Ohio State landed ESPN 300 linebacker Teradja Mitchell on Friday, giving the Buckeyes 12 total commitments in the 2018 class.
Mitchell, the No. 41-ranked prospect overall, chose Ohio State over Florida State in what wound up being a true recruiting battle.
"Ohio State was behind and Florida State was the leader for awhile," Mitchell said. "[Ohio State] really made a huge move when I visited and I actually got to see what Ohio State was really about. They showed me their plans for their players when they come in and Ohio State is one of the few schools in America that can give you the best of both worlds as far as having a great football program and a great academic program."
With Mitchell on board, all 12 of the Buckeyes' commitments are ranked within the ESPN 300 and nine are ranked in the top 150. The 6-foot-2, 247-pound linebacker puts Ohio State in a tie with Miami for the most ESPN 300 commitments in the 2018 class.
Beating Florida State for a top-50 recruit is a big deal, but beating the Seminoles in Virginia is quite the feat. Florida State has landed six ESPN 300 prospects from Virginia since 2014, and at least one in each recruiting class during the same time period.
Ohio State is inching toward one of its best recruiting classes under head coach Urban Meyer, currently sitting at No. 2 in the class rankings, and Mitchell helps move the class in that direction.
"I felt like it was a great fit for me as far as being developed as a young man and a football player," he said. "Coach Meyer's goal to make sure all of his players have careers after football stood out. You also can't beat the NFL experience of Coach [Bill] Davis, so I feel confident that he will apply me with the right tools and coaching for me to become an NFL great one day."
