Better Know a Buckeye: Jerron Cage

This week's Better Know a Buckeye feature continues with a profile of Jerron Cage, a defensive tackle from Winton Woods High School in Cincinnati.

Jerron Cage's recruitment starts at the same time his older brother had just signed with Notre Dame as part of its 2014 recruiting class. However, Cage wanted another path. He fielded interest from Notre Dame but identified Ohio State and Michigan State as his top two at the end of his sophomore year. Ohio State moved first of those three schools with a scholarship offer after a one-day camp in June 2015. He committed a month later just before Friday Night Lights. This commitment held notwithstanding a surge of interest from Notre Dame and seven visits to the Irish through 2015 and 2016.

This feature will proceed in the usual fashion. I start with his recruitment, mentioning that Cage was always going to be a big-time prospect regardless of his older brother. His recruitment stands as a curious departure from the path that his older brother followed and most recruiting analysts assume would Jerron Cage would have for himself. Thereafter, I discuss his commitment to Ohio State and his "post-recruitment" recruitment that saw him take over a dozen total visits to Notre Dame and Ohio State in 2015 and 2016. I next provide a scouting report of Cage that details his strengths and areas for improvement. I close with projections of a redshirt in 2017 and some highlight film for the reader to watch at the end of the feature.

HIS RECRUITMENT

Jerron Cage was already accustomed to the recruitment process after watching his older Daniel go through it in 2014. Daniel Cage signed with Notre Dame in 2014 after, among other reasons, failing to get an Ohio State offer. Cage's recruitment took what amounts to the reverse path. Jerron Cage committed to Ohio State before receiving a Notre Dame offer.

Jerron Cage was always going to get major attention regardless of his older brother. He had offers from Cincinnati and Kentucky after his freshman season. He also received a few others from Illinois and Louisville early into recruitment. Cage was going to be a Power Five talent come 2017 and likely sign with a conference championship-caliber program.

The younger Cage seemed more interested in Michigan State and Ohio State than Notre Dame by his sophomore year. He was eyeing visits to both programs in the spring of 2015. He made his first visit to Ohio State in April for Ohio State's spring game. His remarks were glowing, citing he liked everything, including his chats with Kerry Coombs and Larry Johnson. Coombs even visited him in May. By the end of his sophomore year, Ohio State and Michigan State were "equal" at the top of his list. There was no discussion of Notre Dame.

Things moved fast in Cage's recruitment that summer. Importantly, his next visit to Ohio State for a one-day camp went so great that it resulted in a scholarship offer. Crystal ball projections on 247 sports, which naively suggested Notre Dame early into his recruitment, began to swing hard for Ohio State at this time.

The next visit came for Friday Night Lights, which coincided with his commitment.

HIS COMMITMENT

Jerron Cage committed to Ohio State on July 21, 2015 as the fourth member of what would become Ohio State's full 2017 recruiting class. He chose Ohio State over competing interest from Michigan State and Notre Dame, and offers from Cincinnati, Illinois, Kentucky, and Louisville.

Friday Night Lights, which he attended, was nominally the event for his commitment but word of his commitment broke that Tuesday. Friday's event was confirmation of something his mom had already confirmed days earlier.

Notre Dame had always been interested in the younger brother of one of its 2014 signees, but had not extended a scholarship offer. It stood to lose a major four-star talent from its grasps.

The Irish tried to rectify this with a scholarship offer on September 24, 2015, an offer that Cage said "felt good." This coincided with what amounted to be a "post-recruitment" recruitment. Cage visited Notre Dame twice in 2015 (USC, Wake Forest) and visited Ohio State twice that same season (Hawai'i, Michigan State). He followed it with three unofficial visits to Ohio State during the 2016 season (Bowling Green, Rutgers, Nebraska) and five visits to Notre Dame (Nevada, Michigan State, Duke, Stanford, Miami).

Jerron Cage addressed rumors of a potential flip to Notre Dame in an interview with cleveland.com. The visits to Notre Dame did not materially change the course of his recruitment. They were largely to see his older brother play. The elder Cage sibling took on a bigger role with the Irish in 2016, playing in nine games and tallying 10 tackles.

Cage signed with Ohio State on signing day with zero indication of a flip to the Irish.

WHERE HE EXCELS

Two things, speed and power, are conspicuous in Jerron Cage's highlight film.

His first step is incredible for an interior defensive lineman. His highlight film is replete with instances of him blowing past offensive linemen after the ball is snapped and before the opposing guard was aware what blew past him. Do note that Winton Woods also had some talented teams on its schedule, like La Salle, Elder, and St. Vincent-St. Mary. There's even a punt block and return for a touchdown on his film, though I should preface that was partially aided by the punter's bobbled snap.

Cage is also a talented bull-rusher with intensity and effort to match. He shows an ability to drive a guard into the lap of the quarterback, disrupting plays before they develop. Larry Johnson will no doubt love working to refine that speed and power into a potential all-conference selection.

MUST WORK ON

Jerron Cage plays like raw fury because that's largely what he is. There are important technique issues he could address.

Cage relies on his speed and power to create plays, which were sufficient in high school. He'll need more at the college level, even against lesser competition. Technique is what separates a blue-chip defensive line prospect from what becomes a first-round NFL Draft pick.

These technique concerns will focus on both his hands and his feet. His footwork is par for the course but his hand-fighting techniques will merit more focus as he starts his collegiate career.

Strength will ultimately be one of Cage's better features, but he could stand to to add important weight for the defensive tackle position. The time he spends with Mickey Marotti will be important.

REDSHIRT?

I like Jerron Cage's potential. I think he could show early what Robert Landers demonstrated in 2016 as a redshirt freshman. However, Landers needed a redshirt toward that end. I think Cage will as well.

Meet the latest to join the Rushmen, Cincinnati's own @CageJerron!#Select17 #NSD17 #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/J2xRkSPwiw

— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) February 1, 2017

HIGHLIGHTS

Here are senior-year highlights of Cage.