Looking to put the rumors to bed, Jaheim Singletary leaves Columbus more than impressed

In Ohio State’s current 2022 recruiting class, there are several top in-state and national defensive players to be excited about. Whether it’s the linebackers or the entire group of DBs, this early haul of Silver Bullets looks to be more than just the hype surrounding their player rankings. Considering the speed, athleticism, size, and the various accolades these commits possess, the Buckeyes’ coaching staff has to incredibly proud of the class they have put together thus far in this cycle, as well as excited for what comes next.

Specifically speaking, this update concerns the top committed defensive player for the Buckeyes: Jaheim Singletary.

Having been part of Ohio State’s class for some time now since his verbal pledge in January, the Buckeyes’ coaching staff of course sees every recruit as a top priority, but Singletary may just be a notch above due to his stature in this cycle. As the fifth-best cornerback in the class and the No. 13 player nationally per the 247Sports Composite, it’s a massive addition to Ohio State’s haul as the elite outside corner they so desperately covet.

If you hadn’t heard by now, there had been some rumblings the last two weeks or so regarding Singletary and some not so great potential news for Ohio State. In short, his trips to both Georgia and Miami created some cause for concern, and with how many similar Florida-native players have been in the past when it comes to recruiting, the worry was enough that both the staff and Ohio State fans in general got a little apprehensive about it all. The main rumor, as you could imagine, was that Singletary’s commitment may not be as solid as the Buckeyes would of course like it to be.

Potentially losing out on their highest-ranked defensive player in the class would be a major blow for any program, but it’s the position Singletary plays that would make it hurt that much more in this instance. The Buckeye defensive backs last year just weren’t up the standard that Ohio State has set when it comes to their pass defensive. The streak of seeing a cornerback being a first-round NFL Draft pick came to an end, and that just further proves why keeping highly sought after players like Singletary is crucial to getting the position back to the elite level they have been accustomed to.

Moving beyond all of the doom and gloom, let’s get to the good news. This past weekend, Singletary and his family made the trek to Columbus for his Ohio State official visit, and let’s just say that the visit was everything the Buckeyes wanted and needed it to be. Singletary was able to chop it up with other members of the class and the staff too, but it was the weekend itself that gave feeling that Ohio State no longer needs to worry about how serious his commitment was.

On Monday, Dave Biddle of Bucknuts spoke on the matter during his Morning 5 show, and that Singletary himself says he is fully committed to the Buckeyes and he is “shutting it down” in terms of his recruitment. For any insider to get those types of glowing direct quotes from Singletary, that should do enough to ease any worries you may have had. Clearly, the DB loved his visit and is leaving Columbus as the solid commit those surrounding Ohio State wanted him to be.

This is obviously great news for the Buckeyes and their 2022 class. To know that their five-star cornerback and highest-rated player on the defensive side of the ball is locked in cannot be understated. Whatever it was that Kerry Coombs, Ryan Day, and others were able to do and say during the visit surely worked, as it looks like moving forward any doubt or concern of Jaheim Singletary being a Buckeye can be dismissed.