St. Edward High School coach Tom Lombardo remembers the moment he knew 2024 offensive tackle Ben Roebuck had arrived.
In the first two weeks of the 2021 season, the 6-foot-7, 320-pound Roebuck played for St. Edward’s junior varsity squad, but was thrown into the fire as a varsity starter in Week 3 against Mentor High School. That was no small task, as Mentor deployed Ohio’s second-highest rated player in the class of 2023: Defensive end Brenan Vernon, a Notre Dame commit. And yet, Roebuck more than held his own in St. Edward’s eventual 47-7 thrashing of Mentor.
“He played a couple of JV games and got his feet wet, and just played admirably,” Lombardo told Eleven Warriors. “He played against Brennan Vernon, and did a whale of a job against him. We knew we had a good one after that.”
Roebuck started the rest of the season at right tackle for St. Edward and helped lead the team to a 15-1 record and a Division I Ohio state championship.
“It was crazy,” Roebuck said about winning a state title in his first year as a varsity starter. “At the end of the game, it just felt unreal. You saw the whole sideline rush the field and everything. It was the best feeling I’ve felt in my life.”
He was named as a second-team sophomore All-American by MaxPreps and received a plethora of Division I offers, 15 in total, during his first season as a varsity starter. Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, Tennessee, Kentucky, Pittsburgh, Boston College and Duke are among the schools that have already offered.
More offers will likely follow this offseason and in his junior year, when Roebuck will play left tackle for St. Edward.
“When you look at Ben, you see his size, obviously, and that’s what’s impressive, but he’s also very athletic for his size,” Lombardo said. “He moves well and is so coachable. He’s a 3.9 student in mostly honors classes, he’s very humble. That’s what makes him in my eyes so special. He’s extremely athletic for his size. He understands the game well and that propels him to the next level.
“He’s only a sophomore, and really is a freshman in the weight room, but this year with the training we’re giving him, I think you’re going to see a real specimen out there. That’s exciting.”
Ohio State has not yet offered Roebuck, but that could certainly change soon. The Buckeyes have had various conversations with Roebuck dating back to the fall, as the tackle visited Columbus on Nov. 20 for the Michigan State game. Roebuck, who grew up an Ohio State fan, said the experience was unforgettable.
Had a great day at OSU today! Thanks to @CoachCookOL and @OhioStateFB for the invite! pic.twitter.com/ALKPqvxy2F
— Ben (@Benroebuck75) November 20, 2021
“It blew me away, it was so cool,” Roebuck said of the visit. “Them blowing Michigan State away 56-7 in just a massacre, that was probably the best part.”
New offensive line coach Justin Frye made a visit to Lakewood during his first few weeks on the job to watch Roebuck work out, and his visit to St. Edward was essentially to introduce himself.
“He came down to one of our workouts before the dead period in mid-January,” Roebuck said. “I got to talk to him a little bit about what it’s like down there.”
Roebuck said he doesn’t have any plans to attend an Ohio State practice this spring, but will for sure attend one of Ohio State’s camps in June. If an offer is going to come soon, that’s likely where it will happen for Roebuck. The large tackle is exactly the kind of prospect OSU has struggled to find in a few recent recruiting classes; a true tackle in all senses, especially considering Roebuck has not played any snaps at guard.
If the offer comes from the team Roebuck grew up rooting for, he’d be ecstatic, though he says Michigan, Rutgers and Penn State are other schools standing out early in his recruitment.
“That would be amazing,” Roebuck said about a potential offer from Ohio State. “I don’t even know how to describe it. That would just be so cool. They’re always one of the top teams, they’ve won the Big Ten the majority of the last 10 years, put a bunch of guys in the league and have good coaches and facilities and good education with the school itself. It makes (Ohio State) pretty appealing.”
