Better Know a Buckeye: Isaiah Prince

The 25th installment of this year's Better Know a Buckeye series profiles Isaiah Prince, an offensive tackle prospect from Greenbelt, Maryland. Prince is one of two signing day additions to the Big Ten's best recruiting class.

While Prince fancied Ohio State throughout his recruitment, it looked as if Alabama was going to get his letter of intent just two weeks before signing day. Prince was momentarily committed to Alabama, though he soon expressed regret about how his verbal commitment to Alabama happened. This resulted in a secret official visit that led to a signing day commitment.

I retell this story below. Afterward, I provide a scouting report for a tackle prospect high in potential if a bit raw in mechanics. I offer a projection of a redshirt in 2015 before concluding with highlight film at the end of the feature.

HIS RECRUITMENT

Ohio State offered Prince a verbal scholarship offer on February 19 of last year. While this is where this section starts, Prince had already attracted attention from major programs in the region and around the country. Virginia and Maryland offered Prince late spring in 2013. Auburn offered in January of last year as well.

Prince expressed a polite interest in programs like Maryland and Virginia early in his recruitment. Maryland even competed for Prince's signature near signing day, hosting him on an official visit five days before signing day. However, the Auburn offer foretold how his recruitment would develop in the coming months. Prince was a candidate to leave the DC-Maryland-Virginia (DMV) area early in his recruitment, expressing strong interest in programs like Florida and Florida State through the spring of 2014. 

Alabama's scholarship offer on May 23 made Prince a much more likely candidate to leave the DMV area. Alabama has done well to recruit Maryland. Cyrus Jones and the Kouandjio brothers highlight Alabama's successes in recruiting the DMV and Maryland in particular. When Alabama offered, Prince made it a priority to visit Alabama in the coming summer.

While Alabama's courtship of Prince attracted more attention from recruiting outlets, Ohio State's coaches made their case to Prince as well. They even induced Prince to take a visit to Columbus to observe a camp near the end of June. The visit made a strong impression with Prince during a critical time in which he was formulating his college preferences. Prince said he enjoyed everything he saw in Columbus, highlighting the campus, the facilities, the coaches, and his interactions with players on the roster.

He enjoyed it more than he may have initially expressed. Shortly after his visit to Tuscaloosa to observe Alabama's program, Prince told AL.com that his top four programs were Ohio State, Maryland, Florida, and Alabama. Either this is an interesting "tell" to an Alabama news affiliate about Ohio State's relative position or a discretionary order given by the beat writer.

Whatever the case, Prince's recruitment simmered while his senior season was ongoing. Prince fielded in-house visits from assistant coaches like Ed Warinner and Lance Thompson (of Alabama) and took an unofficial visit to Maryland for its season-opener against James Madison. That was the extent of it during the fall. When his senior season ended with a 14-13 loss in the regional finals, Prince invested his energies into finding a college to attend the next academic year.

He scheduled his first two visits to Alabama for January 16 and to Ohio State on January 23. If not for a change of heart, the Alabama visit may have been the only one he took.

In the early hours of January 23, Prince called Ohio State's coaches and informed them he was going to cancel his upcoming visit. He was going to commit to Alabama and end his recruitment there. Recruiting services began advertising Prince as the newest addition to Alabama's 2015 recruiting class later that morning. 

Later in the day, Prince called Ohio State's coaches with a change of heart. He felt he made a mistake and that he was pressured to accept Alabama's offer or lose Alabama as an option in his recruitment. He wanted to reschedule an official visit to Ohio State, but do so secretly.

Ohio State accommodated Prince's request and kept his official visit under wraps. However, his official visit coincided with Ohio State's national championship celebration. Prince was spotted in the crowd at Ohio Stadium. A few days later, Prince was outed as having been in attendance. A follow-up visit by Nick Saban and Mario Cristobal to Prince's home in Maryland did not lead Prince to reaffirm his Alabama commitment nor dissuade him from taking his last official visit to Maryland on the 30th.

Prince's decision would come to a signing day announcement.

HIS COMMITMENT

On signing day, Isaiah Prince announced he would fax his letter of intent to Ohio State and not Alabama or Maryland.

Prince thereafter discussed why he selected the Buckeyes over the Crimson Tide and Terrapins. He appreciated that Ohio State did not pressure him to the same degree Alabama did. While he did express that it will be bittersweet to leave Maryland, he felt Ohio State was the best opportunity among his three choices. 

WHERE HE EXCELS

247sports listed Prince at 6-6 and 272 pounds. Ohio State registers him at 6-7 and 305 pounds. Almost to a person, analysts first express incredulousness that Prince can be that big and look as svelte as he does. In other words, Prince has the ideal frame to add mass, increase strength, and all without compromising his flexibility or speed. His athletic potential might have been his biggest appeal in the recruiting process.

Prince has great feet for the tackle position. His light feet allow him to keep equal footing with defensive linemen in both rush and pass situations. Add in a great first "punch" and it is apparent why Ed Warinner must think he can mold Prince into a first-team All-B1G selection.

MUST WORK ON

Prince's footwork is fantastic, though his pad level needs work. Prince plays too high, especially in pass-blocking situations.

His overall technique needs work as well. Hand placement is another important issue to correct.

Earlier scouting reports of Prince mention that he is a bit top-heavy, but I think this comment is a function of him injuring his leg in his junior year. I doubt this is an accurate critique of Prince now.

REDSHIRT?

Prince plans to play as a true freshman in mop-up duties for Taylor Decker. With so many offensive linemen on the roster with eligibility to burn, I think a redshirt is more likely. Ohio State has a plethora of options at offensive line, which is a great issue to have at that position.

HIGHLIGHTS