Buckeyes land Okudah

SAN ANTONIO -- What seemed inevitable for months was finally made official on Saturday afternoon at the Army All-American Bowl as Grand Prairie (Texas) South Grand Prairie defensive back Jeffrey Okudah announced his commitment to Ohio State. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound prospect had the Buckeyes in the lead going all the way back to last summer, but took an extremely careful approach to the recruiting process, visiting many of the nation's top programs.

On Saturday, Okudah made his announcement live on NBC, choosing Ohio State over Oklahoma and Florida State.

"They just had the best plan for me both with football and after football," Okudah told BuckeyeGrove.com. "It's a pretty good chance for me to get away from home but also be at a place with a family feel. Looking at all of that stuff and the comfort that me and my family have with it, it was really a no-brainer."

Ultimately, Okudah gave his pledge to the school that had been there the whole way after making his official visit the last weekend in November. The Buckeyes had some coaching shake-up early in Okudah's recruitment, losing Chris Ash to Rutgers, and then also towards the end, losing Tim Beck to Texas. But the changes never swayed the five-star prospect.

"You're always going to have new guys come in," he explained. "They are always going to be bring in guys who develop players and get them to the top. As long as coach Meyer's there, they will be on top."

Okudah is rated the No. 1 safety in the 2017 recruiting class by Rivals.com, though he will get his first shot at cornerback at Ohio State. He is the No. 11 overall prospect in the class, regardless of position.

Stay with BuckeyeGrove.com for more on Okudah's pledge to the Buckeyes.