It has been a long ride for Kyle Dodson. The 6-6/310 offensive tackle from Cleveland Heights grew up rooting for Ohio State, but didn't get an offer from the Buckeyes early in the recruiting process. When he finally did, it seemed like it was too late, and a couple days later he chose to attend Wisconsin amid the NCAA investigation going on in Columbus. It seemed like he would be a Badger for a while, but then a combination of Urban Meyer being hired, Bret Bielema losing more than half of his staff, and Kyle wanting to take visits changed things.
Today, that journey has ended, with the coveted lineman choosing to go full-circle, announcing today that he would be attending The Ohio State University to play his college football. In making the decision, the four-star lineman took visits to Columbus and Madison, as well as trips to Michigan State, USC, and Auburn. In the end, the chance to play closer to his family and grandmother in Cleveland, coupled with the opportunity to grow as a player under Urban Meyer, kept the US Army All-American at home.
The addition of Dodson could not be any bigger for OSU, as tackle was an area identified as a weakness and targeted from the get-go as soon as Meyer was hired. With Taylor Decker currently on board, the Buckeyes now have two outstanding prospects at the position, and a third one, Jordan Diamond, is still available for the taking. The need for Diamond isn't as big as it was a few months ago, but if Urban can pull some more magic with the Chicago star, it would put the Bucks in a great position on the offensive line.
Dodson becomes the 25th member of this once downtrodden, now phenomenal recruiting haul for Ohio State. Things seem to be pretty much wrapped-up on the recruiting front, with just a couple of prospects remaining to serve as icing on the cake for the Buckeyes. With the addition of Dodson, Urban Meyer solidifies an A+ effort on the recruiting trail for this year and it should be exciting to see what this class can do when they get to camp come fall.
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