Ohio State is going to have to wait a little longer than expected to find out if it will land the highest-rated football recruit in the state since Ted Ginn.
Zach Harrison, a 5-star defensive end from Olentangy Orange High School in suburban Columbus, just said that he will not announce his decision on August 14 as expected.
Harrison told Clay Hall of ABC 6 that he was torn between Ohio State, Michigan, and Penn State.
“All three schools that are left, I want to go to all three really badly. So I’ve got to figure out what sets them apart and what’s really important to me,” Harrison said.
As Hall reported, “Harrison has delayed announcing his decision on his birthday next month.”
Harrison is ranked the No. 4 player overall in the nation, the highest a Buckeye State recruit has been slotted since Ginn was pegged the 2nd-best in the country in 2004.
That has led to a lot of talk that Harrison was a “must get” for Urban Meyer and his staff.
For much of his recruitment, it seemed like Harrison was destined to take the short trip down Route 23 to play his college ball for the Buckeyes. His Crystal Ball read 100 percent to Ohio State as recently as mid-June.
However, that changed after he made official visits to Ohio State and Michigan during the same week.
Harrison has been extremely reserved throughout his recruitment, but in July he told reporters that he was ‘more confused than ever’ about where he would commit to.
There was some question about how torn he really was, but the delayed announcement now has to be a big concern for everyone inside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.
Harrison is a remarkable prospect who possesses an almost unprecedented combination of size and speed.
He’s 6-foot-5 and 225 lbs, but ran a 10.82 in the 100-meter dash at a track meet in April. That is less than half a second slower than the all-time Ohio High School record, set by former Buckeye running back Brandon Saine (10.38) in 2006.
His highlight reel (embedded below) shows exactly why he’s considered one of the best players in the nation. Harrison is big and strong enough to overpower smaller blockers, and fast enough to zip past bigger opponents to bring down the quarterback.
He also showcases his athleticism on offense, including on plays where he splits out wide and beats a defensive back downfield for a long touchdown reception. He also shows great hands, reeling in a one-handed catch as an inline tight end.
Wherever he ends up, Harrison will likely be an immediate impact player in the Big Ten. The Buckeyes, Wolverines, and Nittany Lions will all just have to wait a little longer than expected to find out where that will be.
Hey Tom,
Maybe you have some connections to find out why some kid growing up just down the road from a great university (not just for football) could want to ” badly go” to Michigan or PSU….or not realize what sets them apart??? Recruiting staff and more importantly members of the brotherhood need to be talking to this kid.
Getting some 5 star from Texas, Florida or wherever doesn’t justify losing a great kid and 5 star from Ohio.
He needs to decide his goals after college. If he wants to play in the NFL, just look at the track records of each school’s D-line coach sending players to the league. If he has other plans, then he is best suited to evaluate the academic strengths of each school’s program for his goal. He is a fortunate young man to have offers from these three schools. I hope he becomes a Buckeye but I wish him well regardless.
IDK let the kid go where he wants without all of the vitriol. Hey, tOSU goes into Texas and grabs one to two top 10 in-state players (at least recently) annually, the same for Michigan (they have a Detroit Cass Tech pipeline); Georgia, Tennessee, Indiana and Florida (the Bosa’s come to mind). The point is, it works both ways and I think fans should understand that these 17-19 year olds should be given support (hey, that kid is from Ohio) and be proud of the home state connection. Don’t get me wrong would love to keep every in-state top 10 kid and go get 10 “best available” from the rest of the nation, but that’s not how recruiting works. If a kid from Memphis is willing to take the Greyhound on his own dime to be a Buckeye (and admit it we are all like “why wouldn’t he”) the same can be said of some 3-4-or 5 star Ohio kid who wants to be a Trojan or dare I say (no I won’t). So, let’s show some love.
You are born in Ohio, but “torn” between tOSU and Michigan?
Well, that makes it easy.
We Are: Penn State
You Shouldn’t : Even Be Allowed to Field a Team
Exactly
I can’t believe this kid is “torn” between
OSU and SCum ??? And Penn State???
They are good schools. Rivalries are fun and all but at the end of the day its just for fun.