DJ, play the hits.
Tell us if you've heard this before, but a five-star cornerback recruit from Jacksonville has chosen to continue his career as a Buckeye.
Jaheim Singletary, out of Florida's Robert E. Lee High School, has committed to Ohio State, he announced on Saturday. His commitment gives Ohio State its third commit ranked in the top 15 overall and fifth commit ranked in the top 55 overall.
Committed ... #Zone6 pic.twitter.com/1NOeDcyfiH
— Jaheim Singletary (@Jaheim2_) January 2, 2021
Singletary's decision follows in the footsteps of former Trinity Christian Academy five-star corners Shaun Wade (2017) and Tyreke Johnson (2018) who each chose Columbus as their next home coming out of Jacksonville.
As it were, both Wade and Johnson's choice to commit to Ohio State helped provide a pathway for Singletary to pick the Buckeyes.
The Singletary File
- Class: 2022
- Size: 6-foot-1/170 lbs
- Pos: CB
- School: Robert E. Lee (Jacksonville, Florida)
- Composite Rating: ★★★★★
- Composite Rank: 10 (5 CB)
“It's Ohio State, they put a lot of DB's in the league and it's a dream to go to a DBU school,” Singletary told Bucknuts in November. “They got guys from Jacksonville there like Shaun Wade, Tyreke Johnson, and [Marcus] Crowley. Since Ohio State offered me, I have talked to them every day.”
November 5 is when the Buckeyes finally came calling, and that was a seminal moment for the nation's No. 10 overall player and No. 5 cornerback.
Singletary holds offers from Clemson, Georgia and Florida – the other three schools that were in his final four – plus LSU, Michigan, Oregon, Penn State, Texas A&M and USC.
COMMITMENT ALERT
— Rivals (@Rivals) January 2, 2021
2022 five-star Florida DB Jahiem Singletary @Jaheim2_ has committed to Ohio State.
"I love what Ohio State is about and I am ready to experience new things"
He breaks down his decision with @ChadSimmons_https://t.co/cXIY7okNFW pic.twitter.com/YmU9Ek2BkS
But Kerry Coombs' reputation for putting defensive backs in the league, and his relationship with both Coombs and area recruiter Tony Alford, led to Singletary hoping he would be extended a Buckeye offer.
| NAME | POSITION | OVERALL RANKING | POSITION RANKING | DATE OF COMMITMENT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JYAIRE BROWN | CB | 125 | 13 | APRIL 22, 2020 |
| TEGRA TSHABOLA | OT | 127 | 12 | APRIL 23, 2020 |
| C.J. HICKS | OLB | 35 | 2 | MAY 1, 2020 |
| GABE POWERS | OLB | 33 | 1 | AUGUST 1, 2020 |
| DASAN MCCULLOUGH | OLB | 48 | 5 (ATH) | AUGUST 18, 2020 |
| BENNETT CHRISTIAN | TE | 386 | 19 | SEPTEMBER 1, 2020 |
| BENJI GOSNELL | TE | 264 | 10 | NOVEMBER 4, 2020 |
| QUINN EWERS | QB | 2 | 1 | NOVEMBER 19, 2020 |
| CALEB BURTON | WR | 15 | 2 | NOVEMBER 23, 2020 |
| JAHEIM SINGLETARY | CB | 10 | 5 | JANUARY 2, 2021 |
It was the offer he was waiting on for so long, and when it finally came it was a matter of time before he locked in his decision.
“Ohio State is one of those schools who puts the top DB’s in the league,” Singletary told Bucknuts. “Marshon Lattimore, Eli Apple, Malik Hooker, many more. They can get me closer to my goal of getting to the NFL and playing ball.”
Singletary's recruitment picked up fast after that offer, as the 6-foot-1, 170-pounder had Crystal Ball predictions fly in for him to eventually pick Columbus.
And now with him in the fold, the Buckeyes get another top-tier outside cornerback as they continue to build their defense of the future with blue-chip players.
