Rubio ready to check out Ohio State
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – Class of 2021 defensive tackle Gabriel Rubio already has the look of a college lineman, even if he is still two years away from joining a program as a rising junior. The 6-foot-5, 280-pounder just has a presence about him that gets college recruiters to take notice and leave impressed.
That impressive air around Rubio, along with a lot of great tape, has already led to 12 offers to date, including one from the Buckeyes.
The St. Peters (Mo.) star took place in the St. Louis stop of the Rivals Camp Series on Sunday and turned a lot of heads with his effort. There is little doubt as more tape gets out from his showing at the event, more offers could be coming as Rubio gets ready for a summer of camps and traveling as he starts working on his recruiting journey.
Brian Hartline has been the point person for the Buckeyes to date as the ‘area recruiter’ but expect Larry Johnson to get more involved as things progress. Rubio has been very impressed with the approach that Hartline has taken so far as the two sides are getting to know one another so far.
“Normally the conversations are just about every day stuff,” Rubio said. “Whether he has to go to a practice or a meeting or how he has been doing or how I have been doing. We just will talk for like 15 or 20 minutes.”
These conversations have paved the way for a camp visit for Rubio, a camp where he plans to work out for the Ohio State coaches and let them see what he is all about and in turn, get a chance to see how the coaches work with players.
“We are going to the camp on June 6th,” Rubio added.
Rubio has made several visits to Iowa while also taking trips to Kentucky, Louisville and Nebraska so far. What does he hope to see at Ohio State?
“I hope to see the facilities… locker rooms and all of that good stuff,” Rubio said. “I am pretty interested in Ohio State because I want to see what they have to offer since I have never been up there.”
Rubio knows that he will visit Kentucky again this summer and beyond that, everything is still in flux as he works with his family to put together a visit schedule that will allow him to get out and keep checking into schools.
What is going to be most important when it comes time to decide upon a school?
“When it comes to picking a school, I want to find a school that has a family atmosphere, having the team being your family away from home,” Rubio said. “I want to have coaches that are going to be there for the entire four years to develop me into a great player and into a great person. Lastly, I want to get a great education.”