Larry Johnson nearly took Chase Young down to the turf when he heard the news.
Young, a four-star defensive end prospect and one of the top players in the 2017 class, informed Ohio State’s defensive line coach he was committing to the Buckeyes on Friday. So, Johnson, understandably excited, reached out and wrapped his arms around Young for a near-textbook form tackle.
Talk about ending Friday Night Lights with a bang.
“I didn’t know I was going to commit,” Young said afterward, “but I had a feeling in my head that Ohio State was where I wanted to go so I just made the choice today.”
Young became the 15th pledge for the Buckeyes’ No. 1-ranked 2017 recruiting class. He chose Ohio State over Alabama and Maryland, and it was that bond with Johnson that was illustrated after his commitment that put the Buckeyes over the top.
“It just felt right and Ohio State is my home.”– Chase Young
“I talked to Coach Johnson almost every single day and I had the best relationship with him out of all the coaches in the recruiting process,” Young said. “It just felt right and Ohio State is my home.”
The Buckeyes have a limited number of spots available in its 2017 recruiting class, but there was no way they were passing on Young. He was a top target all along, and as the nation's 28th-ranked overall player and third-rated defensive end, Young was the only player at his position Ohio State was pursuing.
Hauling the Hyattsville, Maryland native away from the Crimson Tide and home-state Terrapins was a massive get for the Buckeyes.
“I came up here on my first visit and it was the best visit I ever had,” Young said. “My mom always told me to go with my gut feeling and actually when I visited she told me, ‘If you commit here, I wouldn’t be mad because you know they’re going to take care of you.’ I went with my gut feeling, I asked my parents what I should do and I went with it.
“It just felt right so I did it.”
