3yardsandacloud
Administrator Emeritus
<font color="#b90000">Saturday, January 15, 2005</font> Recruiting News - 01/15/05 - Rivals
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Iowa, Tennessee load up at All-American Bowl - Rivals 100 PREMIUM
January 15, 2005
Iowa, Tennessee load up at All-American Bowl
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Mike Farrell
Rivals100.com Recruiting Analyst *
SAN ANTONIO, Texas ñ As many expected, the Iowa Hawkeyes and Tennessee Volunteers were the big winners in the commitment department at the All American Bowl. Most expected the Hawkeyes to get their four pledges on national television to give them a team-high seven players overall in the game. There was a bit more suspense on the Tennessee side but the Vols still cleaned up with players like Rico McCoy (right).
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Gwaltney makes most of limited opportunities - Rivals 100 PREMIUM
January 15, 2005
Gwaltney makes most of limited opportunities
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Jeremy Patterson
Rivals100.com Recruiting Analyst *
SAN ANTONIO, Texas - As difficult as it was to find a bright spot in the East defense on Saturday at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, try finding a bright spot from the East's offensive performance. Though the West defense did a tremendous job limiting to the East offense to limited yardage and only three points in a 35-3 victory, there were a few bright spots in the overall offensive performance and at the top of the list is New York running back Jason Gwaltney.
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Vols add another big-time commitment - Rivals 100 PREMIUM
January 15, 2005
Vols add another big-time commitment
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Jeremy Crabtree
Rivals100.com Recruiting Analyst *
SAN ANTONIO, Texas ñ Hamilton, Ohio, four-star safety Adam Myers-White had a tough decision between some of the nation's best programs. He visited Cincinnati, Nebraska, Purdue, USC and Tennessee, but in the end it was the SEC that won out for his commitment. Myers-White, who is 6-foot-4 and 190 pounds, announced his decision moments ago at the U.S. Army All-America Bowl.
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Wells makes his choice - Rivals 100 PREMIUM
January 15, 2005
Wells makes his choice
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Jeremy Patterson
Rivals100.com Recruiting Analyst *
SAN ANTONIO, Texas - Jacksonville (Fla.) Sandalwood running back Maurice Wells had offers from most every major program in the country. After months of deliberating and taking four of his allotted five official visits Wells announced his decision moments ago at the U.S. Army All-American game.
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Wells About All OSU Had To Cheer About - Rivals PREMIUM
January 15, 2005
Wells About All OSU Had To Cheer About
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Mark Rea
BuckeyeSports.com Managing Editor *
If you were an Ohio State fan, you could have watched the first five minutes of Saturday's U.S. Army All-American Bowl and found out all you needed to know. Jacksonville (Fla.) Sandalwood tailback Maurice Wells was the first all-star to offer his live verbal commitment during the game telecast and as soon as he put on an OSU cap, things turned decidedly south for the Buckeyes. They got no more verbals and the ones they did have wound up on the losing end of a 35-3 contest.
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McClain's Jackson Can't Hide Affinity For OSU - Rivals PREMIUM
January 15, 2005
McClain's Jackson Can't Hide Affinity For OSU
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Jeff Rapp
BuckeyeSports.com Senior Writer *
Value City Arena had only occasional patches of fans for the first game of the Scholastic Play-By-Play Classic Saturday afternoon, but Greenfield McClain star Dante Jackson was in a basketball mecca as far as he's concerned. A big Ohio State fan, Jackson had seen the Buckeyes play thrice at VCA but never before had played on the same court as his favorite team.
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McCoy Spurns Buckeyes For UT - Rivals PREMIUM
January 15, 2005
McCoy Spurns Buckeyes For UT
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Mark Rea
BuckeyeSports.com Managing Editor *
A big recruiting weekend for Tennessee got a little bit bigger at the expense of Ohio State as linebacker Rico McCoy of St. John's College Prep in Washington, D.C., announced that he would join Phil Fulmer's program in Knoxville next fall. Making the announcement during the All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas, McCoy chose the Volunteers over the Buckeyes after a week of game preparation that saw him wearing OSU T-shirts much of the time.
