For elite high school prospects, narrowing a list of schools from dozens to a Top 10 is quite stressful. For Damar Hamlin, a 2016 defensive back from Pittsburgh Central Catholic, it’s no different.
“It’s real stressful right now,” Hamlin said Sunday after Nike’s The Opening regional camp in Columbus. “My parents kind of get me through it.”
Hamlin said he currently has 37 scholarship offers. Sometime next week, he said he will narrow it down to 10.
When asked if Ohio State would be in that Top 10, Hamlin quickly responded with a simple but firm, “Yes.”
That shouldn’t be much of a secret. The Buckeyes have been high on Hamlin for a while now and are one of the favorites to land the four-star prospect. Currently, 50 percent of the 247Sports Crystal Ball predictions have Hamlin committing to Ohio State. Penn State, Notre Dame and Pittsburgh also appear to be high on his list.
But did the Buckeyes gain any ground Sunday by hosting the camp?
“It feels good just knowing this could be my practice field one day,” said Hamlin, who wore an Ohio State visor throughout Sunday’s camp. “That’s a good thing right there.”
Hamlin said one big key for him in selecting a school will be comfort level, for both he and his family. Another is the relationship with the school’s defensive backs coaches.
As for Hamlin’s relationship with Ohio State cornerbacks coach Kerry Coombs?
“It’s good, I love Coach Coombs. He’s intense, he’s always intense and I like that,” Hamlin said. “He knows what he’s talking about. I came on a visit last time and we sat in a room and broke down my film. That was impressive to me that he would take his time out just to do that for me because I’m just a recruit right now.”
Hamlin is listed at 6-foot-1 and 175 pounds so he has good size to play corner at the college level. He also has long arms and showed off some some flashy foot speed during individual drills.
More Damar Hamlin https://t.co/H07yHkAT8z
— Jeremy Birmingham (@Birm) May 31, 2015
By the time the day ended, Hamlin had earned an invitation to The Opening finals held July 7-10 at the Nike headquarters in Beaverton, Ore. He will be competing against some of the nation's top prospects at one of the most prestigious camp in the country.
“I think I did well,” Hamlin said. “It’s all about getting better and I think I got better from this camp.”
Right now, Hamlin appears to be at the top of the Buckeyes' list for the 2016 class at the cornerback position. He'd be a huge get to an already loaded class at Ohio State.
