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?
Ohio State landed its 12th commitment of the 2020 class and just its second defensive commitment in Pickerington Central defensive end Ty Hamilton, the in-state product announced via Twitter on Sunday.
He is the brother of Ohio State senior defensive tackle Davon Hamilton and is rated as the No. 47 strongside defensive end in the country.
Let's take a look at how his commitment could impact the Buckeyes and their 2020 class.
On The Field
Hamilton is a star in the Pickerington Central defense, and it’s easy to tell why – versatility goes far at the high school level. He can bring that to Columbus with him as a player that can work in at both the inside, as a tackle, and the outside, as an end and pass rusher. At Pickerington Central, he has also worked from a standing position.
At 6-foot-3, 250 pounds, he will need to add weight, but he has the frame to do so, as he can work from low angles and punch above his weight class.
Hamilton competed in Ohio State’s one-day camp on June 6, and during that camp, he worked closely with recruits like Jack Sawyer, Darrion Henry, Najee Story and others, and in the drill work, there didn’t appear to be much of a drop-off between him and some four-star prospects, though Henry and Story were both slightly injured. His hands were fast, his drive and leverage was strong and his speed stood out.
His role within the Buckeyes’ defensive line is to be determined, since he can fit into several different molds, but that’s a benefit not every defensive lineman can bring to a collegiate program.
In The Class
This is the long-awaited defensive commitment that fans have been hoping for. Cornerback Lejond Cavazos has been the only defensive commitment since he announced his re-commitment in April, and before that, the Buckeyes didn’t have one at all.
With several top defensive targets making official visits in June, there will likely be a trend of defensive commitments in July, but getting a commitment early from Hamilton could create some momentum. Hamilton still had his visit to Michigan scheduled for June 21 but pulled the trigger early. He was considering Penn State the most outside of Ohio State, though.
It would be easy to consider this commitment and take as a work of nepotism with his brother already on the roster, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Larry Johnson felt he needed to extend an offer to Hamilton before the first camp of the summer, when Hamilton seemed primed to be a camp offer.
Johnson worked hard with Hamilton during the camp, and the Pickerington star must have proven to Johnson that he deserved an opportunity to play for Ohio State.
Hamilton will likely need to redshirt his first season to get his body where Johnson and the Buckeye staff want it to be – wherever they see him fitting into the defensive line room.
Off The Field
Ryan Day has already expressed a desire to recruit within the boundaries of the state, and this commitment is the fifth that Ohio State has earned in the class. That’s five commits out of 12.
And now the Buckeyes have two defensive end commitments from Pickerington for 2020 and 2021 – five-star Pickerington North commit Jack Sawyer being the younger of the two.
Davon Hamilton spoke about his brother being recruited by Ohio State earlier this weekend, while Ty was on his official visit.
“He’s definitely well beyond what I was when I was in high school, by far,” Davon said at Ohio State's job fair on Friday. “I only had like five or six offers, he has like 30. I can’t compare to that.
“It’s pretty awesome. Not too many people get their brother coming in. I’m excited for him. But at the same time, I hope he enjoys it, and I’m not here to make a decision for him.”
