Shaun Wade had a two-year pledge to the Buckeyes that tested his resolve as other programs refused to give up. Wade is now on campus with the Buckeyes and ready to make a push for one of two vacant corner positions on the 2017 team.
COLUMBUS, Ohio – When Ohio State received the commitment of Jacksonville (Fla.) cornerback Shaun Wade in January of 2015, the day that Ohio State was set to play Oregon in the inaugural CFP Championship game, the Buckeyes were happy to accept the pledge but knew the real work was set to being there.
"I didn't know him. I know his school very well, and traditionally players in that area will change schools about seven times to their commitments," Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer said of Trinity International high school and the reputation of its deep pool of athletes and their willingness to commit and decommit.
The five-star defensive back did ride it through, not without some tense moments for Ohio State fans and coaches as schools like Florida and Alabama pushed and pushed some more. It was not until December of 2016 that Wade shut everything down and and only focused on Ohio State. A little more than a month later he is in Columbus along with eight other early enrollees going through winter drills and course work.
"To be honest, I really knew I belonged here," Wade said on Wednesday afternoon as he and several other early enrollees had their first chance to talk to the Ohio State media. "I knew I was a Buckeye from the get go, I just had to make sure. There were other schools, but I knew I was a Buckeye."
