Signed: Damarion Witten Brings High Upside As Playmaker to Ohio State’s Tight End Unit

Damarion Witten is one of the two newest members of the Glenville-to-Ohio State pipeline, along with cornerback Bryce West, as he officially signed with the Buckeyes on Wednesday as a member of their 2024 recruiting class.

Damarion Witten A problem for Safeties, a nightmare for Linebackers. An offensive weapon that creates mismatches across the field. This Cleveland, OH native just needs to hit I-71 south to CBUS to make his massive presence felt. Welcome to THE Brotherhood Damarion. pic.twitter.com/d8uNyz7TWS

— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) December 20, 2023

While Witten might not be as well-known of a recruit as West, a top-100 prospect in the class, Witten’s potential to be a difference-maker for the Buckeyes in his own right shouldn’t be overlooked.

As Ohio State nears the conclusion of a season in which Cade Stover has been one of its most productive receiving tight ends ever, the addition of Witten gives the Buckeyes a player who can help keep the position playing a major role in Ohio State’s passing game.

Currently listed at 6-foot-4 and only 215 pounds, Witten is likely to need some time to bulk up physically and develop as a blocker before he’ll be ready to play a major role for the Buckeyes. Freshman tight ends rarely play regularly at Ohio State anyway, and Witten is built more like a wide receiver than a tight end right now.

But it’s what Witten can do as a pass-catcher that gives Buckeye fans reason to be excited about his potential. His combination of height and speed make him a tough matchup in coverage for any defender, and he’s repeatedly shown the ability to make big plays and contested catches at the high school level.

Alongside West, Witten helped lead Glenville to a second straight state championship this year. Following the state championship game, in which Witten caught five passes for 86 yards and two touchdowns, Glenville coach Ted Ginn Sr. told reporters that he thinks Witten will “be a superstar at Ohio State,” saying he has seen only two other players come through Glenville with as much versatility as Witten has.

Mismatch nightmare with ELITE ball skills! https://t.co/rP9N7wkqAm

— Mark Pantoni (@markpantoni) December 20, 2023

That’s high praise coming from Ginn Sr., who has been a part of the Glenville program for more than 50 years and has now coached 24 players who have gone on to play at Ohio State, including Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith, All-American receiver and returner Ted Ginn Jr., NFL first-round draft picks Donte Whitner and Marshon Lattimore and national championship-winning quarterback Cardale Jones, to name a few.

Witten will be one of three former Tarblooders on Ohio State’s 2024 roster along with West and 2023 signee Arvell Reese, who could play either linebacker or defensive end for the Buckeyes going forward after playing on special teams as a true freshman.

Given Glenville’s history of sending players to Ohio State, there was never much doubt that Witten would end up a Buckeye once he got his offer from OSU. The stiffest competition came from Kentucky, who hosted Witten for an official visit two weeks before his commitment to Ohio State, but the four-star Clevelander ultimately chose to play for his home-state school, leaving Kentucky tight ends coach Vince Marrow to subtweet about getting “and SEC groan man.”

“It was great, getting recruited and offered from a school you have dreamed of since I was little, it’s an honor,” Witten told Eleven Warriors after getting his offer. “I have always been rooting for OSU. My favorite moment is when Cardale Jones won the Buckeyes a national championship.”

Witten does still have some physical growth in front of him to play tight end in the Big Ten, which will likely lead to a redshirt in his freshman season at Ohio State. But Witten’s skill set as a pass-catcher gives Ohio State reason to consider getting Witten on the field early as a receiver who can create defensive mismatches even if he needs a few years to develop into a tight end who can be consistently relied upon as an in-line blocker.