In a time when all news appears to be bad news for the Ohio State Buckeyes, a high school junior from Bedford, Ohio brought Buckeye Nation something positive to talk about. That good news came earlier this afternoon when defensive back Tyvis Powell announced his commitment to Ohio State despite the program going through the darkest time in it's long, rich history.
We brought you the goods on Powell last week, but if you missed it, this kid was born to be a Buckeye. The 6-4/180 defensive back gave Luke Fickell (it sounds weird saying that) his verbal pledge just eight days after being offered via a phone call from Jim Tressel and the OSU coaching staff. He grew up a Buckeye fan and once the offer was in hand, his decision was basically made, picking the Bucks over offers from Cincinnati, West Virginia, Minnesota, Duke, Michigan State, and various MAC schools to become the eighth member of OSU's 2012 recruiting class. While he didn't have the offer list that you expect from an Ohio State recruit, the Bucks got to him at the right time, as Powell was about to "blow-up" on the recruiting scene this summer.
Although Powell played safety during most of his junior season, he maintains that he will start his college career as a corner back and wants to become the tall, physical lock-down corner that defensive back coaches can only dream about. He told us last week that his strengths are his ability to see the field, his great technique, and his hips. If you watch his film, you will see he reads and reacts well and closes on the ball carrier with tremendous speed. He reports a 2.96 GPA an 18 on the ACT, and a 1350 SAT score. He also runs track for Bedford, participating in the 4x100m, 4x200m, and 200m.
This is a huge commitment for Ohio State, not just because Powell has the potential to be a great player, but because it shows there are players who still believe in The Ohio State University despite all the turmoil currently going on in Columbus. Luke Fickell has done an admirable job with damage control over the last 48 hours, and I expect for him to continue to do the same throughout the 2011 season. There may not be many players as willing as Powell to jump on ship right now, but by the end of the season I expect Fickell and the staff to continue to bring tremendous talent to Columbus, just as they have done before.
Here is Powell's highlight video from this past season:
