Richardson makes first OSU visit
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2017 Rivals100 athlete Javonte Richardson has been tabbed as a big name in Ohio high school football for some time. The 6-foot-4, 200-pound Maple Heights (Ohio) prospect has the physical tools to be a big time player at either wide receiver or free safety at the next level and college coaches have noticed, with Bowling Green and Kentucky already extending offers.
However, Richardson's recruitment hasn't really taken off yet. For the most part, he's been very quiet on that front and hasn't taken all that many visits or met with college coaches or camped trying to earn offers. That has begun to change now as the Cleveland-area standout made his first visit to Ohio State this past weekend for the Buckeyes' spring game with teammate and 2016 Ohio State pledge Kierre Hawkins.
"The spring game was cool because they had so many fans out there. Ohio State has a lot of good players on that team," Richardson said. "I didn't get to talk with that many coaches or people there, I was just around the atmosphere and the stadium. It was cool, it was a fun time."
In fact, Richardson had a bit of culture shock during his first visit to a major college program. When he was coming out of the players' tunnel to the spring game crowd of 99,391 people, a few of the more eager fans were asking him to sign autographs right alongside current Buckeyes.
"Nope, that was a totally new experience. I had never seen anything like that before," Richardson laughed. "I just looked up when I was coming out of the tunnel and there were fans asking me to sign an autograph. That was definitely funny."
Richardson does not yet hold an Ohio State offer, but the Buckeyes have been picking up their recruiting efforts on him of late, and he will be participating in one of Ohio State's June elite one day camps on the Raw Talent bus tour. The same bus tour should also include Michigan State, among other schools, but there's one offer on sophomore standout has his eye on.
"Yeah, I'll be camping at Ohio State in June on the bus tour I'm doing," Richardson said. "Earning an Ohio State offer would just be a dream come true."
Richardson certainly has the talent to make that dream a reality. The lanky, big-bodied receiver has a catch radius that few can match and pairing that with his natural athletic ability makes him a dangerous target anywhere that the quarterback can put the ball. Richardson will be competing at the Rivals Camp Series in Cleveland on April 26th and will be looking to come home with an invite to the Five Star Challenge in Baltimore.
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