2013 offensive tackle Dorian Johnson told me the his top 3 in order: 1. Pittsburgh 2. Ohio State 3. Virginia Tech.
Dorian said he hasn't talked to many coaches since the start of summer football camp.
He plans on taking officials to Pitt, OSU, and Virginia Tech and will decide on a school after the football season. He is unsure when he'll take officials.
I think he ends up at Pitt unless his visit to Columbus goes very well.
Yeah, he is going to go to Pitt. Lets just all move on. It's a bummer though...
if Pitt has a truly awful season and the Buckeyes look great, who knows?
I don't understand how you go to Pitt with an offer from OSU. That would be like going to Eastern Michigan with an offer from Michigan. What am I missing other than close to home?
Yes there are two Buckeyes in Ann arbor on this site!
Money or/and family?
Apparently he didn't see what happened to Pitt this weekend... A shame to waste talent...
Perhaps they are telling him that he will be part of the first wave of recruits who can help turn the program back to its pseudo glory days? And/or maybe immediate playing time?
As an offensive lineman he is not wasting his talent playing for Paul Chryst at Pitt. Check out where some of his lineman from Wisconsin are. Preparation for the league could be more important to him.
Give Chryst time. Maybe the guy can recruit his tail off.
VA Tech kicker just saved them in week 1.
"We have always had the best damn band in the land, now we have the best damn team in the land"- Jim Tressel 1-03-03
He just saved my parlay too...
Husband is a VT grad-was practically stroking out. Even though they won in the end, he is not a very happy guy.
How is going to Pitt at all comparable to Eastern Michigan? Pitt has very similar academics to OSU, is in a nice city, and, while obviously not on the level of us, has a pretty nice football tradition. People need to get over the fact that going to Ohio State is not the dream of every kid in the country, especially out of state.
Pitt isn't even close to OSU in academics. The biggest reason as to why he would go to Pitt is what Derek has outlined on another thread, which is that Chryst puts damn good linemen into the NFL.
I guess I mistakenly thought kids went to programs where they thought they had the best chance to win, get national exposure as well as get coached up to play on Sundays. I certianly do not mind losing a recruit to another bigtime program but Pitt to me isn't a bigtime program. I view them the same as most big east programs like Rutgers. If it were between us and another top tier school it would make sense. THen again, it really doesn't have to make sense to me now does it? lol
Yes there are two Buckeyes in Ann arbor on this site!
I think of Pitt as a traditionally competitive program, but sure they are not a powerhouse. But that is not the most important thing to everybody. I admire kids who want to go and take on the challenge of building up a program. I would love it if the guy went to the good guys, but I don't think that he is a pussy, or not competitive or whatever if he wants to play for Pitt (or Southwest Dakota State Tech or whoever).
Proximity to home is still important to the guy IMO. Pitt wins that round.
I thinkn proximity matters, but I also think that he does care about level of play. Pitt is a decent program and Christ would be an excellent choice to make your way to the NFL. But the fact that he chose PSU over Pitt the first time, knowing it is just as far to drive to OSU as it is to PSU for him now, means I think we have a chance because of his interest in level of play. Though it could be that this time around he chooses proximity over level of play.
Pitt would not be a bad choice for him, schools like Pitt regularly produce the odd first rounder here and there if the talen deems it worthy. If he is that talents then he'll be a high draft pick regardless of OSU or Pitt. He just isn't going to play for a national title at Pitt.
the city of Pittsburgh is a dump....ugly women, horrible traffic, and who the hell taxes food?
as a western PA native -- I strongly disagree with your sentiment, BUCKEYEBOY31!
... all of our hot women are in the suburbs! haha Don't look in the city, look north to the North Hills/Cranberry Twp. area
"You win with people." - Woody Hayes
Agreed 43201. I'm also a Pgh guy and our city is [not that much of] a dump! ;)
I'm from Pittsburgh and have been asked a few times why I would leave it for Cbus, It really is a neat city. And while OSU has better academics, Pitt is an extremely reputable academic school as well and is a member of the AAU.
43201- Are you from the Cranberry area btw?
right on FALCON....
BUCKEYECHAD -- yes, in Butler county, near Cranberry ... I agree -- Pitt is a pretty decent school, and the city keeps getting better. Now, when it comes to college atmoshpere -- that stadium just doesn't have any.
but, you guys get what I'm saying when it comes to the hot women driving around Cranberry/N. Hills on a given day
"You win with people." - Woody Hayes
in response to BUCKEYEBOY... I think every city has all of those
Definitely agree about the girls haha. But yeah Pitt can't give away tickets to football games. They will never have too many fans due to the fact that Pittsburgh is soley a pro sports city with the Steelers and Penguins around.
yes...Pittsburgh is def. a pro sports team city
"You win with people." - Woody Hayes
The pitt games are ok, I went to one in my OSU gear, got heckled, but when they cant fill out heinz field, not even close.
I live jst outside the city in shadyside and work in the City and see a good amount of very good looking girls, but I live right next to the pitt/cmu campuses. YOGA PANTS!!!!
yes DUBJAY! Shady Side --- good area & black yoga pants! hiyo!
"You win with people." - Woody Hayes
I wouldn't mind if the black yoga pants fad sticks around for a while.
"I'm One Bad Buckeye, and I approve this message."
Any chance OSU moves ahead of Pitt tonight after Cincy drills them? 0-2 isn't a good start for any team and hopefully the kid will see it.
I love football season, I have so many reasons to root for and against certain teams. I will be rooting for Cincy tonight :)
Yes I know it will liekyl not matter for this topic, but I can hope as a crazed sensless fan.
Well... Pitt looks even worse now. I'll be hones though, I think that Cincy's offense is going to be hard to keep down this year. High pace, fast players, they are going to put points up on everyone. Also, Pitt is horrible...
There is no doubt in my mind that Dorian would start his first freshman game for Pitt. Their line is swiss cheese. I can see him going there just to play right away.
NFL players come out of all kinds of schools, it doesn't take playing for Ohio State to make it to the NFL. I know it's hard to believe people don't want to play in Columbus, but some guys don't want the stress of the spotlight, some like a certain coach, and some just don't need a reason to give Ohio State fans. Big Ben went to Miami of Ohio because he didn't want be in a pressure cooker like Ohio State.
I get Ohio State would be an awesome destination for any football player, but not everyone grew up with the dream of playing for the Buckeyes.
I'm a high school baseball coach and we had a former major leaguer who is now the pitching development coordinator from the Rangers come talk to our players last year. He told them this about recruiting and going to college: "if you're good enough they will find you no matter where you are". Here is why I make that point. If Dorian Johnson is good enough to go to the NFL, he is going to get drafted no matter where he goes to college. My point I am trying to make is: Why not try to win a national championship while you're in college? You're going to the league no matter what if you're good enough... Make college worthwhile and win a title when you're there. Who wants to get pounded for a minimum of 3 years? With recruits seeing Pitt play like this, they aren't going to be able to build anything... You have to win to build a program and getting beat by Youngstown State and getting shutout in the 1st half by Cincy isn't a good way to start the season. I'm probably in the minority in this argument, but I'm competitive and like to win. So... Going to a school that sucks would never have been in my mind as a high school athlete.
If Dorian Johnson does not like competition he will go to Pitt. If he likes it and wants to earn his spot he will be a Buckeye. Simple as that.
"if irony were made of strawberries, we' d all be drinking a lot of smoothies right now."
No one is saying that you have to go to OSU to get into the NFL. What we are saying is that we don't want you to think that...
I think the competition thing is bunk. If you really like competition and playing against teams that actually have a chance of beating you, then why not go to Pitt? Why go to an established powerhouse? If a student goes to Ohio State instead of Alabama, do they not want to "earn it"? Or are they afraid of competition?
My heart bleeds scarlet and grey, but man I think that a lot of fans have strange attitudes towards these kids.
If I remember correctly, OSU didn't offer Rothlisberger. Having said that, he didn't have a choice to go to Ohio State.
Back on topic,... If OSU is a close second to Pitt for DJ's services, I can't imagine that Pitt's performance this year is going to hurt OSU's chances of claiming the top spot pretty soon. That's JMO though.
Buckeye_in_SEC_ - I have to disagree with that. A lot of times, having poor coaching in college can really stunt a kid's growth. I know it's easy to just say "Well, if they didn't make it to the pros, they were never good enough", but if they end up going to a program that isn't good, sometimes it can be hard to reach your potential. When you go to schools like OSU or Bama, you know you're going to get the best coaching that's available (which we can now say about the OL). I know Wisconsin had a great history of putting out offensive linemen, but Pitt doesn't. It's no guarantee he's going to have the same success there that he did at Wisconsin. For an example of what I mean, see: Rodriguez, Rich.
Pitt being bad could mean DJ plays early so that's not the worst thing for them....this will come down to can Meyer make his family feel as comfortable w him going to OSU as they would be with Pitt