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Ohio State's only remaining uncommitted target for the 2014 recruiting class is Southfield (MI) defensive end Malik McDowell, who took an official visit to Ohio State over the weekend.
Steve Wiltfong of 247Sports talked to Malik's father, Greg McDowell, earlier today, and his father indicated that while Malik wants to play his college ball for Michigan State, the family doesn't have any interest in him playing for the Spartans and would like to see him attend college in Columbus or Tallahassee:
"I want him out of Michigan. I don’t care if that’s Ohio State or Florida State."
"From when we talked Friday he's coming around because he knows how adamant we are about him not attending Michigan State," the elder McDowell said. "I don't have anything bad to say against Michigan State but I don't think they're the school for my son. I think the coaches are cool and they're establishing a good program, but this is my son and I choose to not want him there. If he were to choose Michigan State I don't know what I would do. It is what it is. I just want my son away from this environment and Michigan. I want him out of here."
You can read the full story (FREE) on Malik's decision and Ohio State visit, courtesy of 247Sports here.
Sam Webb of the Detroit News (and Scout) also talked to McDowell's father, where he said one of the biggest factors in Malik's college decision will be staying close to home, so family could come watch him play. This could give the Buckeyes a leg up in McDowell's recruitment:
"(He is thinking about) what it's all going to turn out to be as far as family also," his father Greg McDowell said. "I feel like he is thinking about my mom, his grandmother - a lot. His mom's parents are both deceased, so he only has my mom and my father, and my father is disabled. He wants to keep it close to home as far as my mom being able to come see him. Not just on TV. That's something where he is very thoughtful in that way about her."
We're just two days away from McDowell's college announcement ceremony, which will be held at Southfield high school around 9:30 a.m. ET.
I'm told Malik McDowell will announce his decision at 9:30am on Signing Day: http://t.co/laMnNXtJEc
— Allen Trieu (@AllenTrieu) February 1, 2014
It's difficult to make a pick for the standout defensive end because there are so many moving parts, but if I had to make a prediction, it would be Ohio State as things currently stand.
Land-Grant Holy Land will be following McDowell's developing recruitment very closely in the days leading up to National Signing Day.