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Wells Makes It Official: It's OSU - Rivals PREMIUM
January 15, 2005
Wells Makes It Official: It's OSU
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Mark Rea
BuckeyeSports.com Managing Editor *
Jacksonville (Fla.) Sandalwood tailback Maurice Wells made Ohio State football coaches and fans happy today when he verbally committed to the Buckeyes during the annual All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas. Wells made his announcement along with nearly two dozen other high school prospects during the nationally televised high school all-star game. The 5-9, 177-pound speedster chose Ohio State over Georgia Tech, Southern California and Maryland.
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Recruiting Flashback: Dustin Fox - Rivals
January 15, 2005
Recruiting Flashback: Dustin Fox
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From the Files of Buckeye Sports Bulletin
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In the Fox family, it is the uncles apparently who know best. Associated PressMany believed that Canton (Ohio) GlenOak safety Dustin Fox would follow in the footsteps of his brother Derek and sign with Penn State.
But instead, the younger Fox ñ nephew of former Buckeyes Tim Fox, Dick and Ken Kuhn and Mark Stier ñ opted to commit to Ohio State in July.
"Derek being at Penn State didn't affect me too much," Dustin Fox said. "That wasn't that big of an issue. Ohio State's got great tradition, and our family's got great tradition there. Derek would have gone there, I'm sure, if there wasn't that mishap with Ohio State."
The mishap Dustin referred to was the recruitment of his brother.
"It just didn't work out for Derek (at Ohio State) because they waited a little bit too long to jump on," Dustin said. "Penn State jumped at the opportunity to have Derek and Derek fell in love with Penn State."
The younger Fox found himself rooting for Penn State as Derek became a regular in the secondary for the Nittany Lions.
"It was hard when Ohio State played Penn State because you wanted to cheer for Ohio State, but you wanted to see Penn State win," he said. "I jumped on the bandwagon to cheer for my brother."
But Fox's family ties to Ohio State run pretty deep. They include the following:
* Dick Kuhn, a sophomore tight end on the 1968 national championship team;
* Stier, a linebacker who was the most valuable player for the '68 champions;
* Ken Kuhn, a linebacker and captain on OSU's 1975 Big Ten championship team; and
* Tim Fox, a defensive back and also a captain for the '75 team that went 11-0 before dropping the Rose Bowl to UCLA. Of all of his Buckeye uncles, Fox said he emulates his only uncle on his father's side.
"I've seen him actually play on film," Fox said of Tim Fox. "I've seen films of him at Ohio State and in the NFL with the Patriots and the Chargers. He played with the Browns for a year and I remember watching a game on TV, but that's about as far as I can remember."
Fox knows he earned his scholarship offer on his own. But coming from a widely known family did not hurt him.
"They started recruiting me before my sophomore season," Fox said. "They had just heard about me and the bloodlines were there. "But probably what made them recruit me so hard is I guess I look good on film. I'm a pretty big hitter. I've got good speed and I can jump very well."
Fox has been a two-year starter on both sides of the ball at GlenOak, where Tim and Derek also starred. As a sophomore free safety, he recorded 101 tackles and grabbed three interceptions for a 1-9 team. Last season, he had 66 stops and intercepted six passes for a 5-5 team.
"He has a lot of speed," said GlenOak coach Jack Rose. "He's a smart player, a student of the game. He has the big-play capability and there's not too many guys like that."
Offensively, Fox has starred as both a running back and a wide receiver. He rushed for 700 yards and also had 200 yards in receptions.
"To be honest with you, I think he can be equally as good on either side of the ball," Rose said. "But he really has a love for the defensive side of the ball. He has the ability to make a lot of plays on that side of the football."
Fox is also a star on the track, where he has been clocked at 10.7 seconds in the 100 meters and gone just over 22 feet in the long jump. He helped his school's 4x100 relay team finish fourth at the state meet and took seventh himself in the long jump.
"I love track," Fox said. "If I get the opportunity, I'd love to do it at Ohio State."
