UF pledge Tyreak Sapp in touch with Ohio State, planning a virtual visit
Despite being committed to the Florida Gators for nearly a year and a half, top-20 overall prospect Tyreak Sapp is leaving the door open to Ohio State and several other programs
The extended recruiting dead period due to the coronavirus pandemic led to previously scheduled visits being canceled for high school football prospects across the nation.
One of the players who saw his spring plans postponed as a result of COVID-19 is Tyreak Sapp.
Sapp, a borderline five-star recruit and a longtime Florida Gators pledge, was slated to journey up to Alabama and Ohio State in the spring. This would have marked Sapp's first time stepping foot on Ohio State's campus if the visit occurred.
The product out of St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) reeled in an offer from the Buckeyes in late January, and says d-line coach Larry Johnson is pressing all the right buttons with him.
"It's going good," Sapp said of the Buckeyes' pursuit of him. "I'm talking to coach Johnson and building a relationship with him. It's been great. It's going good so far."
During Johnson's time in Columbus, he has been able to develop three of the most coveted defensive ends in the past five NFL drafts: Joey Bosa, Nick Bosa and Chase Young. The trio of pass rushers were each top-3 picks in their respective drafts.
Given the resume that Johnson has put together, Sapp is intrigued by the possibility of learning under his tutelage.
"He told me personally, myself, that he's good at what he does," Sapp said. "Talking about that. He's just showing me some things. Obviously, he's had two of the best pass rushers from my school [St. Thomas Aquinas]. That's been a big plus.
"That's very, very appealing because I know I'm going to a great situation with a great coach."
If Sapp ends up choosing the Buckeyes, then he will be joining a 2021 class that features five-star prospects Jack Sawyer and Tunmise Adeleye. Sawyer is the top-ranked weakside defensive end on Rivals, while Adeleye is labeled as the third-ranked strongside defensive end in this cycle.
For Sapp, however, the presence of these talented players in Ohio State's class wouldn't scare him off from teaming up with the program, if that's what he ultimately decides to do.
"I love competition," Sapp said. "That's one of the things that I need, that's one of the things that a lot of recruits don't get. You always want to go to a situation where you have competition, where you have to fight. That's the only way you'll ever get better.
"You try to go into a situation where you'll be the dominant guy, you're going to be the guy who stands out every day, that's not what you want. At the end of the day on Saturdays, you're not going to flourish."
Coach Johnson's presence on the staff and the elite pass rushers Ohio State is adding both stick out to Sapp, but so does the direction of the team with Ryan Day at the helm.
Day guided the Buckeyes to a 13-1 record and an appearance in the College Football Playoff in his first full season as head coach, and Sapp believes he'll continue to succeed this fall.
"They can do pretty good," Sapp said of Ohio State. "I'm very ready to see what they're going to do this upcoming season. I feel like they can do good things. Show out on the field, stay on the right path. It's not like they haven't done it before."
With the dead period recently being extended to July 31, Sapp will have to wait at least another two months before taking a trip to Columbus. In the meantime, the 6-foot-3, 260-pounder is currently planning a virtual visit with the Buckeyes.
As for where things stand in his recruitment, Sapp mostly speaks with Alabama, Florida, Georgia Tech, Miami and Ohio State, and is going to continue evaluating all of his options.
"It's still strong," Sapp said of his UF commitment. "I'm going to say the same thing: My mind can change at anytime. So, be ready, y'all can be ready for a big decision. You never know."
Stay tuned to BuckeyeGrove.