of need for the Buckeyes. And Cavazos certainly has the measurables to play there at the college level. At Nike’s “The Opening” regional combine, Cavazos was measured at 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds. He ran a 4.40 with a 4.16 shuttle and a 44.4″ vertical jump. Those are remarkable numbers for a high school player.
Damon Arnette is out of eligibility after this year, and Jeff Okudah and Shaun Wade could both declare for the NFL Draft at the end of this season.
While the Buckeyes have players like Cameron Brown, Sevyn Banks, and Amir Riep on the roster to fill those spots for 2020, they need to rebuild their depth at the position for the future.
Cavazos should have an opportunity to make an impact as a freshman on special teams, like Banks did. That might be enough to keep him from redshirting, and in turn, give him more reps at corner as a true freshman.
You can watch Cavazos’ junior season highlight reel below.