On Thursday, less than 24 hours after he earned an offer from Ohio State, New Castle, Pennsylvania, three-star cornerback Marcus Hooker — the younger brother of former All-American safety Malik — committed to the Buckeyes.
My Journey Begins!!!#Buckeyes pic.twitter.com/DbTCKmnrJR
— Marcus Hooker (@marcushooker23) July 27, 2017
The Hooker File
- Class: 2018
- Size: 6-foot, 185 pounds
- Pos: CB
- School: New Castle (PA)
- Composite Rating: ★★★
- Composite Rank: 52 (CB)
The 6-foot, 185-pound Hooker is considered the 52nd-best cornerback and No. 587 prospect overall in the Class of 2018. He picked Ohio State over 11 other offers from programs such as Bowling Green, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Temple, Toledo and West Virginia.
Hooker has been on campus numerous times to watch his brother Malik, who earned All-American honors following a redshirt sophomore season in which he recorded 84 tackles, seven interceptions, 5.5 tackles for a loss and a school-record three interceptions returned for a touchdown. He declared for the 2017 NFL Draft, and was selected by the Indianapolis Colts with the 15th overall pick.
Hooker returned to Columbus for Friday Night Lights this past weekend, though, at which time he worked closely with defensive coordinator Greg Schiano and assistant coordinator Kerry Coombs. Undoubtedly intrigued by his upside and the potential to follow in his brother's footsteps, the staff finally offered Hooker a scholarship on Wednesday evening.
Hooker becomes the 16th member of Ohio State's 2018 recruiting class, joining Florida four-star Sevyn Banks at the position. It is widely assumed he'll end up at safety, though, and his pledge does not have an impact on commitments from Oklahoma four-star Josh Proctor or California four-star Jaiden Woodbey.
