Joey Bosa: 2013 Ohio State football player profiles

Our 2013 recruit profiles continue, with Joey Bosa next on the docket. Urban Meyer's 2012 class will be known for the defensive linemen he recruited, while 2013 will probably be remembered for the offensive playmakers...and Joey Bosa. Bosa was one of the most sought after defensive linemen in the class of 2013, drawing interest from the blue bloods of college football – Alabama, Florida, Michigan, and others. He adds to a talent pool as deep as it has been at the defensive front at Ohio State in a long time, and will be a key component in what is shaping up to be one of the best and deepest defensive lines in college football. With the departure of all four starting defensive linemen from last year, the young and heralded Bosa will get every opportunity to make a name for himself early and often.

Vitals:

Ht: 6'5"

Wt: 262

40 time: You don't need to run forty yards to tackle the quarterback, son. - Every defensive line coach ever.

High School: St. Thomas Aquinas, Fort Lauderdale, FL

Origin Story:

College football royalty set their sights on Bosa early, and he was pursued by some of the biggest names in the sport. Bosa, a consensus top 5 DE, with a 247 sports composite ranking of #4, was one of the most sought after recruits in the class of 2013. Even in the recruit-rich land of Florida, Bosa stood out like a man among boys, making a name for himself as a junior, and drawing interest from the likes of Nick Saban, Will Muschamp, and everybody's favorite frat boy Bret Bielema.

But Bosa, much like many in OSU's class of 2013, had a fairly straight-forward and no-nonsense recruiting process. Although he had a slew of schools interested in him, by the end of his junior year he narrowed his choices down to five schools – Alabama, Florida, Ohio State, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Signs early on indicated that Alabama was in the lead to land the five star prospect, and Ohio State was really on the outside looking in. But after a March trip to the Midwest to visit Ohio State, Wisconsin, and That School Up North, Ohio State went from a longshot to a real possibility.

Although Bosa wanted to take his time and wait until the summer between his junior and senior year, after two trips to Columbus, the choice was easy:

"Ohio State just felt like home to me, from the first time I visited, and again with the second visit," he stressed. "The Ohio State coaching staff is perfect for what I need at this time in my career."

"All the people there are great, and I loved every minute of being there," he added. "I feel Ohio State is just an awesome place in every aspect, and I loved being there and hated to leave."

Maybe the choice became easy because Meyer pulled out all the stops to get Bosa under the Buckeye umbrella, including calling in OSU President E. Gordon Gee:

"If you come here, you have to go to a frat party with me," Gee playfully told the recruit, recalled Bosa's mother, Cheryl.

Once committed, Bosa never wavered. He ended his recruitment and focused on his senior year, which was a memorable one. His school, St. Thomas Aquinas, won the class Florida Class 7A state championship by defeating Tallahassee Lincoln 41-25. Bosa was a force on defense, registering 79 tackles, of which 25 were tackles for loss, and also had 10 sacks. He was also named an Under Armour All American, a USA Today All American, MIami Dade All County, and Florida Class 7A All State.

Other than that, it was your pretty standard, hum drum senior season.

2013 Prospectus:

What jumps out at you when you watch Bosa is his combination of both inside power and perimeter speed. When working on the inside, he has a very good swim move, and once he's beaten his man has a very quick close to the quarterback or ball carrier. He also looks to be a very smart and fundamentally sound player--he stays home and plays his gap or assignment, and when he wraps and tackles, runners don't get away.

You'll also notice that Bosa was equally good out as an end or inside as a DT, and it's very conceivable that OSU could elect to move him between the two positions, depending on the situation and what they'll want him to do. He's a big guy, but moves and flows smoothly to the ball, and the more you see him play, the more you can't wait to see him chase down and destroy Devin Gardner. Repeatedly.

With all the starters from last years team gone, Bosa looks like a guy that will get some significant playing time early and often. Urban Meyer is amassing talent on the defensive line at a rate that rivals the rate at which OSU President E. Gordon Gee apparently attends frat parties, and Bosa is a guy that has superstar written all over him.

Highlight Jam Session:

One Of These Things Is Blatantly False:

• Joey has a 3.45 GPA

• Joey's uncle is former OSU great Eric Kumerow

• His father was a first round pick by the Miami Dolphins

• His brother Nick, a freshman, already has an OSU offer

• Joey's Mom graduated from That School Up North*

*Sorry, Mrs. Bosa