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Ohio State recruiting: State Secrets - Ohio State defensive back recruiting is heating up

A pair of Florida defensive backs have Buckeyes coaches' attention.

By Austin Kemp
Carlos Becker
Carlos Becker
David Lake, 247Sports

Historically, Ohio State has fared very well in the state of Florida, especially at the prestigious St. Thomas Aquinas High School. The number of recent signees and current commits is big, and now Ohio State is adding another player from that school to their radar: Asante Samuel Jr. Though Buckeye Nation may be already familiar with Samuel's name and what he brings to the table, he confirmed yesterday that Ohio State is hovering near the top of his list. Michigan and a slew of southern schools also appeared on the short list in which he referenced.

Samuel, a 2018 prospect, is a cornerback all the way at the next level and is already ranked as the number seven overall cornerback in his class. Ohio State has quietly put together a nice pipeline with Aquinas so there's definitely familiarity when Ohio State decides to go fishing at that school. Obviously, we are still a long way off from a decision coming as Samuel is really just getting his recruiting process started. It bodes well that Ohio State has caught his attention early as Samuel is a player every program will have to stay on constantly in order to keep in the race.

Becker a possible target

With the Under Armour Bowl practices going on, there are a handful of reports on different players everyday. One kid who has reportedly had some good days in 2016 defensive back Carlos Becker. It should also be known that according to Bill Kurelic, Becker will be making an official visit to Ohio State within the next month. At one point in the early summer, defensive back recruiting was looking up for Ohio State and the Buckeyes had a number of prospects they were feeling good about. Things have changed, however, and now Ohio State is broadening their search and looking to take others.

Becker has 26 total offers and possesses elite size, standing at 6'2 and weighing 185 pounds. He also has a recorded 40-yard dash time of 4.45. Another Florida kid, Becker has garnered interest from most of the SEC and ACC schools and is a guy that Ohio State is legitimately interested in. He would be a "take" for sure if it came down to it during his visit.

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