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Lee excited to be a Buckeye

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It is always a big moment for any athlete to sign their scholarship papers, but for New Albany (Ohio) two-way star Darron Lee the afternoon ceremony at high school will be extra special. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound prospect faxed in his letter of intent to Ohio State this morning but will be honored at 2:30 PM for his accomplishment.
"I'm very excited," said Lee about officially becoming a Buckeye. "I've been waiting for this for a long time, since last summer, ever since I committed and got the offer and stuff. I just like forward to this day and I'm ready to take the next step in my life."
Lee, originally from Chattanooga, Tennessee, has become a Columbus guy over the last few years and he's excited to be staying so close to home to play his college ball.
"It means a lot," he said. "All of my friends get to watch me. I'm familiar with the area and it's a benefit for me to be close and also getting to play for the best team in the nation."
With Ohio State, Lee says he was drawn to the straight shooting by the coaching staff and said the Buckeye staff was very clear where things stood from day one.
"Before the camps and all of that stuff, when I went to the junior days, they were really up front with me and honest with me about everything," he said. "I really liked that. Some other programs you could snuff out the lies and some programs couldn't even say your name right which wasn't cool. It's a great staff, I trust the staff, and it really just felt right for me."
Lee committed quickly after landing his offer from the Buckeyes. Looking back on things now, his long term outlook for the Ohio State class was dead on.
"I knew it was going to get a little hectic later on," he laughed, referring to Ohio State's big-time finish to the class. "I knew I had to jump on my offer when I could so I did."
Lee will participate in the North/South all-star game before enrolling at Ohio State. When he does take that practice field for the first time, he intends to show the coaching staff that he is capable of earning some early playing time.
"Aside from getting a good education, I'm just looking forward to making an impact on the team," he said. "That's my goal. I'm not coming here to just be on the sidelines. I'm going with the intent to play and to play a lot. I'm ready to get to work and I'm ready to earn my keep."
Lee's best asset as a prep star was his versatility. A tremendous natural athlete, Lee is capable of playing wide receiver, safety, quarterback, or possibly growing into a linebacker at the next level. Lee says he will start worrying about that stuff later but is comfortable with whatever role he is given.
"My goals would be to just find out where I fit in and I'm most comfortable," he said. "I trust the coaching staff to put me in the right position and to pay attention to the way my body fills out with getting bigger and everything. I'm going to do my best at whatever position they put me at."
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