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.
Ohio State has landed a big pledge on National Signing Day.
Four-star offensive lineman Enokk Vimahi out of Kahuku High School in Hawaii announced Wednesday afternoon that he will be ending his recruitment and signing with the Buckeyes.
Just landed a BIGGGG fish... all the way from Hawaii... and the newest #Buckeye...
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) February 6, 2019
Aloha @enokkvimahi Welcome to the family!#GoBucks #Dynasty19 #NSD19 pic.twitter.com/lAnLpQy5Wt
Vimahi is rated as the No. 124 overall prospect in the 2019 recruiting rankings, and the No. 7 offensive guard. With Ohio State having just 11 scholarship offensive linemen coming into the season, it was imperative that the Buckeyes built some depth for the future, and they have done so (at least in part) with this commitment.
This recruitment greatly mirrors that of Nicholas Petit-Frere last year, where a prospect that Ohio State seemingly had no shot at landing came to the forefront after Ohio State missed on a similarly-rated pledge (last year it was Jackson Carman, this year it is Doug Nester, who flipped to Virginia Tech).
The Vimahi File
- Class: 2019
- Size: 6-foot-4.5, 263 pounds
- Pos: OG
- School: Kahuku (Kahuku, Hawaii)
- Composite Rating: ★★★★
- Composite Rank: No. 7 (OG)
There is no doubt that this is a huge commitment for the Buckeyes and for coach Ryan Day, who is continuing his excellent start on the recruiting trail.
Plucking a prospect from far away is never easy, and the fact that Ohio State was able to fend off schools such as Oklahoma and USC for Vimahi's pledge speaks volumes about the job that Day, who took this recruitment himself, did.
The recruitment of Vimahi was a quick one: he was offered back on Jan. 4, made an official visit to Ohio State last week, and then Day took a long flight to the islands to follow up. Now, Vimahi is the third offensive lineman to sign with the Buckeyes for 2019.
It is important to note that Vimahi is expected to take a two-year mission trip after his freshman season, though the expectation is usually just for the trip to take place sometime between the ages of 19 and 26. Either way, Ohio State may have to wait a few years before reaping the benefits of his commitment. Still, it is an important asset to hold for future seasons.
The Buckeyes now have added a big body up front, and hope to do so this evening as well, when three-star offensive lineman Dawand Jones will announce his college choice. Harry Miller and Ryan Jacoby signed during the early period, but adding a few more along the trenches was priority No. 1 heading into signing day.