Fox is close to catching his brother in the vertical leap. Dustin has gone as high as 40 inches, while Derek can go 42. But Dustin's athletic talents just complement his natural football instincts.
"He anticipates well," Rose said. "He snaps to the ball. He's one of those guys who, in one step, is probably at full speed. Plus, he has the ability to change direction, accelerate quickly and he reads an offense real well."
Fox hopes to follow his uncle Tim's legacy as a standout safety for the Buckeyes.
"Free safety is where I'm going to play," he said. "That's my forte, I guess. And, if I could play offense in college, I would really like to play receiver. I can catch the rock. "But I love safety. Just the fact you can run the field and be able to come up and make the hits and make big plays."
Dustin compared his abilities to those of his relatives.
"Derek is more of a thick, linebacker type," Dustin said. "But then I have, I think, Tim's athletic ability. He did well for himself. He was an All-American and was a first-round draft pick. I'd like to get those goals and go beyond that."
Although Tim Fox resides in the Boston area, Dustin said the former pro has shared some of his secrets. "We worked together this summer," Fox said. "He showed me some footwork skills and tricks of the trade, working on stuff that other high school kids aren't working on to get me ahead of the game."
For now, though, Fox is working hard to have a big senior season with the Golden Eagles. "I just need to be a good leader for our team," he said. "I don't have any stats set for what I've got to do, but if I'm out there on the field and our team wins the game, that's the most important thing. "If I happen to get some good stats and get some touchdowns and get some picks, that will be great because that will give me the individual goal that I'm looking for. I want to get the big award (Mr. Football). But I'm just going to do my best to get our team in the playoffs and, hopefully, win a state championship."
THE FOX FILE
NAME - Dustin Fox
HIGH SCHOOL - Canton (Ohio) GlenOak
POSITION - Defensive back
HEIGHT, WEIGHT - 6-0, 190 pounds
40-YARD DASH TIME - 4.4 seconds
BENCH PRESS - 260 pounds
GRADE-POINT AVERAGE - 2.8
COLLEGE ENTRANCE TEST - Scored a 19 on the ACT.
VITAL STATISTICS - Fox is ranked as Ohio's No. 1 prospect by Prep Football Prospects of Ohio and No. 3 by The Ohio Football Recruiting News. He is also a Rivals100.com Recruiting national top-100 player, ranking fourth among all safety prospects. SuperPrep rates him the No. 7 defensive back prospect nationally. Last year, he was the only underclassman on the Division I All-Ohio first team. He had 66 tackles and six interceptions for a 5-5 team. He returned his first kick of the season for a 71-yard touchdown. As a sophomore, he had 101 tackles and three INTs for a 1-9 squad. Fox projects as a free safety at the college level.
COACH'S COMMENT - "He jumps right out at you when you see him on the field. He just has tremendous acceleration and hits real well on defense. He really takes the proper angle and when he gets there he knows how to tackle people. He's a great kid and a team player. Sometimes he's almost too good to be true. Ohio State got a heck of a player there, but more importantly they got a better person." - GlenOak coach Jack Rose.
HOBBIES - Fox enjoys watching movies on DVD and skiing in the winter.
SCHOOLS INTERESTED IN - Fox committed to Ohio State in July, picking the Buckeyes over Penn State, Michigan, Indiana and Notre Dame.
(Reprinted from the Sept. 9, 2000 issue of Buckeye Sports Bulletin.)
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Reports: Wells to OSU, McCoy to UT - Rivals
January 15, 2005
Reports: Wells to OSU, McCoy to UT
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BuckeyeSports.com Staff Reports
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Interested parties can hear it from the proverbial horse's mouth later on today during the U.S. Army All-American Game (1 p.m. EST, NBC), but Ohio State is set to bat .500 with the two prospects it was waiting on college announcements from, according to the hometown newspapers of each player.Rivals.com
According to his high school coach, Maurice Wells will indeed be continuing his football career at Ohio State.
