Ohio
Twin Brothers Deontae and Devontae Armstrong Share Interest in Ohio State As They Go Through Recruiting Process Together
In case you noticed Deontae and Devontae Armstrong at Ohio State’s ultimate highschool soccer camp of the 12 months on Tuesday, you will have thought you had been seeing double.
The Armstrongs are similar twins. They’re each offensive linemen at St. Edward Excessive Faculty. Even their recruitments have been similar, as they each maintain provides from the identical 11 faculties: Akron, Bowling Inexperienced, Central Michigan, Cincinnati, Iowa State, Kent State, Kentucky, Miami (Ohio), Pittsburgh, Rutgers and Toledo.
In addition they each share a love of Ohio State, which is why they had been each in Columbus on Tuesday attempting to impress and study from Justin Frye and the remainder of Ohio State’s teaching employees.
“Being a Buckeye fan all my life, I imply, it from the skin in and now from the within out with working with the coaches, speaking to Ryan Day, it means much more, figuring out the coaches and the teaching employees,” Deontae Armstrong mentioned after Tuesday’s camp.
Devontae Armstrong expressed the same sentiment in regards to the Buckeyes: “Simply watching Ohio State simply all our life, really assembly the coaches and establishing a relationship with the coaches is simply surreal to me.”
There are some slight variations between the 2 Armstrongs. Deontae, who’s a bit taller and leaner at 6-foot-7 and 275 kilos, performs proper deal with for St. Edward. Devontae, who’s barely shorter and thicker at 6-foot-5 1/2 and 280 kilos, performs left guard for the Eagles. Devontae says he’s a bit quieter than Deontae, who says he is a little more outgoing.
As prospects, although, they’ve attended the entire similar camps and been recruited by the entire similar faculties. And they’re having fun with going by means of the recruiting course of collectively.
“It is good,” Deontae mentioned. “Competing one in opposition to one other, serving to one another out. Possibly once I get one thing, he would not. I imply, it is superb.”
As you would possibly anticipate, the 2 brothers say they compete in opposition to one another in every part, whether or not they’re on the soccer discipline or the basketball courtroom, within the classroom and even working up the steps of their home.
“We’re simply at all times arduous on one another,” Devontae mentioned. “So far as grades, simply something on the courtroom or discipline, we’re simply at all times at it, trash-talking to one another.”
They imagine that competitors makes one another higher.
“We may at all times right one another,” Devontae mentioned. “Room for enchancment. If we see one thing, we’re in a position to sort of educate that motion, excel collectively.”
Despite the fact that they’ve been provided by the entire similar faculties to this point, the Armstrongs say they’re not dead-set on attending the identical faculty. In the end, it’s doable a faculty may select to supply one and never the opposite, and if the 2 brothers find yourself preferring completely different faculties, they’ll go in separate instructions.
They’d be pleased if it really works out for them to play collectively, although.
“Possibly he sees one thing in a faculty that I do not, so I am not going to compromise and go to a faculty he goes to, however it could be fairly good enjoying with my brother,” Deontae mentioned.
Whereas the Armstrongs haven’t acquired provides from Ohio State but, they’ll stay on the Buckeyes’ radar contemplating their measurement, athleticism, Energy 5 provides and in-state roots. They usually say they’ve constructed good relationships with Frye, who has made a number of journeys to St. Edward since changing into Ohio State’s offensive line coach to see them in addition to fellow 2024 offensive lineman Ben Roebuck, a four-star prospect with 19 provides of his personal.
“Seeing him pop up within the weight room at St. Eds, him watching me carry and watching us run, it means so much,” Deontae mentioned. “It is sort of like a get to know him earlier than we had this hands-on teaching that we had right here on the camp. So I imply, that is all a relationship-builder. I grew fairly robust with Coach Frye and our relationship.”
The Armstrong twins have additionally camped at Cincinnati, Michigan State and Kent State this month and will probably be tenting at Pittsburgh this weekend. They’re additionally planning to camp at Penn State on July 29. With two extra years of highschool nonetheless to go, they are saying their recruitments stay broad open.
“Simply taking it sluggish, simply taking all of it in, ensuring we make the proper selection, actually,” Devontae mentioned. “As a result of clearly, it is a actually vital selection.”
If Ohio State ultimately provides both or each of them, the Buckeyes are positive to develop into a major contender of their recruitments. However despite the fact that they haven’t gotten provides from Ohio State but, they really feel lucky to be getting all of the curiosity that they’re.
“It has been good,” Deontae mentioned. “A whole lot of camps, speaking to school coaches, numerous calls, numerous relationships being constructed.”
Devontae described it as “actually loopy” to be getting provides from Energy 5 faculties and curiosity from others alongside his brother.
“Actually superior expertise,” Devontae mentioned.