Kirk is next at Coffman

The Central Ohio area has several very promising underclassmen prospects that are going to emerge this fall. Class of 2021 Dublin Coffman defensive back A.J. Kirk is one of those prospects. The 6-foot, 180-pound prospect is the younger brother of former Ohio State star Mike Doss, but Kirk is going to make a name for himself this fall. At last Tuesday's quad-scrimmage, Kirk was running with the Coffman starters at cornerback.

"It was great," said Kirk. "It was a lot of excitement for me just being out there as a freshman. I really enjoyed it. I thought I did pretty good but there's still room for improvement."

Kirk already holds an offer from Kentucky and is, unsurprisingly, being recruited by Ohio State. He was one of the few freshmen to get a chance to work out at Friday Night Lights in Ohio Stadium a few weeks ago.

"I loved the experience," he said, of FNL. "Obviously my brother used to go there so I'm used to the coaches and everything. I loved it, they made me feel like I was part of the team."

Ohio State has meant a lot to Kirk and his family. Getting an offer from the Buckeyes down the road is the type of thing that Kirk feels would validate him as a prospect.

"It would mean a lot," he said. "Just growing up in Columbus, it would be a big offer from Ohio State. They don't just offer anybody. They offer the elite."

Along the way the next few years, Kirk will have a tremendous support system in place. Having someone like Doss to go to on a daily basis for advice both on and off the field is an invaluable piece of the puzzle that many kids don't have.

"He's always there for me," Kirk said of his older brother. "He really cares about me. But he's also always pushing me to get better. He never lets me slack off on anything, especially school work."

Kirk is also generating early interest from Cincinnati, Penn State, and Youngstown State. He does not yet have any fall visits planned.