Kerry Coombs has done it again.
A mere 12 days ago, Ohio State missed out on Toriano Pride, a four-star cornerback ranked 186th nationally who had been at the top of the board but ended up choosing Clemson. By the time Pride was ready to commit, the Buckeyes knew they wouldn't be the choice, so they shifted their focus.
The guy who then came into focus? Terrance Brooks, a four-star 2022 cornerback from Little Elm, Texas.
The 5-foot-11, 190-pounder ranked 58th nationally received a scholarship offer from Coombs and Ohio State on June 14, set up a short-notice official visit to take place a week later and, on Wednesday afternoon, suddenly ended his recruitment by committing to the Buckeyes.
#AGTG Committed @mattk_edits pic.twitter.com/tAaP3NSqyq
— (@Brooks3one) June 30, 2021
The pledge from Brooks comes as a notable – but welcomed – surprise for an Ohio State team in the process of overhauling its secondary. He's the 8th ranked cornerback in country, and he now joins a 2022 defensive backfield haul that currently already also includes five-star cornerback Jaheim Singletary, four-star cornerback Jyaire Brown, three-star cornerback Ryan Turner and three-star athlete/safety Kye Stokes.
The Brooks File
- Class: 2022
- Size: 5-foot-11/190 lbs.
- Pos: CB
- School: Little Elm (Little Elm, Texas)
- Composite Rating: ★★★★
- Composite Rank: 58 (8 CB)
Brooks, until the middle of this week, hadn't been viewed as a Buckeyes lean at all. The Crimson Tide were seen by most to be the favorites to land the Texan. He's coming off a weekend official visit to Alabama, and he previously went on official visits to Texas, Florida and Oregon in June. Back in April, he released a top-five that featured Alabama, Texas A&M, Oregon, Texas and Florida. Also, his father played for Texas A&M and is in their Hall of Fame.
Instead, he chose Ohio State where he becomes the seventh top-75 pledge in 2022 – for reference, no other team has more than four top-75 commitments thus far – and bolsters the program's No. 1 class ranking in the cycle. He's the third player from Texas to commit, joining five-star quarterback Quinn Ewers and five-star wide receiver Caleb Burton.
In spite of all of the legitimate on-field questions surrounding Coombs' first season as Ohio State's defensive coordinator, what's indisputable is his impact on the recruiting trail. Sure, he'll have to work to hold onto the commitments of several 2022 defensive backs – including Singletary, who just visited Georgia – who are listening to other schools. But he has now locked down a pair of top-100 cornerbacks in both the 2021 and 2022 cycles which feature both quality and quantity. There's a lot for the Buckeyes to like from what Coombs has done, with Brooks being the latest recruiting win.
| Pos | Name | Rating | Rank | Size | School |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QB | QUINN EWERS | ★★★★★ | #1 NATL | #1 QB | 6-3 | 206 | Southlake Carroll (Southlake, TX) |
| CB | JAHEIM SINGLETARY | ★★★★★ | #13 NATL | #5 CB | 6-1 | 170 | Robert E. Lee (Jacksonville, FL) |
| LB | C.J. HICKS | ★★★★★ | #18 NATL | #2 LB | 6-3 | 220 | Archbishop Alter (Dayton, OH) |
| WR | CALEB BURTON | ★★★★★ | #33 NATL | #3 WR | 6-0 | 165 | Lake Travis (Austin, TX) |
| LB | GABE POWERS | ★★★★ | #38 NATL | #3 LB | 6-4 | 230 | Marysville (Marysville, OH) |
| CB | TERRANCE BROOKS | ★★★★ | #58 NATL | #8 CB | 5-11 | 190 | Little Elm (Little Elm, TX) |
| WR | KALEB BROWN | ★★★★ | #60 NATL | #5 WR | 5-11 | 177 | St. Rita (Chicago, IL) |
| CB | JYAIRE BROWN | ★★★★ | #120 NATL | #13 CB | 6-0 | 178 | Lakota West (West Chester, OH) |
| WR | KYION GRAYES | ★★★★ | #151 NATL | #21 WR | 6-1 | 170 | Chandler (Chandler, AZ) |
| OT | TEGRA TSHABOLA | ★★★★ | #185 NATL | #20 OT | 6-5 | 340 | Lakota West (West Chester, OH) |
| RB | DALLAN HAYDEN | ★★★★ | #235 NATL | #24 RB | 5-11 | 195 | Christian Brothers (Memphis, TN) |
| TE | BENJI GOSNELL | ★★★★ | #319 NATL | #13 TE | 6-4 | 225 | East Surry (Pilot Mountain, NC) |
| TE | BENNETT CHRISTIAN | ★★★★ | #347 NATL | #14 TE | 6-6 | 235 | Allatoona (Acworth, GA) |
| CB | RYAN TURNER | ★★★ | #372 NATL | #35 CB | 6-0 | 180 | Chaminade-Madonna Prep (Hollywood, FL) |
| ATH | KYE STOKES | ★★★ | #418 NATL | #36 ATH | 6-2 | 185 | Armwood (Seffner, FL) |
| Prospect Rating Data: 247Sports | |||||
Brooks has prototypical cornerback size and, notably, is said to have exceptionally long arms. How long? Well, Gabe Brooks of 247Sports says it's in the "plus-9 range relative to height." That means if he is 5-foot-11, then he has a 6-foot-8 wingspan. Insane – and helpful to playing cornerback.
Brooks will play his senior year of high school at Little Elm High School in Little Elm – after transferring from John Paul II High School in Plano – before moving on to Columbus.
