He may have been from Ohio.
But the battle to land the commitment of four-star offensive lineman Austin Siereveld was anything but a sure thing. Leading up to his May commitment, both Notre Dame and Alabama were staunch opposition for OSU to land the commitment of Siereveld. But after doing his due diligence and visiting each school, he landed on playing for his hometown team and committed to Ohio State.
The kid from Liberty Township, OH wont have to go far for his next home. Hes bringing all the physicality and toughness to Columbus and representing the Buckeye State at the highest level. Welcome to The Brotherhood Austin Siereveld#CHO23N | @SiereveldAustin pic.twitter.com/Mlb0TWVmhj
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) December 21, 2022
He officially became a Buckeye on Wednesday as he signed his National Letter of Intent.
The Siereveld File
- Class: 2023
- Size: 6-5/320
- Pos: Offensive lineman
- School: Lakota East (Middletown, Ohio)
- Star Rating: ★★★★
- Composite Rank: #248 (#12 IOL)
“It was just a dream school ever since I was a little kid,” Siereveld said in May of Ohio State. “When I got the offer, I wanted to hop on it right away. But I waited it out and made the right decision.
“It was very important because these are the next four years of my life,” Siereveld said of having a thorough recruiting process. “I have to make the best of the opportunity that I can.”
The Ohio prospect was undervalued for most of his high school career until he saw his recruitment blow up in late October of 2021. After only holding offers from Ohio and Toledo, Siereveld picked up a Michigan State and an OSU offer shortly after he visited Columbus for the Buckeyes’ game against Penn State. Other Power Five schools quickly followed, including Notre Dame and Alabama.
There was a bit of a lull in the recruitment of Siereveld after his October visit, as he didn’t visit Columbus again until March. Although former offensive line coach Greg Studrawa was Siereveld’s primary recruiter late in 2021, the Lakota East offensive lineman quickly developed a rapport with first-year offensive line coach Justin Frye once he was hired, and Siereveld became the second commitment Frye landed after securing the commitment of Luke Montgomery in February.
“He was the only coach that told me he wanted to coach me,” Siereveld said of Frye. “It means to me that he really wants to coach me up and teach me everything about the game.”
At Lakota East, Siereveld was used primarily as an offensive tackle, though he also played defensive line. At Ohio State, the 6-foot-5, 320-pound lineman will be an interior player.
“They're getting the complete package,” Lakota East head coach Rick Haynes said of OSU. “He'll be a great student for them. He'll be a great ambassador for the program. He’ll be great out in the community, and obviously, he'll be great on the field.
“I just think it's really rare to see somebody that big, who's that nimble and can move the way he does. He's very physical. I think they’re getting a very good player.”
Siereveld is considered the 248th-best prospect and the 12th-rated interior offensive lineman in the 2023 cycle, per 247Sports’ composite rankings. In his senior season, Lakota East failed to qualify for the postseason, but Siereveld still earned first-team All-Ohio Division I honors. Early in the season, Siereveld was also the team’s punter and had a punt travel more than 50 yards in the first week of the regular season. He even handled kickoff duties occasionally as well.
“I was always one of the backups,” Siereveld told Eleven Warriors of punting. “(This year), I knew I’d have to step up and punt. I’ve been punting ever since I played youth football all the way up to middle school, freshman year and now high school I’ve kept doing it.”
Siereveld is expected to enroll early at Ohio State and will participate in spring football drills.