Bad news first -- Washington (D.C.) St. John's College linebacker Rico McCoy, who has had the Buckeyes as one of his favorites since the summer, has opted to commit to Tennessee, according to his father, Reggie, via The Washington Post. A four-star prospect ranked as the nation's No. 8 linebacker and No. 96 overall player, McCoy's decision came down to UT and OSU and he has apparently opted to head south to Knoxville.
McCoy was spotted wearing Ohio State apparel around All-American Game practices this year, so add his name to the long list of prospects who have mastered the art of keeping up the suspense until almost the final hour before decision time.
But the news isn't all discouraging for Buckeye fans. Jacksonville (Fla.) Sandalwood running back Maurice Wells -- one of the coaching staff's top targets this recruiting season -- has indeed committed to OSU, according to his high school coach. Wells' Ohio State recruitment has been rumored for some time, almost ever since he took his official visit to the school for the OSU-Michigan game weekend, but Buckeye fans can apparently now officially add his name to the list of commitments.
Georgia Tech played bridesmaid to OSU this time around.
"He has a grandmother he's close to that lives there, and he said the rest of his family will probably end up moving there anyway," Sandalwood head coach Adam Geis told the Jacksonville (Fla.) Times-Union. "He thought he could play at both places, but it came down to a family thing."
After rushing for more than 3,000 yards as a junior, Wells missed parts of two games with a hip injury in 2004 but still managed 1,836 yards on the ground. Rivals.com ranks him the nation's No. 4 all-purpose back and No. 66 player overall.
At 5-9, 177, Wells doesn't fit the profile of the classic Ohio State running back, which he has told BuckeyeSports.com in the past is a motivating factor for him. Wells hopes to show that a player of his size can succeed in the Big Ten, and apparently his coach -- whose father is an assistant with the Yellow Jackets -- will be one of the naysayers Wells is trying to prove wrong.
"I've been his biggest fan for three years," Geis said. "And I hope everything he wants comes true. But he's always told me he wants to run the ball (in college), and I just don't see it happening there (at Ohio State)."
BuckeyeSports.com and the staff at Rivals.com will have full coverage of the commitments of both Wells and McCoy, along with a number of other players expected to announce their college decision, as they occur at the All-American Game this afternoon. Stay tuned to BuckeyeSports.com for all the latest recruiting news.
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Iowa, Tennessee load up at All-American Bowl - Rivals 100 PREMIUM
January 15, 2005
Iowa, Tennessee load up at All-American Bowl
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Mike Farrell
Rivals100.com Recruiting Analyst *
SAN ANTONIO, Texas ñ As many expected, the Iowa Hawkeyes and Tennessee Volunteers were the big winners in the commitment department at the All American Bowl. Most expected the Hawkeyes to get their four pledges on national television to give them a team-high seven players overall in the game. There was a bit more suspense on the Tennessee side but the Vols still cleaned up with players like Rico McCoy (right).
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Gwaltney makes most of limited opportunities - Rivals 100 PREMIUM
January 15, 2005
Gwaltney makes most of limited opportunities
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jeremy Patterson
Rivals100.com Recruiting Analyst *
SAN ANTONIO, Texas - As difficult as it was to find a bright spot in the East defense on Saturday at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, try finding a bright spot from the East's offensive performance. Though the West defense did a tremendous job limiting to the East offense to limited yardage and only three points in a 35-3 victory, there were a few bright spots in the overall offensive performance and at the top of the list is New York running back Jason Gwaltney.
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Vols add another big-time commitment - Rivals 100 PREMIUM
January 15, 2005
Vols add another big-time commitment
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jeremy Crabtree
Rivals100.com Recruiting Analyst *
SAN ANTONIO, Texas ñ Hamilton, Ohio, four-star safety Adam Myers-White had a tough decision between some of the nation's best programs. He visited Cincinnati, Nebraska, Purdue, USC and Tennessee, but in the end it was the SEC that won out for his commitment. Myers-White, who is 6-foot-4 and 190 pounds, announced his decision moments ago at the U.S. Army All-America Bowl.
