Ryan Day and graduate assistant James Laurinaitis had a busy day on the recruiting trail on Tuesday, traveling to Florida to see various Ohio State targets in the 2025 class.
One of the priority visits was to Vero Beach High School (Vero Beach, Florida) to check in on four-star linebacker Tarvos Alford, the No. 74 overall prospect and No. 10 linebacker in the 2025 class.
Alford was thrilled to receive visits from both Day and Laurinaitis, who is on the road recruiting as a graduate assistant because Ohio State is currently down an assistant coach after the firing of Parker Fleming. The Buckeyes have designated Laurinaitis as Fleming’s replacement to be on the road recruiting in the interim.
https://t.co/mhtU4ZWSxY pic.twitter.com/xTQsTI53yl
— Vero Beach Football (@VBFootball) January 17, 2024
“It was a great visit,” Alford told Eleven Warriors. “I really appreciate coach Day coming down. I know there’s a lot of people he could have seen instead of me, so I appreciated that. Coach Laurinaitis, I was also just glad he was able to come down. That’s my guy. So it was great seeing him again.”
Day made it clear to Alford how much the Buckeyes value him as a player and hope he suits up in Columbus in the future, while Laurinaitis continued to strengthen an already-strong rapport with him.
I see the love! Thankful for @ryandaytime and @JLaurinaitis55 for stopping by! @VBFootball
— Tarvos Tj Alford II (@TarvosAlford_II) January 16, 2024
“(Coach Day) was telling me how I’m a priority to them and that they really need me on campus,” Alford said. “He got into a little bit of how they’re going to challenge me to be a better person on and off the field, too. That was the main topic he was speaking on. Coach Laurinaitis talked about the same stuff.”
Alford visited Ohio State twice in the past six months, stopping by Columbus in June on a multi-day visit that allowed him to see the campus and participate in a recruiting camp with Laurinaitis and defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. He returned on Nov. 11 to visit Ohio State for the Michigan State game.
Whether it’s Jim Knowles, Laurinaitis or Day, Alford said he is usually in communication with someone from Ohio State every day.
“We just always talk about how we’re doing,” Alford said. “Sometimes we’ll talk ball, they’ll check in on my family and sometimes they’ll have their own conversations with my mom. I really appreciate all that.”
Alford said he plans for his next OSU visit to be in the spring, but remains undecided on a specific date. He added he’ll “definitely” take an official visit to Ohio State sometime this summer.
“It’s really just the culture of the whole school, man,” Alford said regarding the most appealing part of possibly playing for OSU. “When I go there, I always feel at home. I love the coaching staff and created a great bond with all of them. I feel at ease every time I’m there and with them.”
The Florida standout says he doesn’t have any timetable in mind to make a decision, but acknowledged the schools that will likely get official visits from him in addition to Ohio State are Miami, Tennessee, Florida State and Texas A&M.
“It’s really going to come down to the best fit for me to become a better person on and off the field,” Alford said of the main driving force behind his recruitment. “Where my parents feel comfortable with me at. Also (play for) somebody who is going to develop me and show me how to be a great young man.”
Both Knowles and Laurinaitis have told Alford they see him as a Will linebacker in the Buckeyes’ scheme at the next level. In his junior season at Vero Beach, Alford racked up 114 tackles (12 for loss), four sacks, four quarterback hurries, an interception and six pass deflections.
As it stands, Ohio State is a clear favorite to land the talented Sunshine State linebacker, who would be the second linebacker commit in OSU’s 2025 class along with Eli Lee should he commit to the Buckeyes. Other linebacker targets for Ohio State in the class include Madden Faraimo, Elijah Melendez, Zayden Walker, Tavion Wallace, Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng, Riley Pettijohn, Noah Mikhail, Elijah Barnes, Max Granville and Kelvion Riggins.
