Buckeyes Secure Commitment From One of Nation's Most Sought After Linebackers
By Tony Gerdeman
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Less than three months after bringing in arguably the country's best linebacking group in the 2012 recruiting class, Urban Meyer received a verbal commitment from Pennsylvania linebacker Alex Anzalone after Ohio State's Spring Game.
Anzalone (6-3 220), a four-star prospect from Wyomissing High School in Eastern Pennsylvania, tweeted his decision Saturday night.
"Thanks to all of the coaches who have recruited me in this process and given me the opportunity to play at their respective school. It has been an awesome experience but tOSU is the right fit for me.
"Also, thank you to EVERYONE who supported me through this process. Hopefully the relationships I've developed will come full circle some day."
When Anzalone thanks all of the coaches who have recruited him "in this process", it's a list that would make even the most self-confident player blush.
Aside from Ohio State, Anzalone had offers from Alabama, USC, Oklahoma, Penn State, Michigan, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, South Carolina, Stanford, Northwestern, Duke, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Arkansas, and over a dozen others. Quite literally, he could have gone anywhere in the country.
A two-way player at the moment, Anzalone rushed for 917 yards last season, averaging 11.6 yards per carry. Florida even told him that he could choose offense or defense if he selected the Gators. His future, however, is as a linebacker at Ohio State.
Anzalone was only credited with 58 tackles last season, but once college coaches got to see his film, they were quick to offer.
"I texted Mike Vrabel at Ohio State about him, and they all started watching him," Ross Tucker, who is the CEO of a company that gets high school prospects national exposure, told the Reading Eagle.
"My contact at Alabama told me that after (watching his) first six plays he could tell hewould become a national kid. They could see that he could run; they could see his athletici and how well he moves with the ball.
"They saw how well he plays in space (in defensive coverage), and that's the name of the game at the college level.