3-star Safety, Bryson Shaw signs with Ohio State on National Signing Day

The Buckeyes have inked another ball-hawking safety who isn’t afraid to come downhill and also help in the run-game on defense. Maryland native, Bryson Shaw is the latest to officially become a member of the Ohio State program.

A stellar athlete, Shaw was once not only a Wisconsin football commit, but also an athlete that was strongly considering playing lacrosse at the next level. Look at former Buckeye stud, Sam Hubbard now dominating on Sunday’s for the Cincinnati Bengals and you can see why Shaw changed his mind and decided to become a Silver Bullet instead.

Committing to Ohio State this past April, Shaw may not have been a name that was always on the radar for recruiting followers, but when you see what he brings to the table, it’s not hard to see why the Buckeye staff wanted to add him to their 2019 class.

His ranking may not jump off page at you, but he apparently impressed the Buckeye staff enough to earn the offer. He’s ranked as the 47th best safety in the 2019 class, according to 247 Sports Composite Rankings, and he’s slotted in as the 10th best player from Maryland and the 570th nationally.

Bryson Shaw’s track background, as you would expect, shows up quite a bit in his high school tape. It’s filled with the 6-foot-2 safety making plays on both sides of the ball, and on almost every one of them, he looks like easily the fastest player on the field. In some plays, he looks more like a track star than he does a football player, thanks to his wiry frame.

Something else shows up though, something that comes not from his track experience but from his third sport, lacrosse. Shaw is, despite his lack of size, extremely physical. He’s a more than willing hitter, and actually seems to seek out contact whenever he can. He plays downhill, and while his form isn’t perfect, he’s already an extremely good tackler for a safety of his size.

Now, he is raw, both in form and in actually safety skill. his range isn’t great, his technique is, well, sparse, and he doesn’t actually seem to play a ton of safety in the way that Ohio State does. He looks like more of a linebacker than anything on film. However, Ohio State likes all of that. They like that rawness paired with such awesome athleticism and aggressiveness. That’s something they can mold, and that’s exactly why Bryson Shaw is coming to Columbus. He won’t see the field for a few seasons, but Ohio State thinks he can be a star eventually. - Patrick Mayhorn

Check out highlights from Shaw’s junior season: