Ohio State recruiting: State Secrets, 3/31 - Tyler Gerald talks visit, Trevor Thompson to visit

Ohio State had quite a few prospects on campus Saturday, including class of 2015 studs, David Robbins, Chris Green, Jabari Greenwood and Darius Fullwood, who named the Buckeyes his leader over Penn State, Kentucky, Miami and others, after ending his weekend trip to Columbus.

Fullwood, a 6'4 240-pound, three-star defensive end out of Good Counsel High School in Olney, Maryland, has OSU in the driver's seat, mostly due to the outstanding relationship he has built with newly hired defensive line coach Larry Johnson during the recruiting process.

Land-Grant Holy Land had the opportunity to catch up with Darius and had him tackle a few questions on subjects from his bond with Johnson to what caught his eye during the Buckeyes spring practice.

"I got to see them in game form. It was a great time. The atmosphere was great. I could definitely see myself there. The coaches are very energetic, very hyped. It seems like a lot of the defensive lineman are learning from Coach Johnson, even though he's only been there for a short period of time. It was really fast paced, there was a lot of energy, and I really enjoyed it. I spent a lot of time with him (Johnson) throughout the day. We had great talks." Fullwood said. "I think he can be a mentor for me and can be one of those coaches who takes me to the next level. We have a good connection, so we talk about more than just football."

Me && the bro up at that #BuckEyeNation THE OHIO STATE‼️ ♣️♦️ @JusCallMe_BARI pic.twitter.com/TAoFHpQUoc

— Dee Fullwood (@realdeewood) March 30, 2014

You can see what else Fullwood had to say about his trip, here.

Another prospect who made his way to campus Saturday was class of 2016 offensive lineman Tyler Gerald. Definitely someone to keep an eye on going forward, Gerald, who suits up for Sciotoville Community School in Portsmouth, was able to get a better feel for major college football and even speak to a few Buckeye coaches.

"The visit was great." The 6'5 300-pound sophomore told Land-Grant Holy Land. "I was impressed with how they did things, the atmosphere, the intensity and the seriousness. I talked to Coach Warinner a lot and I got to meet their entire coaching staff pretty much." He added of his trip to OSU.

Gerald, also had the chance to break down tape and drills with Ed Warinner, while in Columbus and was told a few things by the Buckeye offensive line coach before heading back home.

"He said he definitely wants me to be at their camp." Tyler said of his conversation with Warinner. "He likes my athletic ability, but wants to see the way I take his coaching and how I take instructions before anything else happens. I'll definitely be going to their camp."

Kent State has already offered, Tyler who has visited Cincinnati and now Ohio State in recent weeks. The recruiting trips aren't done for Gerald, as he is planning to make a stop at Virginia Tech next month to see what Frank Beamer and the Hokies have to offer.

For highlights of Tyler Gerald from last season, check out his Hudl page.

Now to some hoops news and boy is it good. Looking to add depth to the front court for quite sometime, Thad Matta and the Buckeyes have finally found their man. Temple transfer Anthony Lee has decided to spend his final year of college eligibility suiting up for Matta and the Buckeyes next season after spending the weekend in Columbus on a visit.

Standing around 6'9 and 230 pounds, Lee, who averaged over 13 points and eight boards a game last season for the Owls, adds a more than capable scorer down low to the roster, which is something the Buckeyes offense missed terribly this past season.

Our Miles Joseph caught up with Anthony Lee and had him touch on many topics including what made him select OSU over, Indiana, Iowa State, Louisville and Notre Dame and where Thad Matta thinks he might be able to help the Bucks out next season:

"They were saying that they wanted me to be that number one guy with the experience and leadership I have. No other coach said that. Other coaches were telling me the truth, but he was the only coach who told me he wanted me to be "the guy". The team they had this year won 25 games with no inside presence. There's a good recruiting class coming in and a good starting core. I fell like next year we'll be able to get a lot further. All programs talk about championships, but they really needed me in order to help them win one. He's going to use me as a stretch forward inside and out. Coach Matta was showing me footage of Jared Sullinger and Kosta Koufus and told me he needed me to do that. He saw clips of me doing that in flashes, but wanted me to it consistently."

You can what else the newest Buckeye baller had to say about his commitment and more here.

Matta and the Buckeyes might not be done with transfers as things seem to be heating up with 6'11, former Virginia Tech power forward Trevor Thompson. Last week it was reported that Ohio State had been in contact with the freshman, who averaged nearly five points and five rebounds a contest last season as a spot starter for the Hokies, and that still seems to be the case now, as Thompson tweeted that he had a great talk with the Buckeye boss yesterday afternoon:

Had a great talk with Thad Matta of Ohio State earlier great coach really liking what he had to say about #BuckEyeNation

— Trevor Thompson (@TrevBallinTrey2) March 30, 2014

Unlike Anthony Lee who can step right in and play, Thompson, originally from Indianapolis, Indiana, will have three years of eligibility left after sitting out next season due to NCAA transfer rules. Thompson father, who once played for the Columbus Clippers, told the Columbus Dispatch's Bob Hunter that the family will be checking out Ohio State April 11-13. On the conversation Thompson mentioned, the elder Thompson added:

"Thad was awesome" during the visit today, Ryan Thompson said. "We're very serious about Ohio State. Ohio State is Ohio State."

Quick Hits:

• On Friday, the Buckeyes offered class of 2015 defensive lineman Elijah Taylor, of Cincinnati Moeller. Alongside OSU signee Sam Hubbard, Elijah's 68 tackles and 5.5 sacks helped lead Moeller to a State title last season. Notre Dame, Michigan State and Tennessee are just a few of the many programs OSU finds themselves up against for the 6'3 285-pound standout.
• Ohio State also offered 2017 linebacker Dylan Moses on Friday. With years until he plays a snap of college football, Moses is already a commit to LSU since last fall, but has not the just the Buckeyes lurking around, as Miami,Texas A&M, Tennessee and others have offered the 6'2 220 pound standout since the new year.
• Class of 2015 targets, Van Jefferson and Drew Richmond were both selected to participate in The Opening, after standing out among hundreds of prospects at the Nike Football Training Camp, held in Birmingham, Alabama on Sunday. The Opening, is a best of the best football camp put on every year by Nike at their headquarters in Oregon. Last year, Kyle Berger, Damon Webb, Kyle Trout, Dylan Thompson, Parris Campbell and Dante Booker were just a few members of the Dream '14 recruiting class to take part in the event.