Mike Mitchell made sure Ohio State picked up its desired quota of blue-chip linebackers this recruiting season when Saturday he became the 21st commitment to the Buckeyes 2013 class.
Almost a commitment to OSU back in August, the linebacker from Plano (Prestonwood), Texas, stepped forward near the end of the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio and grabbed the OSU cap from between those of his other two finalists Texas A&M and Oregon.
“I’ll be committing to The Ohio State,” Mitchell said to a national television audience.
OSU coach Urban Meyer, in pursuit of his first full recruiting class since taking the job 13 months ago, had said at the end of the regular season landing two linebackers was critical down the stretch. OSU gained a commitment from blue-chipper Trey Johnson of Lawrenceville (Gwinnett), Ga., during the Under Armour all-star game Friday night in St. Petersburg, Fla., and Mitchell followed Saturday.
“Coach Urban, he’s got a real good program going, 12-0,” said Mitchell, ranked No.3 among outside linebacker prospects nationally by rivals.com, No.10 by ESPN.com. “It’s Ohio State. It’s a big program, and they’re going to do big things.”
Meanwhile, OSU finished No.2 in the race for wide receiver James Quick. From Louisville (Trinity), Ky., Quick picked hometown Louisville over the Buckeyes also during the U.S. Army game. He went on to be named the game’s outstanding player after hauling in the winning touchdown pass. Barrett in the house The quarterback in the OSU 2013 class, J.T. Barrett, is already a Buckeye. From Wichita Falls (Rider), Texas, he arrived in Columbus on Friday and signed his pre-enrollment papers Saturday with his parents at his side, posting a picture of it all on Twitter.
“It’s good [to be here],” Barrett texted to The Dispatch. “Just ready to adjust to college life and being a student athlete at The Ohio State.”
He also tweeted this: “Made it to Columbus, looking around and notice there is snow on the ground and its not going away.”
Barrett, ranked No.9 among dual-threat QB prospects nationally by rivals.com, is recovering from knee surgery which ended his senior year at mid-season. He would have played in the Semper Fidelis national all-star game Friday otherwise.
Barrett is one of five early enrollees.