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Wells makes his choice - Rivals 100 PREMIUM
January 15, 2005
Wells makes his choice
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Jeremy Patterson
Rivals100.com Recruiting Analyst *
SAN ANTONIO, Texas - Jacksonville (Fla.) Sandalwood running back Maurice Wells had offers from most every major program in the country. After months of deliberating and taking four of his allotted five official visits Wells announced his decision moments ago at the U.S. Army All-American game.
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Wells About All OSU Had To Cheer About - Rivals PREMIUM
January 15, 2005
Wells About All OSU Had To Cheer About
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Mark Rea
BuckeyeSports.com Managing Editor *
If you were an Ohio State fan, you could have watched the first five minutes of Saturday's U.S. Army All-American Bowl and found out all you needed to know. Jacksonville (Fla.) Sandalwood tailback Maurice Wells was the first all-star to offer his live verbal commitment during the game telecast and as soon as he put on an OSU cap, things turned decidedly south for the Buckeyes. They got no more verbals and the ones they did have wound up on the losing end of a 35-3 contest.
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McClain's Jackson Can't Hide Affinity For OSU - Rivals PREMIUM
January 15, 2005
McClain's Jackson Can't Hide Affinity For OSU
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Jeff Rapp
BuckeyeSports.com Senior Writer *
Value City Arena had only occasional patches of fans for the first game of the Scholastic Play-By-Play Classic Saturday afternoon, but Greenfield McClain star Dante Jackson was in a basketball mecca as far as he's concerned. A big Ohio State fan, Jackson had seen the Buckeyes play thrice at VCA but never before had played on the same court as his favorite team.
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McCoy Spurns Buckeyes For UT - Rivals PREMIUM
January 15, 2005
McCoy Spurns Buckeyes For UT
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Mark Rea
BuckeyeSports.com Managing Editor *
A big recruiting weekend for Tennessee got a little bit bigger at the expense of Ohio State as linebacker Rico McCoy of St. John's College Prep in Washington, D.C., announced that he would join Phil Fulmer's program in Knoxville next fall. Making the announcement during the All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas, McCoy chose the Volunteers over the Buckeyes after a week of game preparation that saw him wearing OSU T-shirts much of the time.
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Wells Makes It Official: It's OSU - Rivals PREMIUM
January 15, 2005
Wells Makes It Official: It's OSU
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Mark Rea
BuckeyeSports.com Managing Editor *
Jacksonville (Fla.) Sandalwood tailback Maurice Wells made Ohio State football coaches and fans happy today when he verbally committed to the Buckeyes during the annual All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas. Wells made his announcement along with nearly two dozen other high school prospects during the nationally televised high school all-star game. The 5-9, 177-pound speedster chose Ohio State over Georgia Tech, Southern California and Maryland.
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Recruiting Flashback: Dustin Fox - Rivals
January 15, 2005
Recruiting Flashback: Dustin Fox
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From the Files of Buckeye Sports Bulletin
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In the Fox family, it is the uncles apparently who know best. Associated PressMany believed that Canton (Ohio) GlenOak safety Dustin Fox would follow in the footsteps of his brother Derek and sign with Penn State.
But instead, the younger Fox ñ nephew of former Buckeyes Tim Fox, Dick and Ken Kuhn and Mark Stier ñ opted to commit to Ohio State in July.
"Derek being at Penn State didn't affect me too much," Dustin Fox said. "That wasn't that big of an issue. Ohio State's got great tradition, and our family's got great tradition there. Derek would have gone there, I'm sure, if there wasn't that mishap with Ohio State."
The mishap Dustin referred to was the recruitment of his brother.
"It just didn't work out for Derek (at Ohio State) because they waited a little bit too long to jump on," Dustin said. "Penn State jumped at the opportunity to have Derek and Derek fell in love with Penn State."
The younger Fox found himself rooting for Penn State as Derek became a regular in the secondary for the Nittany Lions.
"It was hard when Ohio State played Penn State because you wanted to cheer for Ohio State, but you wanted to see Penn State win," he said. "I jumped on the bandwagon to cheer for my brother."
