5-star DL Justin Scott commits to Ohio State, pulling off recruiting shocker in the process

Had Justin Scott committed six months ago, it would’ve been to Notre Dame. Three months ago, it almost certainly would’ve been Georgia. And after his official visit to Michigan last month, it would’ve been the Wolverines.

But there was always one program lurking beneath the surface for the five-star defensive lineman out of Chicago (Ill.) St. Ignatius. And that was Ohio State. The Buckeyes offered him last year, got him on campus for one unofficial visit and an official visit last weekend. And Sunday night, he shocked everyone by committing to the Buckeyes.

“When we came back from the Michigan visit, the whole family was set on them,” he told On3. “I was ready to commit to Michigan. And then we went to Ohio State, and the one thing that pushed Ohio State over the top was getting coached by Coach Larry Johnson.”

The Buckeyes’ legendary defensive line coach had been in touch with Scott regularly over the past year, but never pressed him too hard. When the Scott family arrived for Justin’s official visit, Johnson had a plan in place for him, something the family didn’t see at any other school.

“He has a plan for me,” the No. 9 player in the On3 Industry Ranking said. “Coach Larry J sat down with me and my family, pulled out the plans he has for me for my freshman, sophomore and junior year. He looked me in the eyes and told me that if I’m not out of that school in three years, he did something wrong. Him being the greatest, I believe it.”

Winning over Justin Scott’s mom was also important

Early in the spring, Georgia was thought to be the team at the front of the pack for Scott. Then it shifted to Miami, and he even named them his top school publicly. But behind the scenes, he and his mom were more set on the Midwest schools: Notre Dame, Ohio State and Michigan.

“From the jump, my mom already liked Ohio State. And she liked Coach Day a lot. But really her top two were Ohio State and Michigan, and she liked Notre Dame, too,” he said. “When I told her I was trying to branch out a little bit from home, it really came down to Michigan and Ohio State.”

The Wolverines made a very strong case on his official visit in early June. He was nearly ready to commit to Michigan on the spot, but wanted to take his final two official visits to Miami and Ohio State before he made a decision. Getting to spend time around Columbus and his Buckeyes player hosts gave him a new perspective on living there for the next three to four years.

“I originally thought Columbus was in the middle of nowhere, I didn’t really know the city was as big as it was,” he said. “On my visit, just being able to walk around and see the city was big. The players told me it’s a top-five city in the summertime, and I believe that. Their fan support is ridiculous, and being able to play in that stadium full of Scarlet and Gray, that’s crazy right there.

Scott knew midway through his visit he wanted to be a Buckeye

Even after the first day of his official visit in Columbus, Scott and his family were still on the fence between the two programs.

But sitting down with Johnson and head coach Ryan Day put them at ease that the Buckeyes had a plan for him both athletically and academically. Johnson even sat down with Scott to show him what he needed to improve on and how they could do it together.

“One thing that he did that other coaches didn’t on these OVs was that he sat down and watched my film with me,” he said. “Off the rip, not even playing the first clip, he pointed out three things I need to work on. Just seeing him pay attention to the small details was huge.”

It was ultimately an easy decision

After that, Day and Johnson presented the family with their plan, which includes him fighting for a starting spot as a freshman. And Johnson believes Justin Scott can be a first-team All-American and compete for the nation’s most prestigious awards. And Day assured his mom that her son would be well taken care of by his program.

“It was big for him to be able to look my mom in the eyes and tell her I would be taken care of. In any aspect, I’d be good at Ohio State. I’m not going to lie, my mom is someone you really got to have trust with. Her being able to hear that, I really think that helped her in trusting that I would be taken care of.”

The following Monday, he knew 100 percent where he wanted to commit. After months of visits, interviews and constantly hearing from coaches, getting that off his chest was a major relief. And now he is ready to start his senior season this fall and eventually head to Columbus.

“During the recruiting process, my mind was definitely changing a lot,” he said. “I’m just glad I didn’t commit in January because I got to see all these places and give all of them a chance. All of them put up a good fight. After my first visit to Georgia, I’m not going to lie, I was ready to commit there. They all gave great pitches in my recruitment, but once I was able to compare and contrast, it was kind of easy from there.”