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OT Isaiah Prince (All B1G)

The Larry Johnson impact is apparent in the recruitment of four-star Maryland offensive tackle Isaiah Prince: Buckeyes recruitment
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Isaiah Prince was in Columbus last weekend during Ohio State's big camp weekend, but he wasn't there to participate in the drills.

But it's not like Urban Meyer needed to see the Greenbelt (Md.) Eleanor Roosevelt prospect workout to know he was worthy of an Ohio State offer, and it had nothing to do with Prince's 6-foot-6, 270-pound frame.

No, it's because defensive line coach Larry Johnson has been recruiting him since the prospect was a sophomore, and Johnson knows quite well that Prince is one of the best prospects in the 2015 class.

Prince knows a lot about Johnson, too. That's why he found it necessary to visit Columbus, and that's why Ohio State is now in Prince's top six along with Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Maryland and Tennessee.

"Coach Johnson is really important in my recruitment," Prince told cleveland.com in an interview Friday morning. "He's a great coach, a good man and he takes care of his players on and off the field. I know he recruited some players from my area and he has a great reputation as a great coach."

Johnson began recruiting Prince while an assistant at Penn State, where he was responsible for recruiting in the Northeast for nearly 20 years. Johnson is the main reason the Nittany Lions found a second home recruiting the area.

But notice who isn't in Prince's top six?

Would Penn State be there if Johnson was still in State College?

"Probably," Prince said. "Yes."

That's why Johnson is so important to Ohio State. And in his first year as an Ohio State assistant under Meyer, Johnson has already helped the Buckeyes pick up commitments from New Jersey and Maryland.

The Buckeyes, however, really need Prince, a four-star prospect whom Rivals.com rates the No. 6 offensive tackle in the 2015 class.

After Ohio State said goodbye to four senior starters on last year's offensive line, Meyer and Johnson stressed to Prince how much they could use him.

"We talked a lot about it," Prince said. "They told me how much they need tackles. It is a great feeling to know that I could come in and have a great chance to play early at a great football program like Ohio State."

Prince has only visited Maryland and Ohio State, but plans on making arrangements to see the other four schools on his list. He'd like to make a decision before his senior season, but there's a chance he may need official visits to further investigate programs before making a commitment.

But with the recent visit he had to Ohio State and the relationship he's built with Johnson, it's hard to imagine the Buckeyes won't be in play until the end.

"I had high expectations for the Ohio State visit, but I was still surprised," Prince said. "It was a really, really good visit."
 
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Mind of Mike
Four-star offensive lineman Isaiah Prince of Greenbelt (Md.) Eleanor Roosevelt has finally scheduled an official visit and is currently focusing on four schools. The first school to get an official visit is Alabama, who will host Prince on the weekend of Jan. 16. The other three schools still looking to finalize a weekend visit are Florida, Ohio State and Maryland. With the Terps obviously being the local school, that gives them the advantage of having Prince on campus more often. But that may also work for Ohio State this weekend, as he is scheduled to be in College Park this Saturday for the big game between the Buckeyes and Terps. You can be sure that Prince will be keeping a very close eye on both teams during his visit to Maryland and with the Buckeyes desperate for an athletic tackle in this class, they will be looking to impress on the road.
 
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