But Fox's family ties to Ohio State run pretty deep. They include the following:
* Dick Kuhn, a sophomore tight end on the 1968 national championship team;
* Stier, a linebacker who was the most valuable player for the '68 champions;
* Ken Kuhn, a linebacker and captain on OSU's 1975 Big Ten championship team; and
* Tim Fox, a defensive back and also a captain for the '75 team that went 11-0 before dropping the Rose Bowl to UCLA. Of all of his Buckeye uncles, Fox said he emulates his only uncle on his father's side.
"I've seen him actually play on film," Fox said of Tim Fox. "I've seen films of him at Ohio State and in the NFL with the Patriots and the Chargers. He played with the Browns for a year and I remember watching a game on TV, but that's about as far as I can remember."
Fox knows he earned his scholarship offer on his own. But coming from a widely known family did not hurt him.
"They started recruiting me before my sophomore season," Fox said. "They had just heard about me and the bloodlines were there. "But probably what made them recruit me so hard is I guess I look good on film. I'm a pretty big hitter. I've got good speed and I can jump very well."
Fox has been a two-year starter on both sides of the ball at GlenOak, where Tim and Derek also starred. As a sophomore free safety, he recorded 101 tackles and grabbed three interceptions for a 1-9 team. Last season, he had 66 stops and intercepted six passes for a 5-5 team.
"He has a lot of speed," said GlenOak coach Jack Rose. "He's a smart player, a student of the game. He has the big-play capability and there's not too many guys like that."
Offensively, Fox has starred as both a running back and a wide receiver. He rushed for 700 yards and also had 200 yards in receptions.
"To be honest with you, I think he can be equally as good on either side of the ball," Rose said. "But he really has a love for the defensive side of the ball. He has the ability to make a lot of plays on that side of the football."
Fox is also a star on the track, where he has been clocked at 10.7 seconds in the 100 meters and gone just over 22 feet in the long jump. He helped his school's 4x100 relay team finish fourth at the state meet and took seventh himself in the long jump.
"I love track," Fox said. "If I get the opportunity, I'd love to do it at Ohio State."
Fox is close to catching his brother in the vertical leap. Dustin has gone as high as 40 inches, while Derek can go 42. But Dustin's athletic talents just complement his natural football instincts.
"He anticipates well," Rose said. "He snaps to the ball. He's one of those guys who, in one step, is probably at full speed. Plus, he has the ability to change direction, accelerate quickly and he reads an offense real well."
Fox hopes to follow his uncle Tim's legacy as a standout safety for the Buckeyes.
"Free safety is where I'm going to play," he said. "That's my forte, I guess. And, if I could play offense in college, I would really like to play receiver. I can catch the rock. "But I love safety. Just the fact you can run the field and be able to come up and make the hits and make big plays."
Dustin compared his abilities to those of his relatives.
"Derek is more of a thick, linebacker type," Dustin said. "But then I have, I think, Tim's athletic ability. He did well for himself. He was an All-American and was a first-round draft pick. I'd like to get those goals and go beyond that."
Although Tim Fox resides in the Boston area, Dustin said the former pro has shared some of his secrets. "We worked together this summer," Fox said. "He showed me some footwork skills and tricks of the trade, working on stuff that other high school kids aren't working on to get me ahead of the game."
For now, though, Fox is working hard to have a big senior season with the Golden Eagles. "I just need to be a good leader for our team," he said. "I don't have any stats set for what I've got to do, but if I'm out there on the field and our team wins the game, that's the most important thing. "If I happen to get some good stats and get some touchdowns and get some picks, that will be great because that will give me the individual goal that I'm looking for. I want to get the big award (Mr. Football). But I'm just going to do my best to get our team in the playoffs and, hopefully, win a state championship."
THE FOX FILE
NAME - Dustin Fox
HIGH SCHOOL - Canton (Ohio) GlenOak
POSITION - Defensive back
HEIGHT, WEIGHT - 6-0, 190 pounds
40-YARD DASH TIME - 4.4 seconds
BENCH PRESS - 260 pounds
GRADE-POINT AVERAGE - 2.8
COLLEGE ENTRANCE TEST - Scored a 19 on the ACT.
