The future stars of Ohio State football officially begin their Buckeye careers today as standouts from all over the country put pens to their National Letters of Intent. Signing Day is here.
Eleven Warriors would like to officially welcome Josh Norwood to the Ohio State football program.
The Norwood File
- Class 2015
- Position CB
- Size 5-10/175
- School Valdosta (Valdosta, GA)
- Composite ★★★
- Rank 49 (CB)
Valdosta, Georgia isn't a place for the meek of heart. ESPN named the town of 54,000 "TitleTown, USA" in 2008 – the Wildcats of Valdosta High School have won six national championships and 23 Georgia state titles. When you suit up for the Wildcats, it's expected that you come to play each and every day; whether you get noticed for it is irrelevant.
Josh Norwood was good, as you'd expect. Aggressive, fast and with excellent instincts, as you'd hope for a cornerback in big-time football. What Norwood is not, is a self-promoter; when you're from a hard-nosed place like Valdosta's locker-room, that kind of self-aggrandizing won't get you far. Still, in today's modern football era, if you can play, you get noticed.
Norwood was getting noticed, but slowly. Offers from Minnesota, Cincinnati, Duke, Purdue and the now defunct UAB program were intriguing but hardly head-turning. Entering the summer before his senior year, the country's 49th-ranked cornerback chose to commit to Cincinnati, believing the Bearcats program was a good fit for his aggressive style of football.
Ohio State took notice of Norwood late in the summer, but the notice they took was considerable. The Buckeyes saw what they liked and in mid-October extended an offer his way, his first — and still his only — "big-time" offer. Norwood knew it was something to pay attention.
"It's Ohio State, it's big time football," Norwood told 11W. "I've been working hard and waiting for a chance to get a look from one of those programs. The school is great academically and on the field. I'm going to Ohio State for an official visit soon. I'll know later this week exactly when."
That "exactly when" happened two weeks later. Norwood came north for Ohio State's November 1st matchup with the Fighting Illini of Illinois. Ohio State was excited for his visit.
"I really think Norwood is being overlooked by people because of his 'stars', because he was committed to Cincinnati, etc. He's really good," a source told 11W. "His senior film is excellent, but he didn't camp anywhere over the summer so his name didn't really get out there."
The visit to Ohio State went as most thought it might.
"The visit was great, it's a great environment there," Norwood told 11W following the trip. "I really enjoyed the game and meeting the players."
Three days later, on November 4th, Norwood committed to Ohio State.
"When Ohio State offered me I knew right then I was going to have my chance to really play big-time football, not just football," Norwood, a first team All-State performer at Georgia's highest level, told us. "I knew I had an opportunity to get a great education, too. It was the confidence I had in the coaching staff, the way the players made me feel and how things are done up there."
"I made a great decision."
