Better Know a Buckeye: Demario McCall

Our "Better Know a Buckeye" series continues with its a profile of Demario McCall, an exciting all-purpose back prospect from North Ridgeville.

McCall continues a trend we have observed in Ohio State football recruiting since 2011. More prospects are emerging from high schools that rarely send their top players to FBS programs, let alone a program like Ohio State. McCall is the first prospect to sign with Ohio State from North Ridgeville since at least 1970, the left bound of our data set on all Ohio State football recruiting classes. He's also the first player from North Ridgeville to sign a letter of intent with any FBS program since Jordan White signed with Western Michigan in 2006.

I retell his recruitment below, starting from the date of his Ohio State offer. This leads to his March 2015 commitment to the Buckeyes. I provide a scouting report thereafter, highlighting what I think McCall can contribute to Urban Meyer's offense. I close with a projection that McCall is in good position to play as a true freshman before ending with highlight film for the reader to watch.

HIS RECRUITMENT

North Ridgeville does not produce a lot of football talent. Only two players, including McCall, have signed with FBS programs in the Rivals era. The programs that comprise the West Shore Conference do not produce a lot of talent either, though Avon's Ross Douglas signed with Michigan in 2013 and Lakewood High School still brags about the line of players it landed at Ohio State in the 1970s, prominently Pete Cusick in 1971.

McCall comes from humble football stock, but he was destined for something greater than his peers. He's a different prospect than what the West Shore Conference typically produces. He was already boasting a 4.4 40-yard-dash and a 10.53 100-meter dash as a sophomore. His sophomore year ended 1,562 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns on 156 carries. That's a great clip and programs in the area were taking notice.

Ohio State moved early in McCall's recruitment when it extended a scholarship offer in the middle of May in 2014. McCall already had an offer from Pittsburgh, but the Ohio State offer clearly meant more. McCall classified himself as yet another football playing Ohioan who aspired to play for the state's flagship institution and football program.

Growing up in Ohio and being an Ohio kid, you almost have to love Ohio State. I don't only like them because they are the state school, I really love everything about it. The coaching staff is amazing and the campus is beautiful. I also believe the offense really suits my abilities.

The offer excited McCall. He even camped at Ohio State twice in the ensuing summer. Yet, he was in no hurry to rush through his recruitment. He had lofty goals for his junior season. His recruitment could wait even if he may have privately known that the Ohio State offer was about as good as it would get.

McCall picked up more offers in the fall of his junior year. Tennessee offered on August 20, 2014. Michigan State offered over two weeks later.

Notre Dame posed a momentary threat to Ohio State's position with McCall. The Irish offered McCall at the beginning of October and hosted him for an unofficial visit to South Bend for the 2014 game against Stanford. McCall entered Notre Dame with Ohio State as his leader. He enjoyed his time on campus, but the Irish did not appear to chip at Ohio State's lead for McCall's commitment.

McCall took just two more visits during his junior season. He visited Michigan State on November 8 for its anticipated matchup with Ohio State. He gave positive remarks about his visit and praised the coaching staff for its hospitality and camaraderie, notwithstanding the loss to the Buckeyes.

He visited Ohio State three weeks later for its game against Michigan. McCall left with high remarks about the Ohio Stadium crowd, the game itself, and Urban Meyer, though McCall suggested he would still wait to make a decision.

McCall took just two more unofficial visits before his commitment. He returned to Ohio State for junior day. He also brought his mother for the first time. This is usually a tell-tale sign in recruiting that a prospect is nearing a commitment when he wants one family member, who had yet to see the program, to experience it and meet the coaches. McCall relayed that his mom enjoyed the trip and the chance to talk with Urban Meyer.

He visited WVU for its junior day in March as well. McCall said that some friends encouraged him to visit WVU and cited that Morgantown was a fun place to be. WVU may have tried to make a run on McCall, but no one expected him to land anywhere than Ohio State.

HIS COMMITMENT

Demario McCall pledged to Ohio State two weeks after his visit to WVU. He had seen enough, talked it over with his parents, and decided Ohio State was the place to be.

He committed to Ohio State over a multitude of different offers, including an SEC heavyweight like Georgia. McCall said Ohio State just felt like home.

WHERE HE EXCELS

McCall is an electric prospect. He was boasting 4.4 40-yard dashes as a sophomore while he was still growing into his body. Ohio State even timed him at a 4.34 40-yard dash at its Friday Night Lights event in 2014. He was a stat sheet stuffer in high school who averaged over 10 yards a carry.

His junior season — 2,302 yards and 35 touchdowns — is the best 10-game performance in Lorain County history.

His diminutive frame belies how comfortable McCall is between the tackles. 5-foot-9 "all-purpose backs" are typically edge backs who try to beat contain outside and outrun defenders. McCall shows considerable comfort between tackles. He can read blocks better than the typical running back with his speed. He can get skinny between creases too. He can even bounce off the occasional tackle.

Don't mistake that McCall's greatest attribute is still his speed, especially his acceleration. He might have the best first step of any prospect in Ohio State's recruiting class.

Demario McCall has all the tools to become the type of prospect we had hoped Dontre Wilson would become after he debuted as a freshman in 2013.

MUST WORK ON

McCall is more powerful than the typical highly ranked all-purpose back, but he's still small. There's a marked increase in quality from Elyria Catholic's defense, for example, to a typical Big Ten defense as well. 

This may not be a major issue, but it's still worth noting. McCall won't be the kind of player for Ohio State that gets 15 touches a game. Even 10 touches in a given game might be on the high end for him. However, those qualifiers make implicit statements about McCall's ceiling in the offense. He could maximize his role in the offense by making the most of his time in the weight room.

McCall put up 195 receiving yards as a junior, but he was primarily a running back. I don't know how to evaluate him as a pass-catcher. Ohio State's coaches will demand more versatility from him than his high school offense did.

I did not see anything in McCall's film that suggests experience/familiarity with returning punts or kicks. It would be good to know if he had that experience or comfort level. I think special teams might be his quickest path to the field in 2016.

REDSHIRT?

Demario McCall might be the prospect best suited for immediate playing time as a true freshman. It comes with two caveats.

One, McCall had an injury-plagued senior season that featured a separated shoulder, a sprained ankle, and a sprained hamstring. He looks no worse for the wear as he plays basketball for North Ridgeville right now. It could mean he would be a bit behind the curve on football conditioning when he enrolls in the summer.

Two, I still think special teams is his best ticket to the field as a true freshman. Ohio State needs to replace and ideally improve on what Jalin Marshall did for Ohio State last year. Eric Glover-Williams is an intriguing candidate for that role. Demario McCall has a great opportunity to play that role too if he thrives at it in fall camp.

All told, I think he still challenges Dontre Wilson in the two-deep at the H-back role in this year's offense. I expect McCall to play as a true freshman.

HIGHLIGHTS

McCall had a shortened senior season without much film to watch. Here is his electrifying junior-year tape.