Speedy linebacker excited by Ohio State offer
The linebacker position is going to be an important one for Ohio State in the 2022 recruiting class. The Buckeyes will see a lot of junior and senior linebackers leave the program before that class reaches campus and so the numbers will have to be replenished with that 2022 crop.
The Buckeyes already have one likely future linebacker committed in Ohio star C.J. Hicks but they are scouring the nation for the top talent and Manvel (Texas) product Justin Medlock is a player that has caught their attention.
Ohio State offered the 6-foot-1, 200-pound prospect this week after spending the past month or so building a relationship with the Houston area standout.
"I got the news from coach Washington," Medlock recalled. "I called him and we talked for a little bit and he offered me."
Washington and Medlock have been speaking pretty regularly since the beginning of April and the Buckeyes like the speed the Texas star brings to the table.
"He's a real cool coach," Medlock explained. "He can relate with the players and he has been great to talk to. Coach Washington said that right now he sees me at WILL and that it would probably be like a whole new linebacker room by the time I got it there."
While Medlock doesn't have any direct ties to Ohio State, it is a program that he has followed closely over the years.
"I've been watching Ohio State since I was a little kid," he explained. "They've always (produced) defensive players and they've been putting guys in the top five (of the draft) at least the last few years. It's a very good program and they play fast and aggressive and that's how I like to play."
In today's era of spread passing attacks and speed everywhere at the offensive skill positions, linebackers who can run and cover are at a premium and that is what Medlock brings to the table.
"I think my strengths are my speed, my ability to diagnose plays, my pass rush which you don't see as much on film, and my cover skills," he said. "I can step out in the slot and cover running backs, tight ends, and wide receivers. I'm really working on everything though, strength, speed, hips, everything."
Medlock is hoping to visit Ohio State as soon as possible, along with a couple of other programs, once things open back up.
"As soon as this is over, I'm definitely going to get up to Ohio State and visit them," he stated. "I'm gonna go to LSU and Oregon. I'll go to some others but those are the three that I know that I'm going to visit."
Medlock holds nearly 20 scholarship offers so far, including; Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Texas.