Neimann Lawrence has already showcased he’s a special talent in the 2028 recruiting class.
The Florida quarterback put on a show for Chip Kelly and Ryan Day in June at a recruiting camp and became the second player to receive an offer from the Buckeyes in the 2028 cycle before he even started his freshman year of high school. He's already earned eight Division I offers, also including Arkansas, Florida State, Miami, Nebraska, TCU, UCF and West Virginia.
Lawrence was back on Ohio State’s campus last weekend, taking in his first gameday experience in Columbus for the Western Michigan game.
“I felt like the visit was great,” Lawrence told Eleven Warriors. “My takeaways were that Ohio State really cares about their players. Not only on the field, but off the field. They care about their personal development. They care about how they’re doing in class and helping them to be a better person overall.
“The atmosphere was great, I saw the fans tailgating at like 10 in the morning and the game started at 7:30 at night. I thought that was really cool. It was also nice to be a part of the Skull Session as well before the game.”
Lawrence caught up with Kelly before the game and enjoyed his conversation with OSU’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
“Our conversation wasn’t really about football, it was about how I was doing in school, what I’m learning about, what I want to major in and me developing as a person,” Lawrence said.
Will be back in Columbus this weekend!!!#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/pDFsPukeW6
— Neimann Lawrence (@NEIMANLAWRENCE1) September 5, 2024
Lawrence picked a perfect game to attend to see how effective Ohio State’s offense can be. Kelly showcased some of his creativity with play design early and Will Howard took advantage, completing his first 10 consecutive passes in the Buckeyes’ eventual 56-0 win.
“I think their quarterback play is nice,” Lawrence said. “I like the way they take advantage of the early drives when they take advantage of the RPOs in the beginning of the drive. I like how they give their quarterback the ability to make reads and get the ball to his playmakers downfield and also tucking it down and letting him do all the work as well.”
Hailing from Florida, Lawrence has long been familiar with Jeremiah Smith and is happy to see a fellow Sunshine State product thriving at the collegiate level as a true freshman.
“Growing up, I’ve been watching Jeremiah Smith for about six or seven years now with us growing up around the same area,” Lawrence said. “Watching him from little league, to high school to the collegiate level, it’s something amazing. Him balling out his freshman year, I can’t say I didn’t see it coming, but he’s definitely a different caliber of a player.”
Lawrence holds Ohio State in high esteem following his visit.
“I would definitely say they’re probably at the top right now of my college list,” Lawrence said. “I know it’s early in my recruitment, but I think it’s safe to put them up there. The quarterbacks and players they’ve developed are exciting. They developed them to go to the NFL but also looking back at their coaches and the conversations that we’ve had, they really focus on you graduating and not just football and the NFL. They want you to take advantage of your college career and how it can better you for later in life.”
Lawrence said he plans to be back at Ohio State for “the Team Up North” game in November.
The 6-foot-2, 190-pound product is entering his second varsity season at Miami’s Ransom Everglades High School, as he played on varsity as an eighth-grader. His main priority this season is continuing to develop and become the best quarterback he can be.
“I’d say the biggest difference is in little league you really only saw two coverages, man and cover three,” Lawrence said. “But now I’m just adjusting to the different speeds and realizing guys are moving a lot faster. I’m seeing different blitzes being thrown at me and different schemes. It’s something that’s really getting me on pace for the next level. My goal for every season is to be better than last year, and really just improve.”
