Ohio State-Glenville pipeline flowing again with latest verbals

More than that, they are Glenville Tarblooders, confirming the once-gushing pipeline of high school talent from Cleveland to Columbus is back open.

“I chose Ohio State because I feel like this is the best opportunity for me being developed,” West, a four-star cornerback prospect, told 247Sports.com after news of his commitment broke Saturday. “The staff, the players and the community fit me as a person and a player, and me being an Ohio kid, this is definitely the place I need to be. And considering they bring in the best players in the country every single year offense and defense.”

The 5-foot-11, 177-pound West is the No. 1-ranked player in Ohio and the No. 4 cornerback in his class per 247Sports Composite rankings.

The four-star prospect is ranked 49th nationally among all players.

The 6-4, 215-pound Witten is ranked 11th in Ohio and the No. 19 tight end in the country.

He is the second tight end to commit to the Buckeyes this year, joining fellow four-star prospect Max LaBlanc of Chattanooga, Tenn. LeBlanc is the No. 14 tight end in the country.

Beginning with Troy Smith in 2002, Ohio State signed a least one player from Glenville in 13 consecutive classes — 21 in all.

Ten of those players eventually became starters, and seven were NFL draft picks (Smith, Ted Ginn Jr., Jermale Hines, Jonathan Newsome, Christian Bryant, Cardale Jones, Marshon Lattimore).

Last year, Ohio State signed four-star linebacker Arvell Reese, ending a string of eight years without a Tarblooder becoming a Buckeye that began under head coach Urban Meyer and continued into the Ryan Day era.

Day and director of player personnel Marc Pantoni both spoke in February about potentially focusing more on scooping up the best players in Ohio and the Midwest in the coming years, though.

“I think we have some really good prospects in the state, and I also think that it matters to have guys from the state of Ohio now more than ever,” Day said on the traditional National Signing Day in February. “But I’m excited about this next class.”

So far they are at seven in the class of 2024, equaling the total of Ohio natives Ohio State signed last year and one off the most in a single year since 2016 when they signed 10.

(Eight members of the 2020 class were from Ohio.)

According to 247Sports, Ohio State offered 11 seniors-to-be from the Buckeye State, and two remain undecided — cornerbacks Aaron Scott Jr. of Springfield and Terhyon Nichols of Cincinnati Withrow.

Centerville safety Reggie Powers III has committed to Michigan State while Cincinnati Moeller running back Jordan Marshall is headed to Michigan.

Ohio State has commitments from West, Witten, Big Walnut linebacker Garrett Stover, Pickerington North running back/receiver Sam Williams-Dixon and offensive linemen Marc Nave of Toledo Central Catholic and brothers Devontae and Deontae Armstrong of Lakewood St. Edward.

The latest commits moved Ohio State up from No. 4 in national recruiting rankings to No. 2 behind Georgia.

The Buckeyes jumped Michigan and Florida, though the race for the (some say mythical) recruiting national title is obviously far from over with many traditional recruiting powers reaching the midway point of the year with relatively low numbers of commitments.