Finding the right fit for your college football program isn't just about what happens on the field, but off it as well. Today, Ohio State added a key piece. How will that commitment impact the Buckeyes?
It didn't take long for three-star offensive tackle Trey Leroux to decide on his future after seeing what Ohio State had to offer in spring ball. Just a few days after visiting an Ohio State spring practice on Friday, Leroux committed to the Buckeyes on Monday.
Let's take a closer look at how the No. 995 recruit in the class of 2020 influences the future of the program and his class.
On The Field
The first thing anyone will notice while watching Leroux's high school film is that he is the biggest player on the field 99 percent of the time. He typically lines up at left tackle for Norwalk High School, but can pull like a guard and lead the ballcarrier while taking multiple defenders with him.
The next thing someone might notice is that half of his film is Leroux lining up on defense. For 320 pounds, Leroux can move quickly enough to be placed along the outside of the line as an edge rusher or on the inside, where he can blow up most running plays at the high school level. While Ohio State is recruiting him as an offensive tackle, it's good to see a 6-foot-8 offensive lineman play along the entire defensive front with the ferocity and speed that Leroux plays with.
His footwork should be up to par with where most Big Ten offensive tackles enter the collegiate level, especially with another year left to improve.
In The Class
Leroux became the seventh commitment to Ohio State's 2020 recruiting class and already the third offensive tackle – four-star Luke Wypler comes in as a center as well. It is clearly by design that the Buckeyes want to bring in a multitude of offensive linemen in the class, but having three already means that some of them will likely redshirt.
Five-star offensive tackle Paris Johnson, Jr. might be able to escape a redshirt, but three-star Jakob James and Leroux will likely not, especially when it comes to a couple three-star prospects needing to get their bodies right for the Big Ten level. While Leroux already has a lot of size and the athleticism to go with it, he will likely need to slim down and still add strength to be able to play at an Ohio State level.
Ohio State likely won't turn away many offensive linemen. With Kentucky four-star offensive tackle John Young including the Buckeyes in his top-six on Monday, there could potentially be another one or two coming before the class' cycle comes to a close.
Off The Field
One of the main concerns of Ohio State recruiting recently has been the lack of success landing top in-state offensive linemen. New head coach Ryan Day was aware of the concern back in December.
"It's something that for sure I'm well aware of, and it's an area that we've got to do a better job at," Day said on Dec. 19.
The Buckeyes missed on Clemson 2018 five-star signee Jackson Carman out of Fairfield, as well as No. 3 2019 center Zeke Correll out of Cincinnati and No. 10 2019 guard Nolan Rumler out of Akron, who went to Notre Dame and Michigan respectively.
Ohio State has already earned three in-state offensive tackle commitments in the 2020 class, though, which could pay dividends down the road for future recruiting classes.
