The Ohio State offer surprised 2023 4-star DL Isaiah Neal

Syracuse got things started for Isaiah Neal with an offer late in April. Right after the Orange, Maryland, and Pittsburgh offered.

As the 6-foot-2, 260-pound four-star defensive lineman out of Washington, D.C. Gonzaga progressed through the spring, he added more offers.

Boston College and Virginia offered in May. Then in June, the no. 206 player in the On300 added Northwestern and Louisville to his list. North Carolina State offered in August, and then in September, Ohio State pulled the trigger.

“The Ohio State offer is a huge, huge offer for me,” Neal said. “It is a hell of an institution, a great football team, and the environment is amazing.”

Neal made the trip to Columbus to see the Buckeyes in action against Akron on September 25. The offer was extended a couple of weeks before that visit.

It caught him by surprise.

“I had been talking with Ohio State for a couple months before they offered, but I didn’t know they were close to offering me.

“Coach Larry Johnson likes to get to know guys before he offers, so I knew it was a process, so I was not really expecting it when it happened.”

Getting the news from coach Johnson adds a little something extra to the offer.

“Coach Johnson is definitely a legend,” Neal said. “He puts guys into the NFL, he knows how to develop defensive linemen, and his track record is crazy.

“Whether it was when he coached at Penn State in the past or now at Ohio State, he coaches guys and gets them where they need to go.”

Neal has high interest in Ohio State

Neal is one offer away from double-digits, and it is still somewhat early in his recruitment, but he has high interest in the Buckeyes.

“I am super-interested in Ohio State. I don’t have a list or anything like that yet, but if I did, Ohio State would be up there.

“It is a great school with great coaches, and it is a great team. The atmosphere is crazy and it is something I can definitely see myself in.”

Would like to visit North Carolina State, Northwestern, and Pittsburgh for games if he can work it in his schedule in the coming weeks.