Signed: Amir Riep

Cincinnati has always been a battleground area for Ohio State, even though the Queen City resides inside the borders of Ohio. Head coach Urban Meyer and cornerbacks coach Kerry Coombs have put a special emphasis on the Queen City's top talent over the past few years and their persistence once again paid off with Colerain defensive back Amir Riep.

The Buckeyes won a big-time Midwest battle for Riep as virtually every program in the Midwest offered, including Big Ten rivals Michigan, Michigan State, and Penn State. The Buckeyes held those programs off as well as Notre Dame and Alabama to land Riep's commitment in July.

While Ohio State was the presumed favorite from the very early stages of Riep's recruitment, the Rivals250 did plenty of diligence during the process. Riep visited all of his top programs, including several trips to Michigan State as the Spartans made a good run during the spring and summer.

Several schools stayed on top of Riep in the months after his commitment to Ohio State, but that diligence put forth during the spring months before his announcement helped him make a sound decision.

"It was easy staying committed," Riep said. "Before I announced where I was going, my Dad had me make sure that my decision was one-hundred percent."

Riep just always seemed to revert back to Ohio State, visiting multiple times in June before issuing his verbal pledge. Wednesday's opportunity to sign with the Buckeyes is something he has been waiting a long time for.

"I'm very excited to sign to become a Buckeye," Riep told BuckeyeGrove.com. "It's like the feeling you have before Christmas, so you go to bed early so the morning hurries up and comes."