The 4-star decision is just an Ohio State intrigue on signing day

Have a question about recruiting in the State of Ohio? This is the place for you, five days a week. Submit your questions on Twitter or on the Lettermen Row forums. Check in daily to see what Buckeyes fans across the country are saying. Today’s question is about recruiting 4-star linebacker Raesjon Davis who will make his college pick on Wednesday, the first day of the February signing period.

Ohio State Recruiting Day Question

No crystal ball changes for Raesjon. Is it still all USC?

– Buckeyes Recruitment (@osu_crootin) February 1, 2021

After returning home to California after a much anticipated visit to Columbus, there was a palpable buzz surrounding the recruiting of Raesjon Davis and the State of Ohio.

As with a number of high profile recruiting battles, the days following the visit provided a much needed period of reflection for the 4-star linebacker with his family and a chance to really sit down and analyze his options. The player ranked No.48 in Class 2021 will announce his decision on Wednesday 247Sports.com/CBSSports.com Commitment Show at 11:30 a.m., and it will choose either the state of Ohio, USC, Oregon, LSU or Vanderbilt. Most analysts believe the decision is really down to the Buckeyes and the Trojans.

A native of California, Davis has long been recruited by USC. The recent recruiting push for Clay Helton’s program, especially among California’s most notable prep products, made him the favorite to sign the 6-1 / 1, 215-pound linebacker before he even publicly disengaged. from LSU at the end of December. The Buckeyes were just an afterthought for much of his recruiting, working on a relationship with him who only had a two-hour visit in early March as a cornerstone. Ohio state did an admirable job nonetheless, especially linebacker coach Al Washington who became a favorite for all-star linebackers throughout the process.

But there is a lot that goes into the recruiting process, and while the Buckeyes have worked hard to ensure that they have built a solid relationship with Raesjon Davis, it was built during the Covid-19 pandemic. on Zoom calls and texts and not face-to-face or through in-person assessments. For this reason, it is difficult to move beyond the bonds he has forged with USC, its coaches, its players and its future players in recent years. This is what makes Trojans the expected choice on Wednesday.

Davis and his family’s mid-January visit to Ohio wasn’t just for fun. There is genuine interest in the Buckeyes program and Davis is interested in leaving California to go to school, which he did not hesitate and which led to his early decision to engage in LSU at the ‘origin. Ohio State has made it clear to the young linebacker that there is no easy way to play in Columbus. It actually has been an advantage for the Buckeyes’ chances, but is it enough? Is it a two-hour visit in March and a weekend in January where no in-person interaction with the coaches is enough to convince a young man he should move across the country if he’s likely to will he play little more than special teams for the next two seasons?

From this point of view, the answer is probably no, it is not enough. Interest in the state of Ohio has been real, but usually these decisions come down to solace and relationships. USC is the leader in both of these areas. That’s why, in the end, I believe Davis will sign with USC and the Buckeyes will enjoy a calm first day of the February signing period.

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