Blessed to receive an offer from THE Ohio State University. @OSUCoachKDub @ryandaytime @OhioStateFB @CoachAdamCruz1 @SLUHfootball pic.twitter.com/eqXJb1xqvp
— Landon Pace (@LandonPace9) June 28, 2022
Michael Smith of Savannah, Ga., Emaree Winston of Calhoun, Ga., Ryan Ghea of Alpharetta, Ga., and Davon Mitchell of Allen, Texas, also tweeted within the hour they had received OSU offers, but Pace’s stood out because of his last name.
The St. Louis native is the son of former Buckeye Orlando Pace.
Landon is only a sophomore and does not have a rating from 247Sports yet, but it is not hard to see why Ohio State coach Ryan Day and staff would be willing to bet he will grow into a player worthy of wearing the Scarlet and Gray.
Orlando Pace is one of the greatest Buckeyes ever.
Videos of the 6-foot-6, 300-pounder playing basketball for Sandusky High School went viral before the days of social media, and he proved to be worth every bit of hype when he arrived in Columbus in 1994.
Pace was a day one starter on the offensive line and named Big Ten Freshman of the Year.
He went on to win the Lombardi Award twice and win the Outland Trophy.
After blocking for Heisman Trophy winner Eddie George in 1995, Pace finished fourth in balloting for that trophy in ‘96, the highest finish for an offensive lineman since fellow Buckeye John Hicks was No. 2 in 1973.
Pace was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year in 1995 and ‘96 and also won the Lombardi Award both years. He was the Outland Trophy winner in ‘96 and won the Chicago Tribune Silver Football as the Big Ten’s most valuable player.
The Rams, then playing in St. Louis, chose him with the No. 1 pick in the 1997 NFL Draft, and he made first-team All-Pro three times.
Pace retired after the 2009 season, and he has since been inducted into both the College Football and Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Landon’s older brother, Jalen, is a linebacker for Ohio State who joined the team last year and wears No. 57, the reverse of his father’s college number.
Ghea and Mitchell are both sophomores while Smith is a junior. They all play tight end.
Smith is a four-star recruit and the No. 130 player in 247Sports Composite rankings for 2024. He is the No. 5 tight end in the country and ranked 22nd in Georgia.
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