Signed: Jake Seibert

Ohio State didn't technically need to address the kicker position in its 2020 recruiting class as Blake Haubeil has another year of eligibility left. But when an elite prospect is in your backyard, you adjust your timeline. Cincinnati (Ohio) La Salle product Jake Seibert is considered by many to be the nation's best kicker prospect and he is now officially a member of the Ohio State football program after signing on Wednesday.

"It’s a dream come true knowing I’ll be playing for the team I watched and admired so many times growing up," Seibert told BuckeyeGrove.com in advance of his signing. "I can’t wait to play with a team full of NFL talent and being around guys like that will definitely help me become the best player that I can be."

Ohio State offered Seibert back in May with the strong-legged kicker contemplating offers from Michigan State and UCLA at the time. After a visit to Columbus, things were wrapped up pretty quickly with Seibert only taking a couple of weeks from the time of the offer to decide Columbus is where he wanted to be.

Unlike the other prospects who are signing today, Seibert is likely not going to be put on scholarship until after the 2020 season but that could change depending on how the numbers are shaping up in August.

Ohio State has put a strong emphasis on its kicking game for years, going back to the Jim Tressel era and that was only enhanced during Urban Meyer's time in Columbus. Now Ryan Day is taking special teams seriously as well, making sure to lock up an in-state talent like Seibert to solidify the kicking game for the foreseeable future.

Seibert has a big leg and proved to be very accurate during his high school career. He saved his most impressive performance for last, however, hitting field goals of 43 and 38 yards in the Division II State Championship game. These were clutch fourth quarter kicks and he hit them with ease despite not having his normal warmup that night as he played with a strained groin.

With range beyond 55-yards, Seibert is a tremendous talent and a very good athlete as he also started at wide receiver for La Salle.