Three-Star Athlete Rashod Berry Commits to Ohio State

It didn't take long for Lorain's Rashod Berry to accept his offer from Ohio State.

Wednesday morning, no more than 24 hours after the Buckeyes gave him the chance, Berry is a Buckeye. He is commitment No. 19 for Ohio State in the 2015 class and the third Northeast Ohio native to say yes to Urban Meyer in the last two weeks, joining Lakewood St. Ed's Alex Stump and Cleveland Benedictine's Jerome Baker.

Berry, who pledged to Ohio State over offers from Michigan State, Iowa, Minnesota, Indiana, Illinois and others, is a 6-foot-5, 245-pound defensive end/athlete who could line up at any number of spots for Ohio State.

As physically gifted as any player in Ohio, Berry first popped onto the Buckeye radar in the summer of 2013, but academic issues held up the evaluation and subsequent offer. As the classroom situation cleared up, so did Berry's chances of earning his chance to don the Scarlet and Gray.

“When we came into the season, people were talking about (Ohio State) a lot,” Lorain coach Dave McFarland told the Lorain Chronicle. “But when you watched film on Rashod, he wasn’t jumping off the screen. So I told him he would have to perform. Schools were saying they’d have to take a look at him (during his senior season).

Rashod Berry highlights via Hudl.

“A few weeks ago Ohio State had a bye and all of a sudden we had coaches at our practices. Rashod met with (Buckeyes coach) Urban Meyer, shook his hand, looked him in the eye and smiled. He impressed Ohio State.”

A raw talent, Berry has the potential to be a difference maker at Ohio State simply because of his athleticism. At present, his game is unrefined, but he should flourish under Larry Johnson and Urban Meyer's tutelage. A talented basketball player as well, Berry, has run a reported 4.42-40 yard dash. 

Not much for words, the Lorain star was understated when it came to what it means to be a Buckeye.

"It feels great."