2021 standout DT calls Ohio State offer “tremendous”

While Ryan Day and the rest of the Ohio State Buckeyes coaching staff were still hard at work trying to add the final pieces to their class of 2019 recruiting puzzle, the Buckeye leaders still found time to track down and offer multiple scholarship offers to prized prospects from the 2020 and 2021 classes in recent weeks.

One of the aforementioned recruits to earn a chance to bring his talents to Columbus and line up for Day and crew on the college level was class of 2021 standout defensive tackle Gabriel Rubio.

Sending multiple coaches to Saint Peters, Missouri’s Lutheran Of St. Charles County High, the 6-foot-5, 280-pound Rubio passed the Buckeyes eye test before the staff decided to dish out an offer his way.

“Coach Hartline visited my school and met with my head coach. My coach told me that coach Hartline liked me a lot. A few days later I was working out with my team when my coach pulled me aside and said that Coach Hartline called and that Ohio State was offering me and that after they broke my film down they were impressed,” Rubio stated to Land-Grant Holy Land.

“The following week Coach Mattison came by the school. I ran into him while on the way to pick up my workout bag from the office. He told my coach that he likes me a lot and wants me to come to campus this spring. I’m planning the trip now but don’t have a date yet.” He added on his recent offer from the Big Ten Conference powerhouse.

Only a sophomore, Rubio has watched his recruitment take off. Locking in offers from the likes of Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, Kentucky and Louisville before the Buckeyes came calling, Gabriel appreciates every college opportunity that comes his way, but knows earning a chance to put on the Scarlet and Gray isn’t something you take very lightly.

“Offers are hard to come by. I take every offer seriously, but an offer from Ohio State is tremendous! OSU has been a powerhouse for a long time and I’d be so crazy not to want to wear the same uniform that Wilkinson, Vrabel, and the Bosa brothers wore,” said Rubio.

“I really want to say that I’m not collecting offers. I’m not trying to get as many schools to like me as I can. I play hard, hustle and don’t take plays off because that’s how I think everyone should play. I think that’s what colleges are looking for.”

Nearly two years from putting pen to paper and signing his National Letter of Intent with his future home, Rubio is already laying out a list of things he would like to find in a school before announcing his pledge and shutting down his recruitment in favor of OSU or any other program.

“I’m looking for a program where everyone is family. I want my coaches to care about my growth on and off the field. I want my team to help each other to succeed and be excited when they do. I’m looking for the right offer from the right coach and the right school.”

Want to see what Gabriel Rubio would bring to the Buckeyes defensive front? Check out these highlights of the sophomore standout in action: