4-Star Linebacker Jamal Marcus Commits To Ohio State

Marcus is excited to play for the Buckeyes

On signing day, the Buckeyes picked up two excellent recruits. The first was 4-star linebacker Jamal Marcus who was down to East Carolina and Ohio State. I made the prediction for Marcus to attend ECU, based off Ohio State picking up Camren Williams and David Perkins who, like Marcus, are 4-stars.

I can happily say that I was wrong here, as Marcus is now a Buckeye. The OSU staff recruited him as an outside linebacker, giving the Buckeyes their 24th commitment of the 2012 class.

Marcus (Durham, N.C./Hillside) made an official visit to East Carolina the weekend of Jan. 13. He then made an official visit to Ohio State the following weekend.

However, in the end Marcus narrowed his choices down to the two schools he made official visits to and announced moments ago at a press conference in his high school gymnasium that he is headed to Ohio State.Marcus’ mother wanted him to also take one last look at North Carolina State and North Carolina.

The 6'2" and 225-pound Marcus led Hillside to an 11-2 record this season. He made 89 tackles including 17 sacks playing a combination of outside linebacker and defensive end. Marcus is a 4-star prospect in the 247Sports rankings. He is the No. 8 prospect in the state of North Carolina and the country’s No. 151 overall prospect.

Scouting report: Marcus was a first-team all-state pick as a senior as he tallied 89 tackles and 17 sacks as a defensive end. Because of his body size, he may project as a linebacker at the college level. As a junior, he registered 45 tackles and 14 sacks. 40 time: 4.6

Monday's Buckeye Bits

It's time again..

Good morning Buckeye fans, and welcome to a new week. National Signing Day is almost upon us, which is next Wednesday, and coaches are looking to make those final pushes towards the best recruits in the country. Meanwhile, basketball is still being played as the inching towards March continues rolling on. The NFL has it's conference champions, and the Super Bowl match up is set.

With all that being said, it's time to get started with our Monday Buckeye Bits!

Joe Paterno Leaves A Legend. As you may know already, legendary and former Penn State coach Joe Paterno passed away on Saturday. He was 85, and died due to a battle with lung cancer. A great coach, his final season of coaching was cut short when he was fired for the recent situation at Penn State. Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer commented on JoePa's death, saying "I was a coach that really admired him and followed him," Meyer said. "Any chance I had to visit with him, I'd wear him out with questions. I was always trying to learn from him.". This is not only a great loss for the Penn State community, but for College football itself. We wish the best for the Paterno family in their time of need.