The future stars of Ohio State football officially begin their college careers as standouts from all over the country put pens to their National Letters of Intent.
In an Ohio State recruiting class that is expected to finish as the top-ranked recruiting class in the country, there might not be a better prospect than Taron Vincent.
A five-star defensive tackle from IMG Academy, Vincent is ranked as the No. 1 player at his position and the No. 13 player overall, according to 247Sports' composite rankings, for the class of 2018.
The Vincent File
- Class: 2018
- Size: 6-foot-2, 285 pounds
- Pos: DT
- School: IMG Academy (Bradenton, FL)
- Composite Rating: ★★★★★
- Composite Rank: 1 (DT)
The son of former NFL cornerback and current NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent, Taron Vincent possesses rare athletic ability for a player of his size and could become Ohio State's next star defensive lineman.
Vincent had visions of becoming a Buckeye before he even began his junior year of high school. A source told Eleven Warriors in May 2016 that Vincent was "all about the Buckeyes" and might have already committed to Ohio State by that point had it not been for his father, a Wisconsin graduate, encouraging him to slow down the process.
When SEC Country caught up with Vincent later that summer, Ohio State was still at the top of his list, in large part of the relationship he had already built with Buckeyes defensive line coach Larry Johnson.
"Coach Johnson recruited my older brother [while he was at Penn State], so I've always been around him and kind of grew up with him," Vincent said.
The only team that ever presented a serious threat to Ohio State in Vincent's recruitment was Florida State, marking the second recruiting cycle in a row that the Buckeyes and Seminoles battled for the nation's top-ranked defensive tackle, after Marvin Wilson chose the Noles over the Bucks on last season's National Signing Day.
After Vincent visited Florida State in late February for its junior day, the momentum in Vincent's recruitment appeared to moving in the Seminoles' favor. Given the relative proximity of Tallahassee to IMG Academy compared to Columbus, Vincent had the opportunity to make more visits to FSU, which enabled Jimbo Fisher and his staff to make up ground. Johnson and the Buckeyes, however, never gave up on bringing Vincent to OSU.
Just days after making a visit to Ohio State, Vincent committed to Ohio State on April 2, becoming one of the first five players to commit to be a Buckeye in the 2018 recruiting class.
Just would like to thank God for taking me along this journey! Proud to say that I've committed to THE Ohio State University #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/Qka5ZjbmKn
Taron Vincent (@t_lova23) April 2, 2017
Vincent has been unwavering in his commitment to Ohio State ever since, taking his only official visit to Columbus in October.
At 6-foot-2 and 285 pounds, Vincent isn't the largest defensive tackle, but he has a combination of strength and explosiveness that enables him to be highly disruptive. He has great vision, reads plays quickly to stop the run and uses his leverage well.
Ohio State will be deep at the defensive tackle position next season, even if Dre'Mont Jones decides to take his talents to the NFL, but it still won't be a surprise if Vincent earns an immediate spot in the rotation, as he could simply prove too talented to keep off the field.
Vincent finished his high school career strong in his senior year at IMG Academy, recording 53 total tackles, 13 quarterback hurries and four sacks as he helped the Ascenders to their third straight undefeated season.
Before he enrolls at Ohio State in January, Vincent will play in one more game with four of his IMG teammates when he plays in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl – alongside a myriad of other Buckeye signees – on Jan. 6 in San Antonio.
