With football becoming a pass-heavy game more than ever in recent memory, coaches know the need to reel in top talent on the defensive line is vital to success between the lines.
Urban Meyer's done that for as long as he's been a head coach, continuing Thursday as Nick Bosa announced his pledge to Ohio State as the 18th member of the 2016 recruiting class. His commitment jumped the Buckeyes to a consensus No. 1 ranking for 2016 , another example of a victory in the south for Meyer on the recruiting trail.
Bosa hails from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and St. Thomas Aquinas High School, just like his older brother Joey, who you may remember as the guy who earned 2014 Big Ten Defensive Lineman and Player of the Year honors in addition to All-American status during his team's run at the first-ever College Football Playoff National Title.
Both Bosa brothers play defensive end, but are capable of stepping inside if the situation presents itself throughout the course of the game. Joey did that often in 2014, a reason Nick cited as to why he ultimately decided to become a Buckeye.
"Definitely seeing him with his success helped my decision, because the scheme that they run allows him to move around and make plays," Nick Bosa told 97.1 The Fan Thursday afternoon. "I think I can be effective in the same way."
Big brother Joey tallied 21.0 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks — one shy of setting a school record — during his sophomore season with the Buckeyes, constantly terrorizing and disrupting opposing offenses.
Little brother Nick is similar in that regard.
"I've seen linemen whiff on him because he's already by them," a source told Eleven Warriors' Jeremy Birmingham when discussing the impact of Nick's commitment. "I could see him playing both at end and at a three-technique in pass rush situations as he adds size, too."
Joey is listed as 6-foot-6 and 275 pounds on Ohio State's official roster page, bulking up significantly after arriving on campus and working with strength coach Mickey Marotti. Nick is "only" 6-foot-4 and 265 pounds, but will assuredly add weight under Marotti's watch starting next summer when he gets to Columbus.
Both are powerful human beings, capable of changing any game in which they suit up in. Expectations are high for Joey to be as good if not better in 2015, but they might not outweigh the predictions surrounding his little brother.
It's been rumored by many recruiting analysts and coaches that the younger Bosa will be even better than the older one — some even think he already is at this point as compared to when Joey was heading into his senior year at St. Thomas Aquinas.
"When I saw St. Thomas Aquinas play Nick Bosa’s freshman season, the coaches were already talking about Nick as being better than Joey at the same stage," 247Sports Director of Scouting Barton Simmons said.
Joey Bosa uses his stellar athleticism and pure strength to bully his way passed the opposition and into the backfield, something he didn't start perfecting until he got to Ohio State and matured a bit.
Nick Bosa's already doing that in Florida.
"Joey was still a bit raw at this stage with all that size and athleticism, Nick is already really well developed and I think is more of a sure thing at this point to be a very, very good player, even if his ceiling isn't as 'high,'" a source told Eleven Warriors. "When you consider that Joey could be the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft next year, that's pretty good."
Joey would have been a top-5 NFL Draft pick had he been eligible this spring, but instead is back for what is sure to be his final season as a collegiate in 2015. Nick is well on his way to blossoming into similar stature.
Off the field, they both are laid back, with a shy attitude and dry sense of humor. During his interview with The Fan Thursday, Nick lightly joked about the first question he was asked being how different he was from his older brother.
"Definitely not exactly the same, but there’s a lot of things alike," he said. "I don't know, what makes me different? That's a tough first question."
Joey always keeps it light with the media in his own way during interview sessions, talking about everything from his hair, to video games or his patented sack celebration.
Nick isn't physically as long as Joey is, but he possesses a great first step and is still growing into his body as a senior in high school. Both players love Ohio State enough that they left the sunny skies and beautiful weather of Florida for Columbus, doing so for reasons off the field.
"I mean, I’d be willing to go to Oregon if that was the place for me," Nick told The Fan. "But it doesn’t really matter the distance, it’s where you're happy and whatever team is going to make me the best I can be. And that’s Ohio State."
And Ohio State couldn't be happier to have Nick's commitment, because with it means anywhere from six to eight years of Bosas harassing Big Ten offenses. And that's hardly a bad thing.
"Just the relationships with the coaches that I've made over the past years with Coach Johnson and Coach Meyer and Coach Fickell," Nick said. "They’re all really good dudes and it feels like home there."
