When Ohio State offered a scholarship to Lexington four-star linebacker Cade Stover following an unofficial visit for spring practice in late March, most assumed it would be a matter of days — if not hours — before he pledged his services to the Buckeyes.
The 6-foot-5, 225-pound Stover has held off on making the call, but has been on campus three times since, most recently for Ohio State's aptly named Friday Night Lights recruiting extravaganza.
"They're welcoming here," Stover told Eleven Warriors. "It's a family atmosphere and you feel like you're a part of something. [Each visit offers the chance to] get to know the players some more and get around people you're going to associate yourself with."
Naturally, Stover — the sixth-best outside linebacker and No. 60 prospect overall in the Class of 2019 — continues to form a strong bond with head coach Urban Meyer, linebackers coach Bill Davis and defensive coordinator Greg Schiano. He acknowledged each trip back only cements Ohio State's positioning at the top of his list of more than a dozen offers.
So what's stoping him from becoming the first commit in his class?
"I'm just making sure nothing else happens [i.e. a coaching change or that I] don't have any second thoughts or anything," Stover said.
It's a wise approach, seeing as Stover's only about to start his junior year. And though he doesn't foresee himself playing anywhere else, he'll likely hold off on making a final decision until next summer.
I anticipate Notre Dame and Penn State will find themselves in the thick of things by then, as Stover has visited South Bend and State College within the past year and holds an offer from both programs. And given his desire to play close to home, his recruitment could mirror that of Buckeyes' linebacker commit Dallas Gant, with whom he spent a considerable amount of time on Friday night.
Gant, a four-star prospect from Toledo, you may recall picked Ohio State in May over finalists Michigan, Notre Dame and Penn State.
Once he does make a decision, though, Stover plans to put all his energy into two things.
"[I want to] win a national championship and go to the league," he said.
