The future stars of Ohio State football officially begin their college careers, as standouts from all over the country put pens to their National Letters of Intent.
From the first time he stepped on campus for a one-day positional camp in June 2015, Grand Prairie, Texas, five-star cornerback Jeffrey Okudah seemed destined to commit to Ohio State. It was always just a matter of when.
Proud to have you on board @TheJeffOkudah! Welcome to the Buckeye family! pic.twitter.com/t2XFG2dLZ5
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) January 9, 2017
The 6-foot-2, 190-pound Okudah was already one of the most sought-after prospects in the country, holding offers from programs such as Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Texas, Texas A&M and USC. But he quickly built a relationship with former Ohio State defensive coordinator Chris Ash, setting the tone for his entire recruitment.
The Okudah File
CLASS: 2017
SIZE: 6-foot-2, 190 pounds
POS: CB
SCHOOL: Grand Prairie (TX)
COMPOSITE RANKING: ★★★★★
COMPOSITE RANK: 1 (CB)
“It's my first time naming a leader in the process,” Okudah said, “but I'm pretty confident that Ohio State is the school that is No. 1 with me right now with the relationships I have developed with the coaching staff. That's why I will be going out there for the Michigan State game. I know that's a pretty big game.”
Okudah was unable to make the trip in late November because of a death in the family, though he probably wouldn't have enjoyed the weather or the result had he come. To top it off, rumors began to surface about Ash leaving the program to take a coaching job elsewhere.
“[His departure] would have some effect,” Okudah said. “If he was to leave and a great defensive backs coach was hired, I'd have no problem. I'd be confident with whomever was hired. I'd just have to do some research.”
Ash was named the head coach at Rutgers in mid-December and Ohio State replaced him shortly thereafter with former Scarlet Knights head coach Greg Schiano. They hit it off when Schiano visited Okudah that winter.
“Me and Coach Schiano got off to a great start,” Okudah said. “We talked about me playing corner in college, and overall, the conversation went really well. [Cornerback] is what most of my offers are to play now with these new staffs evaluating my film. It's actually what I like playing.”
Oklahoma, meanwhile, loomed at the biggest threat to Ohio State. Okudah traveled to Norman on two separate occasions over the winter, but those worries went out the window when he wore Ohio State gear to Nike's regional combine in Dallas in the spring.
Jeffrey Okudah at the Dallas Nike camp in Ohio state gear pic.twitter.com/qfrXlHalte
— Tom VanHaaren (@TomVH) March 13, 2016
Okudah listed Ohio State in his Top 6 in early July alongside Clemson, Florida State, Georgia, Oklahoma and USC, and got his first in-person look at the Buckeyes just a few months later when he watched the Buckeyes dismantle the Sooners, 45-24, from the visitor's sideline.
It was said sometime after the game Okudah silently committed to the staff, though he would deny it several times in the months following.
“Coach Meyer and the staff have done a good job of recruiting everybody around me. When everyone is feeling comfortable about it, it makes me feel a little more comfortable about my decision,” Okudah said. “I talk to Urban Meyer a lot. I've talked to his wife before, so it's been an all-out recruitment.”
Maintaining an open dialogue with the other schools on his list, Okudah also traveled to Florida State and Georgia. But his trip to Columbus for the Michigan game and an in-home visit from Urban Meyer in late November sealed the deal for the Buckeyes.
For the sake of formality, Okudah narrowed down his final list to Florida State, Ohio State and Oklahoma in early December and set his announcement date for the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. There, surrounded by his friends and family, he committed to Ohio State.
“From when I got there, I was just comfortable with the coaching staff, the plan they set up for me," Okudah said. “They put a lot of defensive backs in the NFL and the life outside of football – they just have the whole nine yards.”
Florida State made a late push by impressing upon Okudah their winning tradition and ability to send defensive backs like Jalen Ramsey and Xavier Rhodes to the National Football League. But in the end, as he detailed in a letter to his chronically ill mother, the Buckeyes laid out the best plan for him on and off the field.
Now that I’ve finally chosen a school, I know that the work is just starting. I don’t want to be just another student-athlete while I’m at Ohio State. I really want to one day be remembered for what I accomplished while I was there. I know that’s saying a lot given all the great players who have come through the program, but that’s exactly the kind of challenge I’m looking for.
I’ve been told I have the talent to one day achieve my dream of playing in the NFL, and that’s great — but that’s not all that I think I have the talent for. In college, I want to take classes that challenge me to reconsider the way I look at the world. I want to intern at Fortune 500 companies, and to gain experience in boardrooms that are just as competitive as any locker room. And one day, I want to start a business that will ensure that my family will always be comfortable, whether football works out or not.
