Signed: Rivals100 DT Michael Hall

There was never any question that Ohio State was going to land a commitment from Michael Hall and eventually sign him.

Hall reeled in an offer from the in-state Buckeyes in late October 2019, and went on to label them as his leader less than a month later. On Feb. 1 of this year, Hall decided not to wait any longer as he pulled the trigger and committed to the Buckeyes.

Sure, SEC programs like Alabama, Arkansas and Tennessee jumped into the mix shortly after, but Hall struck through with his commitment without any drama. Now, as of a few minutes ago, Hall is officially heading to Ohio State at the next level as he has signed his Letter of Intent to play for the football program.

Hall is coming off of an impressive senior campaign that resulted in him being named one of the two Ohio Prep Sportswriters Association’s Division III Defensive Players of the Year. During his 2020 season, Hall recorded 41 total tackles (31 solo) – 12 of which were tackles for loss – and had a pair of sacks in seven games played.

The sixth-ranked defensive tackle on Rivals did sign early, but will not be a mid-year enrollee, so it will be several months before Hall officially arrives on campus.

It’s hard not to feel bad for opposing offensive linemen when watching Hall’s highlight reel above.

Hall’s get-off is too quick, and all it takes is a quick swipe with his hands to get into the backfield with ease. At least at the high school level, it is a necessity to double team Hall as he’ll win one-on-one matchups all night and record either tackles for loss or sacks.

The 6-foot-3, 275-pounder is also strong enough to drive back o-linemen and put pressure on a quarterback. Even with mobile signal callers, Hall is able to keep up with them while they’re on the run to force errant throws.

To no surprise, Hall is the definition of a run-stopper as he clogs up the middle and is a solid tackler. He plays a little bit too high at times, but defensive line coach Larry Johnson will make sure to get his pad level lower during his time in Columbus.

Unlike some players his size, Hall is very athletic and can slide anywhere along the d-line. I mean, how many defensive tackles can dunk a basketball like Hall can? He truly has everything you are looking for in a d-lineman, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he takes on multiple positions in college.

I am indeed a little surprised that Hall fell double digit spots in the latest Rivals update. In my opinion, based on the film I saw above, he should be in the conversation for being a top-50 overall senior in the country.

Stay tuned to BuckeyeGrove.