VITAL STATISTICS - Fox is ranked as Ohio's No. 1 prospect by Prep Football Prospects of Ohio and No. 3 by The Ohio Football Recruiting News. He is also a Rivals100.com Recruiting national top-100 player, ranking fourth among all safety prospects. SuperPrep rates him the No. 7 defensive back prospect nationally. Last year, he was the only underclassman on the Division I All-Ohio first team. He had 66 tackles and six interceptions for a 5-5 team. He returned his first kick of the season for a 71-yard touchdown. As a sophomore, he had 101 tackles and three INTs for a 1-9 squad. Fox projects as a free safety at the college level.
COACH'S COMMENT - "He jumps right out at you when you see him on the field. He just has tremendous acceleration and hits real well on defense. He really takes the proper angle and when he gets there he knows how to tackle people. He's a great kid and a team player. Sometimes he's almost too good to be true. Ohio State got a heck of a player there, but more importantly they got a better person." - GlenOak coach Jack Rose.
HOBBIES - Fox enjoys watching movies on DVD and skiing in the winter.
SCHOOLS INTERESTED IN - Fox committed to Ohio State in July, picking the Buckeyes over Penn State, Michigan, Indiana and Notre Dame.
(Reprinted from the Sept. 9, 2000 issue of Buckeye Sports Bulletin.)
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Reports: Wells to OSU, McCoy to UT - Rivals
January 15, 2005
Reports: Wells to OSU, McCoy to UT
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BuckeyeSports.com Staff Reports
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Interested parties can hear it from the proverbial horse's mouth later on today during the U.S. Army All-American Game (1 p.m. EST, NBC), but Ohio State is set to bat .500 with the two prospects it was waiting on college announcements from, according to the hometown newspapers of each player.Rivals.com
According to his high school coach, Maurice Wells will indeed be continuing his football career at Ohio State.
Bad news first -- Washington (D.C.) St. John's College linebacker Rico McCoy, who has had the Buckeyes as one of his favorites since the summer, has opted to commit to Tennessee, according to his father, Reggie, via The Washington Post. A four-star prospect ranked as the nation's No. 8 linebacker and No. 96 overall player, McCoy's decision came down to UT and OSU and he has apparently opted to head south to Knoxville.
McCoy was spotted wearing Ohio State apparel around All-American Game practices this year, so add his name to the long list of prospects who have mastered the art of keeping up the suspense until almost the final hour before decision time.
But the news isn't all discouraging for Buckeye fans. Jacksonville (Fla.) Sandalwood running back Maurice Wells -- one of the coaching staff's top targets this recruiting season -- has indeed committed to OSU, according to his high school coach. Wells' Ohio State recruitment has been rumored for some time, almost ever since he took his official visit to the school for the OSU-Michigan game weekend, but Buckeye fans can apparently now officially add his name to the list of commitments.
Georgia Tech played bridesmaid to OSU this time around.
"He has a grandmother he's close to that lives there, and he said the rest of his family will probably end up moving there anyway," Sandalwood head coach Adam Geis told the Jacksonville (Fla.) Times-Union. "He thought he could play at both places, but it came down to a family thing."
After rushing for more than 3,000 yards as a junior, Wells missed parts of two games with a hip injury in 2004 but still managed 1,836 yards on the ground. Rivals.com ranks him the nation's No. 4 all-purpose back and No. 66 player overall.
At 5-9, 177, Wells doesn't fit the profile of the classic Ohio State running back, which he has told BuckeyeSports.com in the past is a motivating factor for him. Wells hopes to show that a player of his size can succeed in the Big Ten, and apparently his coach -- whose father is an assistant with the Yellow Jackets -- will be one of the naysayers Wells is trying to prove wrong.
"I've been his biggest fan for three years," Geis said. "And I hope everything he wants comes true. But he's always told me he wants to run the ball (in college), and I just don't see it happening there (at Ohio State)."
BuckeyeSports.com and the staff at Rivals.com will have full coverage of the commitments of both Wells and McCoy, along with a number of other players expected to announce their college decision, as they occur at the All-American Game this afternoon. Stay tuned to BuckeyeSports.com for all the latest recruiting news.
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