Nine of Ohio State's 2017 commits were invited to participate in Saturday's U.S. Army All-American Game.
With J.K. Dobbins, Tyjon Lindsey and Haskell Garrett missing the game with injuries, that number shrunk to six Buckeyes actually participating in the game – at least until Jeffrey Okudah added to that number in the fourth quarter.
Between a touchdown, an interception and a key commitment, Saturday turned out to be a Buckeye spectacle.
Here were some of the highlights from the festivities.
Tate Martell
Tate Martell showed why he's one of the top players in the country, Saturday afternoon.
He showed off his decision making in the zone-read game, his elusiveness in the backfield as well as his arm. He repeatedly drew Johnny Maziel comparisons from the commentators.
The highlight of Martell's day came in the second half when the future Buckeye scored on an 18-yard scamper and promptly threw up O-H-I-O to salute his future school.
Ohio State quarterback commit Tate Martell scores in the Army throws up an OH. pic.twitter.com/KzSkpbOoqX
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) January 7, 2017
Martell will be on campus in just a few days, as he plans to enroll early and begin classes on Monday.
Chase Young
Rated as Ohio State's sixth-best commitment in the 2017 class, defensive end Chase Young was one of the most dominating players on the field Saturday afternoon.
Matched up against the nation's top-ranked player in Foster Sarell for much of the game, Young was nearly unblockable on the edge. We almost had a moment of Buckeye-on-Buckeye crime as he blew past Sarell and forced fellow Buckeye commit Martell to scramble.
Buckeye DE commit Chase Young goes around 5-star LT Foster Sarell. Tate Martell evades as long as he can. pic.twitter.com/4ps9YZxfCX
— Tony Gerdeman (@TonyGerdeman) January 7, 2017
Later in the game, he defended a zone-read perfectly, leading to a tackle for a loss.
Future Buckeye DE @youngchase907 with the TFL!!! #ArmyBowl pic.twitter.com/yvtNejhwhH
— Buckeye Videos+ (@BuckeyeVideos) January 7, 2017
Young topped off his performance with an interception in the second half. While the ball more or less fell into his lap, he still dominated his matchup to put himself in position to make the play.
Jeffrey Okudah Commits
The highlight of the day for Buckeye fans was the commitment of the nation's top-ranked cornerback Jeffrey Okudah. He was rumored to have silently committed to the coaching staff months ago, but Saturday he made it official.
Okudah is Ohio State's fifth defensive back of the 2017 class and the highest rated one of the talented bunch.
As impressive as he is on the field, it seems he's even more impressive off it. Moments after putting on the Scarlet and Gray hat, Okudah published a heartwarming letter to his chronically-ill mother celebrating his commitment. It is well worth the read.
Like Martell, Okudah plans to enroll early and will be on campus taking classes Monday.
