Florida receiver Bryson Rodgers commits to Ohio State
COLUMBUS — Bryson Rodgers lives in Florida but he still calls Ohio home.
That’s the primary reason why he’s committed to Ohio State.
The Buckeyes landed a verbal commitment from the four-star Florida wideout on Sunday afternoon, ending a recruitment that Ohio State jumped into with both feet in late January. It was the feeling of being “home” that made this an easy decision for the 6-foot-1, 175-pound receiver.
“I was out on Friday night with my friends in Columbus,” Rodgers told Lettermen Row. “And I forgot I was in Columbus. It just felt like I was home.”
Originally from Warren, Ohio, Rodgers made two visits to Ohio State this spring. The first, just about five weeks ago, positioned the Buckeyes as the leader in his recruitment. The second was just more proof that he was heading in the right direction.
“First, it’s the organization,” Bryson Rodgers said. “The organization at Ohio State isn’t like anywhere else. From the coaches to the recruiting people to the social media people. Then it’s the purpose. Ohio State has a purpose. Yes, it’s to win championships — national championships, Big Ten championships — but it’s more than that. It’s all about being on the same page.
“The coaching staff, you can see it even just walking around on a tour. It’s genuine. Everyone likes each other, it’s not just a ‘Hey we get along because we’re coaches here’ but it’s real. The staff there is different.”
Those three points were the highlight of the second visit for Bryson Rodgers. That is why he committed to Ohio State.
“I had a lot of talks with my family about it,” he said. “And I talked to God about it. I know it’s the right time, there’s no reason to wait. I’m not someone that really wants to just wait around for things to happen.”
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Still, Rodgers almost did wait. As Brian Hartline was set to depart the Ohio State facility on Saturday afternoon following the Buckeyes spring game, there was no decision yet. The country’s No. 28-ranked receiver didn’t want to leave any doubt. His connection to Hartline had been the driving force in his decision for months and he talked about that in March.
“He’s straight up,” Rodgers said of Hartline. “He’s just going to tell you how it is. I talked to a lot of his receivers and they all told me he’s the same person coaching them at Ohio State as he was in recruiting. That’s a huge upside.
“It shows his personality and it’s good to know he’s just a straight up dude. He’ll tell you as much what you don’t want to hear as you do want to hear because he’s just trying to make his guys better.”
Now Bryson Rodgers is ready to be one of those guys. He’s commitment No. 8 in the Buckeyes 2023 recruiting class.
