SEFFNER, Fla. – A whirlwind week that saw Tampa-area athlete Kye Stokes getting offered by the Buckeyes had ended with a commitment to Ohio State as the 6-foot-2, 178-pounder went public with something he had done privately a few short day ago.
The last 10-plus days saw offers from Ohio State, Alabama, UGA, Florida, LSU, Auburn and Notre Dame come in but the one from Ryan Day's Buckeyes checked off all the boxes as Stokes and his family came to a relatively quick decision after being thoroughly impressed with the full-court press that the Buckeyes put on.
"After some conversations with my coaches and parents, I am 100-percent committed to 'The' Ohio State," Stokes said in an exclusive interview with BuckeyeGrove.com.
While listed as an athlete, the Buckeyes have Stokes pegged for safety, a position that is tailormade for the tall and rangy player. Stokes has only played one season in the defensive backfield, but the growth from game one to game 10 was off the charts according to his coaches. 2021 will provide another year focused on his future position and the growth will invaluable.
"That's DBU," Stokes added. "I love how they develop their players. They have got a lot of first-round draft picks."
Stability is something else that really meant a lot to Stokes and he sees that with the Buckeyes.
"As far as the transfer portal, there are not a lot of kids transferring out of Ohio State," Stokes said. "I just feel like there is something that they are doing right, and I need to be a part of that."
Stokes and his family did not waste any time in the process but that does not mean they moved quickly or without a plan. Stokes was set to visit Ohio State officially later in June but once they realized that Ohio State is where he wanted to be, there was no need to delay the process any longer.
Now it appears that Stokes could be part of the first official visit weekend of June for the Buckeyes, but that is still a work in progress as things are rapidly evolving.
"I am going to talk to the coaches," Stokes said. "I think I am scheduled for later as of right now, but I am committed, and I don't see why I wouldn't be part of that first week in June."
Stokes is the 11th member of Ohio State's class of 2022 and the third member of the secondary where he will join cornerbacks Jaheim Singletary and Jyaire Brown.
One thing that defensive backs are taking notice of is the amount of depth that the Buckeyes have at the receiver position and the knowledge that going against Ohio State's receiver roster will only better them day-in and day-out in their own development.
"Iron sharpens iron," Stokes said. "I feel like being able to go up against the best and being able to practice with the best, eventually I will be one of the best."
We will have more on this breaking news including what the addition of Stokes brings to the Buckeyes from an athletic and schematic standpoint as well as a scouting report of Stokes from his head coach.
